Start a company without starting a company.

The freelancing dilemma for internationals.

Photographs: Factofly / Pexels / Greg McQueen

Text: Greg McQueen

When your international skills and experience don't quite fit Denmark's rigid job market, finding a job becomes a long, frustrating, and exhausting process. I know this firsthand. After countless applications that led nowhere, I've decided to return to another option: freelancing.

Many internationals face a similar crossroads, with valuable qualifications and experience that Danish employers do not always recognise. Self-employment is one solution to consider, but it's not always practical or suitable for everyone. Or is it?

After all, Denmark consistently ranks among the world's easiest places to start a business, with straightforward online registration and minimal red tape. Yet, as I experienced when I started my photography business several years ago, this initial simplicity hides a more complex situation once you've filled out the paperwork.

Being self-employed (enkeltmandsvirksomhed) in Denmark means operating as a one-person business with a CVR number. While this requires less paperwork than establishing a limited company (ApS), there are still many administrative tasks involved in being your own boss.

For many internationals, additional challenges include language barriers and unfamiliarity with Danish business regulations. While many government websites offer information in English, the translations are often of poor quality and difficult to understand even for native English speakers.

If you decide to take the plunge and become self-employed, another hurdle is your bank. Danish banks require self-employed customers to open business accounts. This process can involve more paperwork, additional fees, and extra financial scrutiny, especially for non-Danes. And once your business is up and running, you'll face quarterly MOMS (VAT) submissions, detailed record-keeping to track income and expenses, and the need to produce annual accounting reports for the tax authorities.

Even with accounting software like Dinero or Billy, which I have used for years, these tasks steal valuable time you could spend on client work or with your family. The software helps, certainly, but it doesn't eliminate the need to understand Danish tax rules or the time spent tracking and organising expenses.

Danish taxes are also high, and as a self-employed person, you must set aside approximately half of your income for tax payments. In principle, this should be simple: transfer the money to a separate account and don't touch it. Reality, especially during slower periods, is far more complicated. When client payments are delayed or unexpected expenses arise, that tax fund is easy to dip into. This leaves you potentially short of your tax bill at the end of the financial year.

For many internationals already struggling with the complexities of building a life in Denmark, freelancing can be an anxiety-inducing nightmare. As someone who spent nearly a decade wrestling with these challenges as a self-employed photographer, I understand the frustration all too well, which makes it even "crazier" that I am considering going self-employed again.

But what if there were a way to freelance without drowning in paperwork? What if you could invoice companies without registering a business, handling tax calculations, or worrying about MOMS? This is where Factofly comes in, offering a neat alternative to freelancing for internationals in Denmark.

"Factofly is about removing the barriers that come with being your own boss," says Jannik, "to try things out alongside your day job, to see if an idea you've been brewing is viable, and basically just get paid for your work. Because that's exactly what you should be able to do without having to lie awake at night wondering when that VAT deadline was."

Factofly: The freelancer's alternative

Founded in 2020, Factofly offers a simple solution to the freelancing dilemma.

"Entrepreneurship has been in my blood ever since I set up a stall selling watermelons along the beaches north of Copenhagen at the age of 14," says Jannik Flor Bang, Factofly's CEO and Founder. "I was blissfully unaware of all the work that went into running a 'real' business. But the watermelon business of 30+ years ago had one key thing in common with Factofly: selling your expertise should be easy, simple and effortless."

As their website explains, Factofly specifically helps freelancers, side-hustlers, and gig workers manage the administrative side of their work without the headaches of traditional self-employment.

The concept is refreshingly simple: Factofly acts as an intermediary between you and your clients. When I first discovered their service, I was sceptical—could it really be as straightforward as they claimed? After using the platform for several months now, I've found that it is.

Here's how it works: Instead of registering as your own company, you sign up with Factofly (for free) and use their platform to create and send invoices to your clients. These invoices carry Factofly's CVR number, so your clients will get the proper documentation they need for their accounting. When clients pay, Factofly receives the money, handles all the MOMS, taxes, and administrative tasks, then transfers your earnings to you as regular income, just like a salary.

Of course, this service isn't free. Factofly charges 6% on each invoice. Initially, I had second thoughts—was it worth it? But when I calculated the time I'd previously spent on administration, accountant's fees for year-end reporting, and the mental energy used by worrying about putting money aside and taxes, 6% looked like a bargain. They will even chase clients who are late with their payments (something I always found embarrassing and awkward).

For internationals specifically, Factofly removes one of the biggest barriers to freelancing in Denmark: language. The site is available in well-written English. And it creates an easy path to freelancing without the need to become an overnight expert in accounting.

"Factofly is about removing the barriers that come with being your own boss," says Jannik, "to try things out alongside your day job, to see if an idea you've been brewing is viable, and basically just get paid for your work. Because that's exactly what you should be able to do without having to lie awake at night wondering when that VAT deadline was."

Freedom to focus: My Factofly experience

After almost ten years of running my own photography business—complete with the administrative headaches I've described—I hung up my entrepreneurial hat for a while for regular employment. The relief of not having to worry about quarterly MOMS, annual accounts, and setting aside money for taxes was huge (as well as a steady income). But as many freelancers know, once you've tasted the freedom of being your own boss, it's challenging to let it go entirely.

So here I am, contemplating freelance work again, returning to my creative roots as a writer. This time, though, my approach is entirely different now that I have discovered Factofly.

For internationals struggling to find their place in Denmark's job market, Factofly offers an alternative path. It's not traditional employment, nor is it the complete administrative nightmare of self-employment. Instead, it's a hybrid approach that allows you to use your skills and build a freelance business without drowning in bureaucracy.

Of course, Factofly isn't a magic solution to all the challenges internationals face in Denmark. You still need to find clients, network, deliver quality work, and deal with language barriers and cultural differences. But by removing administrative barriers to freelancing, it makes entrepreneurship accessible to those of us who might otherwise never have thought it possible.

When I look back at my years of stressing over spreadsheets, tax deadlines, and bank accounts, I can't help but wish Factofly existed then. For anyone contemplating freelance work in Denmark—especially internationals unfamiliar with the system—my advice is simple: try it. You might discover, as I have, that the freedom to focus on your creative work rather than paperwork makes all the difference.

In a job market that doesn't always recognise international talent, creating your own path can be a survival strategy and a way to thrive on your terms. And with platforms like Factofly removing the most difficult barriers, that path has never been easier.