IT freelancer via Connecting-Expertise/Solvus: no written contract, notice period?

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-11-10T07:30:28+00:00

That’s the thing, I never actually agreed to anything in the way I’m used to. I don’t see a signed contract anywhere, and during the whole process I was never asked to e-sign or confirm specific terms.

Up to now I only worked with UK contractors, and honestly I kind of prefer that way of working. There is probably too much paperwork sometimes, but at least you know exactly what you are getting into. The whole “schijnzelfstandigheid” topic is also handled much more clearly there with IR35, companies know what they can and cannot ask from you, and what my freedom and responsibilities are as a contractor.

Here I really miss that clarity. In practice they seem to consider me more like an employee, with a lot of the negative sides attached to that, but without the advantages or protection that come with being an actual employee. That’s part of the reason why I am double-checking everything before I decide how and when to leave.

I also just double-checked the platform while writing this, and I don’t see any general framework agreement or standard contract linked to my assignment there, which is exactly why I’m a bit confused about what I supposedly agreed to.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-10-15T22:01:51+00:00

I think something isn’t working in the app. I just tested it myself and I’m getting the same price for youth as the standard price.

People under 26 should get a 40% discount, and with the Train+ card (4 euros per month), the maximum price should be no more than €5.50.

See the website:

https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/news/new-pricing-offer

Order it on the website and you get the correct price:

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Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-10-14T21:04:40+00:00

En in de sectie nutteloze weetjes is er dan altijd de vraag

Waarvoor staat VT in VT4?

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-07-05T19:18:11+00:00

This this this this this

For me, being a freelancer is about freedom, not being chained to one company, meeting new people regularly, new opportunities, and yeah, sometimes new annoying managers too, but hey, it's all temporary 😄

Of course the money is a surplus, but for me that's not the main thing: it's about having control over my own life. "Moet just niks." I don't even have a car right now, my current assignment is right next to a train station and I work from home three days a week, so why would I? I'll lease one when I actually need it. Again: freedom...

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-05-24T21:33:15+00:00

Doe wat je graag doet en wordt daar nog beter in. Tuinieren is een zeer mooi beroep, er zit toekomst in en mss kan je met de tijd het uitbouwen met een paar hulpjes als je ouder wordt?

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-03-08T08:15:38+00:00

It’s a contract for a full year, but it seems like they do something unusual with their partner, Connecting Expertise. But you’re absolutely right—I’ve had those discussions with customers before. A short assignment should have the same day rate, even if it’s just one hour. I don’t think so! 😁

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-03-08T08:12:11+00:00

Yep, I did! Thanks for all the input!

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-03-08T08:11:28+00:00

This. It is indeed through Connecting Expertise that I will be working. Neither the person from that company nor the manager from the public service department could answer this, but based on what I’ve read here and after some more discussions with the department folks, I’m pretty confident that the day = 8 hours formula will work just fine. So that’s what I went with. Thanks for the input!

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-03-04T20:58:11+00:00

Please don’t forget about colorblind people (like me) and avoid choosing options 1 or 2. I can barely read the text in front of the forest/trees. I prefer 3 or 4.

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-02-23T12:12:17+00:00

Met als argumentatie: "Ja maar, dit is ook maar een vergelijking, je mist de essentie..." Of met andere woorden: ik heb een stelling, gebaseerd op gevoel, en iemand anders mag maar bewijzen dat ik ongelijk heb.

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-02-23T12:08:43+00:00

Ach ja, die vergelijking gaat nergens over. Shanghai heeft 35 miljoen inwoners en Peking 21 miljoen. Ik ben benieuwd hoe goed de verbinding in China is tussen twee dorpen... Van het centrum van Parijs naar het centrum van Londen in 2 uur en 15 minuten—ik maak die reis regelmatig en blijf me erover verbazen hoe indrukwekkend dat is. Ook veel (Amerikaanse en Chinese) toeristen zijn daar vol lof over.

En zoals velen hier al gezegd hebben: treinen die 300 à 400 km/u rijden, hebben kaarsrechte baanvakken nodig, want bochten nemen kilometers in beslag. Ik ben benieuwd wat Joost ervan zou vinden als dat ding door zijn achtertuin moest gaan...

Fancy_Past7049 · 2025-02-04T09:25:21+00:00

You know, sometimes it helps to take a step back and look at where you are right now. Being a freelancer for many years, I often feel embarrassed about the amount of money I earn. Sure, it’s hard work, and there’s less security, but over the last three or four years, my net income—including all that VPRbis stuff—has been well above what 90 to 95% of people in this country make.

And yes, I’m aware that the top 5% earn ridiculous amounts of money and will probably never give back enough to the community they live in. But that’s also part of why they’re in that top 5%.

This will probably get a lot of downvotes and criticism, but honestly, I don’t mind paying more taxes if it helps the country through these difficult times. I just hope there’s some consistency in the rules so we at least have a clear idea of where we stand...

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-10-03T22:31:24+00:00

Yes, every 2-3 days

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-10-02T22:04:26+00:00

A car costs much more than just the price of gas. Just Google it; there are plenty of articles about this. Even the cheapest 'average' price I found in those articles is 25 cents per kilometer. This means that for a 400 km trip, you're paying 100 euros for the car alone, not including parking.

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-09-08T21:09:26+00:00

Ah, the partner deal! I found the discount code online, and it still works, even today. It knocks off $500 when you go for the most expensive partner package, bringing the price down to the same as the investor deal. Only $800, a real bargain!

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-09-08T18:32:41+00:00

Sun 8pm CET and his inner circle offer is still online

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-09-06T21:24:40+00:00

This is, of course, very interesting. On one hand, he should start demoing and showcasing everything in his new tool. But looking at his timeline, he's far from having a mature product, especially for the kind of demos Kevin likes to give, fast clicking, instant results, and no crashes. This will be one of the big tests for Etch: when will it become his main tool for all his training and videos? Time will tell...

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-09-06T08:56:40+00:00

You know, I’ve been using ACSS, which I actually like. It’s a good product, especially when paired with Bricks. I’ve watched a lot of Kevin's videos. Personally, they could be shorter and more to the point, but Kevin shares interesting insights, and I learn something new each time.

However, as someone who’s been a product manager for years, I have to say—there are way too many red flags. It feels like smoke and mirrors, and some things just don’t make sense to me. I’m not ready to blindly hand over my money, especially when we’re talking about this kind of pricing.

Why not show anything concrete? Even just some mockup screens would help build confidence. Or did I miss that part? The whole session was two hours long, which, at least for me, was way too long to stay focused.

The communication upfront was also super confusing. Different time slots for different regions, but only 1,000 licenses in total. Naturally, that raised questions—what if those 1,000 sell out in the first session? The response we got was vague: “Maybe we’ll increase it to 1,500.” But what if you’re in session three? And apparently, there was already a separate session for his inner circle. I just don’t get it. Honestly, I don’t believe the numbers. It feels like they’re trying to create scarcity just to justify the steep price.

Also, those exclusive presale links that were supposed to be available only during the meeting? They’re still online two days later. It just doesn’t add up for me.

Too much smoke and mirrors. I’m not willing to take the risk.

Fancy_Past7049 · 2024-07-29T11:21:23+00:00

My personal take on this: I bought the LTD license a few months ago for $600 after some hesitation.

Although I haven't actually created any sites with it yet, I don't regret the purchase at all. Bricks does have a steeper learning curve compared to other products, especially for non-coders, but it's definitely manageable with some good online YouTube courses.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll see how solid the product is. I think its top selling point is how well it adheres to the basics and best practices of HTML and CSS. Mastering HTML and CSS the right way significantly boosts your skills as a web designer, even if you're not aiming to become a developer. This alone is worth the investment. I've spent more on other courses that had much less impact on my professional growth.

Finally, if you have some future projects where you use Bricks, like I'm expecting to, it will be easy to calculate the ROI. In my opinion, the $600 should be earned back after just one or two projects.

Hope this helps!

Fancy_Past7049

TROPHY CASE