Freelance Finance Day

Join us for a full day of expert talks, practical insights, and actionable strategies tailored to freelancers navigating the world of finance.

From mastering your money mindset to optimizing taxes, planning your pension, and turning your expertise into a sustainable business model, this event covers it all.

Whether you’re looking to negotiate better rates, invest smartly, or transition from freelance to product-based income, you’ll find the tools and guidance you need to succeed.

Why join?

Program

More info about speakers & sessions below!

When?

Date: Friday 11 Oct 2024

Time: 08:45 – 16:15

Where?

Place: Online

How much?

Tickets:

• 49€ Early Bird rate  (17 Sept – 1 Oct)
• 79€ Standard (2 Oct – 11 Oct)

Ticket prices are excluded VAT. You can download an invoice after registering your ticket. The ticket counts as a deductible professional cost. By buying a ticket you support the Freelancers in Belgium community activities. See our refund policy in the FAQ section below.

What does the ticket include?

• access to live sessions
• on-demand recordings of sessions
• virtual networking opportunities
• downloadable resources or materials provided by the speakers

For whom? 

This event is powered by:

Speakers & Sessions

Money Habits

Session description: Money plays a significant role in our lives. It defines in which neighbourhood we live, how much free time we have, and when we can retire. I’d like to share what I’ve learnt about my own money habits and how they’ve influenced my life and business. Awareness of money habits is crucial before finding the strategies that work for you!

Bio: I’ve always been fascinated by learning and writing. That’s why I became a freelance translator in 2016 – sharing information with the world in the reader’s own language. I quickly decided to grow my business and became the founder of translation agency Word Atlas in 2020.
As my business grew, I needed a good system for money management. That’s where my interest in money management and investing comes from. Since I love empowering others, I also offer online sessions as a money mentor.

Tax optimisation & pension 2024 – 2025 for sole properitors (eenmanszaak/entreprise individuelle)

Session description: Learn the latest (and out-of-the-box!) tax optimisation techniques and strategies especially for sole proprietors (eenmanszaak/entreprise individuelle) to help you save and earn the most money possible.

Bio: Co-founder of Accountable, the #1 rated invoicing & tax app for the independent in Belgium. Accountable helps more than 40 000 freelancers with their taxes and accounting. So Nicolas knows a thing or two about that.

Tax optimisation & pension 2024-2025 for limited company owners (BV/SARL)

Session description: Learn the latest (and out-of-the-box!) tax optimisation techniques and strategies especially for limited company (BV/SARL) owners to help you save and earn the most money possible.

Bio: Hassan Ayed is a seasoned Accountant and business advisor with a passion for helping freelancers and independent professionals maximize their financial success through tax optimization. With more than 15 years of experience in the accounting industry, Hassan has established himself as a trusted advisor in tax planning and financial management. Having worked with freelancers from various industries, Hassan has a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities they face. He specializes in uncovering often overlooked deductions, credits, and strategies that can significantly reduce tax liabilities while ensuring full compliance with tax laws. He founded Catalyst, an accounting firm providing the best possible advice to optimise your financial setup whilst releasing you from the administrative burden.

The art of negotiating (new rates with existing clients, as well as new contracts)

Session description: In this interactive session, Jean-François Bodart will reveal key strategies for freelancers to master the delicate art of negotiation, whether you’re renegotiating rates with long-standing clients or securing new contracts. You’ll learn how to confidently approach pricing discussions, communicate your value effectively, and handle objections without compromising relationships. This session will provide practical tips on building negotiation skills, from preparing for the conversation to closing the deal, ensuring you’re compensated fairly for your expertise and work.

Bio: With over a decade of experience as a sales freelancer, Jean-François has a lot of knowledge to share about negotiations. He has a background in real estate, HR and marketing services and working with companies like Ascento, Immoweb, SD Worx, Easymatch and Ariad, he is home to many markets and types of clients. Now he works as a sales trainer.

Turn your copyrights into extra cash

Session description: In this inspiring keynote, Jorg Raman from Creative Shelter explains how to easily take advantage of the tax benefits associated with copyrights. Learn all about the advantages of copyrights, understand how to reduce your taxes, and increase your net income. Whether you are a photographer, content marketer, or graphic designer, this session provides you with practical tips and insights to improve your financial situation. Seize the opportunity to earn more and secure your financial future!

Bio: As an Account Manager at Creative Shelter, Jorg Raman plays a pivotal role in guiding creative freelancers to make the most of the tax benefits associated with copyrights. His deep understanding of both the legal and financial aspects of copyright management allows him to offer practical, personalized advice to freelancers. By working closely with a wide range of creatives and beyond —such as photographers, copywriters, visual designers — Jorg has honed his ability to identify opportunities for tax optimization, helping freelancers reduce their tax burdens and increase their income.

How to build wealth on autopilot, with evidence-based ETF investing, optimized for Belgian taxes

Session description: In this talk, Sebastien will teach you the simplest and most effective method to invest for the long term. It is so efficient that your bank and financial advisors do not want you to know about this. Because they would go out of business. It is a simple method, developed by regular people for regular people and based on Nobel prize winning research: index investing. In this session, you will learn: – How to invest better than professional fund managers while doing 0.1% of the work and paying 10 times less (the stuff banks don’t want you to know) – The roadmap to develop your personal investing system and set it on autopilot – How to plan for financial independence (with a bonus calculator tool so that you can do the math for your own situation)

Bio: Sebastien teaches people how to build wealth on autopilot, with evidence-based investing optimized for Belgian taxes. He also runs FIREBelgium.com, a community of personal finance enthusiasts who empower each other to build financial freedom in their lives. Sebastien is not a financial professional, but he learned the hard way that you don’t need to take crazy risks nor pay expensive managers or banks to invest well in the stock market. Instead, you need common sense knowledge and a simple plan. After consistently saving and investing during his career he reached financial independence at 33. Today, he teaches people how to invest simply and effectively via index ETFs, a method proven by countless studies to generate better returns than most professional managers and that requires less than 5 min per month to manage.

Investing as a company (BV/SRL) owner

Session description: Are you wondering what to do with the extra cash in your company? Should you pay a dividend, reserve cash for a lower tax-rate, use fiscal schemes or start investing with company money? This session will provide practical strategies and tips tailored for BV/SRL owners. Tim will cover key investment options, tax implications, and smart decision-making to help you maximize your financial growth.

Bio: Tim Nijsmans is the founder of the Vermogensgids offering independent financial guidance to help individuals build and manage a high-performing investment portfolio, focusing on cost-effective solutions and unbiased advice to enhance returns​. He has already swum through many financial waters. As an asset manager and fund manager at an Antwerp private bank, he has helped people find suitable investments and financial matters for almost 14 years. He is also co-author of the book De Hangmatbelegger, lecturer in Private Banking at the Artevelde University College in Ghent and member of the Board of Directors of the Flemish Federation of Investors (VFB).
With truly independent advice, you can make investments that are managed cheaply and achieve a result better than that of your current banker or manager.

Unpaid invoices? Find out how to protect yourself as a freelancer and get paid.

Session description: Are you suffering from unpaid bills and tired of chasing them? Then you have come to the right place! Unpaid helps you collect your undisputed and unpaid B2B invoices.
The Unpaid procedure is based on the 2016 law on Recovery of Undisputed Debts (RUD). This allows you to collect 100% legally without passing by a lawyer, court or collection agency. This process is up to 10 times faster than the traditional method.
All you have to do is follow the simple steps on our website. Within a few minutes, you can submit your claim online, after which we will immediately take action!

Bio: Do you ever suffer from unpaid invoices? Is your client still not paying after numerous phone calls, messages and emails? In this session, Dirk Dewulf, General Manager of Unpaid will explore what is best to include in your terms and conditions to protect yourself as a freelancer, what you can do when your client does not pay and how Unpaid can assist you with your unpaid invoices.

10 Essential Tips and Pitfalls to Avoid in your Cash Flow!

Session description: Are you suffering from unpaid bills and tired of chasing them? Then you have come to the right place! Unpaid helps you collect your undisputed and unpaid B2B invoices.
The Unpaid procedure is based on the 2016 law on Recovery of Undisputed Debts (RUD). This allows you to collect 100% legally without passing by a lawyer, court or collection agency. This process is up to 10 times faster than the traditional method. All you have to do is follow the simple steps on our website. Within a few minutes, you can submit your claim online, after which we will immediately take action!

Bio:Ruth Demoen is the founder of ABC Coaching. ABC Coaching offers Personal Financial Coaching and Public Speaking Coaching for professionals in the corporate and entrepreneurial world. As Antwerp Financial Coach the past three years she has been helping clients get insights in their finances to take concrete action in making their life goals and financial priorities come true!
‘You feel Ruth’s passion when she is talking about money’ – Katja, Interior Architect

Pricing Expertise to Product Success: Transitioning from Freelancing to SaaS

Session description:In this talk, Emanuel will share key insights and valuable lessons from his experience, focusing on the critical mindset shifts required when moving from selling services to selling a product. He will dive into the practical aspects of building a software product, identifying a target market, validating customer needs, and finding the right messaging that resonates with potential buyers. This session is perfect for freelancers and specialists looking to leverage their expertise into a scalable software product and seeking practical advice on making the transition.
What you’ll learn:
– Understand the advantages of transitioning from services to a product-based business.
– Learn how to shift your mindset from service provider to product owner.
– Discover common challenges and opportunities when shifting to product-based revenue.

Bio: Emanuel Martonca started his journey in 2020 with the vision to build a pricing SaaS platform. His path began as a pricing consultant, evolved through workshops and training, and ultimately led to launching a successful SaaS business. Reflecting on his journey, he believes he could have achieved the same success in half the time with the right approach. Emanuel started his journey in 2020 with the vision to build a pricing SaaS platform. His path began as a pricing consultant, evolved through workshops and training, and ultimately led to launching a successful SaaS business. Reflecting on his journey, he believes he could have achieved the same success in half the time with the right approach.

From bank employee to finance trainer: how Vera transitioned to expert trainer, online course creator, and author

Session description: Learn why and how Vera made the switch from bank employee to freelance finance trainer at the largest multinationals in Belgium to scaling her business by creating an online training. She will also share tips about (self-)publishing a book. Get tips and tricks about marketing an online product, the importance and benefits about personal branding

Bio: Vera is a seasoned finance expert who delivers in-company training to top companies like Telenet, BASF, Randstad, and more. She specializes in empowering managers to make profitable financial decisions by simplifying complex business numbers. Vera also offers a VIP program tailored to SMEs, combining video lessons, group sessions, and personalized 1-on-1 coaching. For those just starting out, her free webinar, “Finance for Non Financials,” breaks down financial concepts in an accessible way. Passionate about making finance fun and understandable, she also shares insights via her blog and newsletter, the Funancial Times.

From Freelance to Fortune: Brian Dean’s Blueprint for Building and Selling Solo-Founded Businesses

Session description: In this Q&A with Freelancers in Belgium community manager Jenny Bjorklof Brian will share how he started, grew and sold his businesses as a solo-founder. You will get tips about:
– How he doesn’t work with any employees, instead he hires freelancers when he needs expertise. Without ever having meetings and reducing management to a minimum.
– Why consulting or having an agency is not scalable for growing as a freelancer, and why you should focus on channels and products offering passive value instead.
– Working on your business instead of in your business.
– How to protect your time and ignore shiny new things
– And much more!

Bio: Brian Dean started off as a SEO and Digital Marketing Consultant. He founded Backlinko in 2013, a marketing blog and online courses with 5 million + readers which was acquired by Semrush in 2022. His next project is a reporting tool called Exploding Topics. It analyses millions of searches, conversations and mentions across the internet and gathers them in insightful reports and in a weekly newsletter. This too was acquired by Semrush in August 2024

FAQ

Will this event be in English?

Yes

Will there be a recording?

Yes, all registered participants will get a recording in an email after the event

What if I can’t join or the event gets cancelled? 

Cancellation/Refund policy:

When purchasing a ticket you agree to these terms and conditions. If you cancel your attendance 7 days in advance your ticket will be refunded in full. If you cancel less than 7 days in advance there is no refund. You may transfer the ticket to another participant at any time free of charge.

The organiser is not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of a substitution, alteration, cancellation or postponement of an event. The organiser shall assume no liability whatsoever in the circumstances that an event is cancelled, rescheduled or postponed due to a fortuitous event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders the performance of an event impracticable, illegal or impossible. For purposes of this clause, a
fortuitous event shall include, but not be limited to: war, fire, labour strike, extreme weather or other emergency.

Please note that while speakers and topics are confirmed at the time of publishing, circumstances beyond the control of the organisers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. As such, the organiser reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary without any liability to you whatsoever. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on our web page as soon as possible.

What does the ticket include?

• access to live sessions
• on-demand recordings of sessions
• virtual networking opportunities
• downloadable resources or materials provided by the speakers

A whole day online, really? Will I be able to follow?

Yes, with a mix of insightful presentations, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities through the fun and lively chat, you’ll stay connected, informed, and entertained throughout the event. And the time will go fast.

“Freelancers in Belgium events always have a great atmosphere and lots of interaction. And you learn valuable insights both from the speakers and the participants.” Delphine Abdelmoula, Marketing Freelancer

This event is organised by

A community where freelancers:

• connect and support each other on any topic from admin to sales to mindset
• share best practices, job opportunities, tax information and tips on finding clients
• learn how to start and run their businesses successfully through training and events
• join the FREE Facebook group to meet thousands of freelancers today.

We share content and have some great partner deals too.

Find out more at www.freelancersinbelgium.be