One year on: Hindsight advice for going freelance

07/06/2017
Time to read: 2 minutes

Simona Cotta Ramusino shares lessons learned from her first year as a freelance PR and digital marketing consultant:Simona: Freelance extraordinaire

So, it’s already been a year since I took the plunge into freelancing, and it’s certainly been a crazy, scary, and self-rewarding time.

As the summer approached, I remember starting tentatively, triple-checking every email and running every action past Sam. But after a few weeks, I found my feet …and my voice.

As I started working with different clients and different accounts, I rediscovered the real me. A more confident “me” who could actively participate in new prospects’ meetings, produce good writing and develop interesting suggestions for her clients without fear of saying the wrong thing.

It’s been a big learning curve, and here’s my advice for those thinking of becoming freelance or have just started as freelancers:

1. Going freelance: It’s OK to be scared

Being scared helped me to look at different options and opportunities and helped me focus on the job. Because it didn’t come naturally to me, it forced me to go out and look for local networking events.

Find a good accountant: it’s hard to overstate how important this is when you start. S/he will help you:

  • Decide whether to set up a Limited company or be a sole trader. There are different tax implications depending on what type of business you are in, who you are going to work with etc, so ask friends if they can recommend anyone or look on LinkedIn.
  • Set up the Company for you
  • Recommend contacts for opening a business bank account
  • Set you up with accounting software or spreadsheets for recording your accounts
  • Advise you on business expenses
  • Do your financial year-end accounts
  • Recommend a pension advisor

2. Set up a healthy and comfortable office space

Again, from experience (back aches, neck aches, colds), it’s important to have a reasonably sized desk that’s not too close to a radiator and not too close to draughts. If possible, invest in a laptop stand and a second monitor (I found mine free through a local company refurbishing their offices. You’d be surprised what gets thrown away). And if things are going well after a year, reward yourself with a new laptop.

3. Learn from your mistakes

Like any job, things sometimes don’t go to plan. When this happens as a freelance professional, you feel the blow even more. When this happened to me, I looked at why this situation had occurred and what I could have done differently. Reflecting this way helped me take a different, customised approach for my clients, as each operates differently.

4. Freelance? Be prepared to work on weekends

Or when other family members are on holiday. The myth that freelancers can take days off when they want is exactly that – a myth. Especially at the beginning, you must be prepared to work long hours, be idle in the middle of the day and work late evenings.

But it is rewarding, and that, for me, is what matters.

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