Ten tips for going freelance

Time to read: 3 minutes

It’s been six months since Sam Howard turned freelance. If you’re contemplating ‘the big leap,’ here are her early days’ tips, while the pain of learning them is still fresh:

the cat can stay but the table and the chair are going to have to go

1) Take a break before you begin

Contrary to what I was advised, I recommend you do not quit your day job on a Thursday and start your first contract on the Friday. I think I would have been more able to absorb the culture shock if I had allowed a month in between. Ideally, a couple of weeks of doing NOTHING. After 22-plus years of ‘real’ work, I guess I could have cut myself some slack there. Then, the next few weeks can be spent sorting out behind-the-scenes stuff. Not just the paperwork but the basics like a comfy chair, stationary, etc.

2) Apply some discipline to the financials

To quote Jessie J, ‘it’s not about the money’. I knew that from the get-go, but it’s quite tricky to unhook your actual worth from your ‘take home’. Let it go; you are not your agency day rate or your old job title. You are so much more; being a freelancer gives you space to explore it.

To avoid the feast or famine syndrome, set up a separate bank account and tip some cash into it to ease yourself in three months of a notional wage. You’ll have enough to adjust to without worrying about money from day one. Keep all your business outgoings and income in this one account. From this, you can transfer an appropriate amount for tax into a savings account and pull a regular wage so you can continue to budget as you did when you were employed.

3) Don’t underestimate how long tasks will take

One of the biggest shockers I found was that there was no one to whom I could delegate. I was so delighted that the decision-making process was now instantaneous. However, the implementation process swallowed up all the time savings on that side, and now it was just me to execute. I had to relearn skills I’d abandoned years ago, like formatting, attention to detail, spelling…

4) Get out and talk to people

My first project was initially difficult and intense, compounded with no team support or general water cooler chitchat, which meant I initially felt overwhelmed. I quickly met an industry mate at least a couple of times a week to help keep my trials and tribulations in context.

5) Dress the part:

After a few months of looking like Bridget Jones in the throes of a messy divorce, I smartened up. For me, the best standard is to dress as if you have a mild crush on the postman. Oh, and you’ll have to schedule some regular exercise, too, if you’re gonna have a chance with that postman.

6) Don’t be mean to yourself

I wish now I hadn’t bought a basic printer, trotting off to newsagents to pay for photocopies or coloured printouts, pains me man, it pains me. Also, my dining room table is not the right height for a desk, and sooner or later, I am going to have to come to terms with this.

7) Find your natural rhythm

After so many years working Monday to Friday 9- 5 it’s natural to feel obliged to keep it up, but being a freelancer you can set your own rhythm. Mine follows the sun, if it’s sunny I do less, if it’s not I do more. Family commitments notwithstanding, I’m happy to work in the evenings or weekends if it means that when the sun comes out, I can potter in the garden, keeping a squinty eye on the emails. Let go of the guilt. As long as you get the work done and it delivers above, beyond and ahead of your client’s expectations, you can really please yourself when and how you do it.

8) Stay in the loop

Now you’re not part of the company chatter, you need to put extra effort into keeping up with what the industry is talking about and what’s trending. Make time in your daily schedule to read, comment and connect. Also, go to conferences, training seminars, etc, not just to network but to learn and assimilate.

9) Try to hold out for interesting projects

This has to be a massive plus of going freelance, working for people you like, and taking remits you enjoy. This is payback for all those years of doing tasks you were painfully unsuited to and working with people you’d normally cross the street to avoid. You’ll end up doing such a great job you can easily widen the remit, and referrals will surely follow.