Reshape the World Challenge launches to help the selfemployed

FreshBooks has launched the first Reshape the World Challenge. The Challenge’s goal is to discover and support innovative companies and individuals helping people who work for themselves be more successful. Entrants will compete to show how their new product or service helps the self-employed for a chance to win $30,000 USD in cash prizes and a fully-paid trip to Durham, North Carolina. The winning team will have the opportunity to show off its product or service, meet industry experts, and receive mentoring from top business experts at American Underground, one of ten Google for Entrepreneurs tech hubs in North America.

“Self-employed professionals are on track to become the workforce majority within a decade, but the world is not yet built for them,” said Levi Cooperman, co-founder and VP Operations at FreshBooks. “Things that should be simple - like finding new clients, securing credit, filing for taxes or saving for retirement - are unnecessarily difficult today when you work for yourself. Our mission at FreshBooks is to reshape the world to suit the needs of self-employed professionals and their teams, and this challenge is an exciting way for us to support other entrepreneurs who share our mission.”

Successful freelancers and leaders in venture capital, startup acceleration, and self-employment advocacy are lending their expertise to the judging panel.

Judges are looking for the following from challenge entrants:

• Products to help entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals run their businesses. Examples include tools built to enhance customer acquisition, increase productivity, do more on-the-go, or improve financial forecasting.
  
  
• Tools that help people stay successfully self-employed. Examples include tools that help with money management, setting profitable rates, connecting with other small business owners, and back-office activities that smooth the transition from employee to self-employed.

“While independent workers see many upsides to their non-traditional careers, one significant downside is the absence of a structured benefits and savings plan that is often simply built into traditional employment,” said Sean Belka, head of Fidelity Labs. “At Fidelity Labs, we are committed to improving customers’ financial lives, and that includes the self-employed. We are proud to collaborate with FreshBooks to support bright minds that are focused on helping self-employed people be productive at work and successful in life.”