Upwork

There are close to 530,000 freelancers and self-employed people who have linked their business account to the IRIS direct payment system, through which they can accept payments from their clients in real time.

Bulgaria holds the 15th spot worldwide in terms of average salaries for individuals engaged in freelance professions, boasting an average wage of $148.

Freelancing is a contractual profession where individuals, known as "freelancers," leverage their skills and expertise to offer services to various clients, rather than being formally employed by a single organization.

Just 260,000 freelancers and self-employed people have so far registered in the system of accepting payments through their account, a service supported by IRIS of DIAS Interbanking Systems SA. The number of registered freelancers falls well short of the total number active in Greece - 1.3 million - and the deadline expires at the end of March.

Electra is in France, Marina's in Hong Kong, Claire is in the United Kingdom, Odysseas is in Australia and Konstantinos is in the United States. Until very recently, they each led their separate lives in different parts of the world, connected only by their Greek roots and the challenges of their generation.