Careers and Enterprise Blog
Christina Ackah-Annobil
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It’s National Freelancers Day! A day set up to celebrate the most enterprising types of business: the UK’s 2 million independent professionals.
But what is ‘freelance’?
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Essentially, someone who doesn’t rely on just one organisation to earn a living; freelancers are self-employed, talented professionals. They are often employed for projects but can also earn a regular wage in roles such as journalism or web design. you can freelance alongside a full/part-time job or work on multiple projects. If you’ve thought about freelancing, or would like some inspiration and tips on how to improve your client-base, keep reading.
What can you freelance in?
- Design
- Web Development
- Video
- Photo
- Audio
- Business Support
- Marketing & PR
- Software Development
- Writing
- Administration
- Search Marketing
- Social Media
- Mobile
- Translation
- Creative Arts
- Tutorials
- And more!
“More money, more varied work, more control over your work-life…”
Working freelance is a fantastic way to earn extra money whilst studying/working, as well as building up contacts, experience and your portfolio. It offers you freedom and flexibility which can be hard to find in traditional employed roles.
While there are many pros, there are also cons that need to be considered. For some of you, this could mean leaving a full/part-time job to pursue your dream. For others it could mean sacrificing spare time to complete projects. Whatever it may be, it is important to make an informed decision before going ahead with it.
In this survey, conducted by The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE), freelancers were asked about their level of satisfaction in their freelance careers and what influenced their decision to change the way they worked. Satisfaction vs. security…
To be or not to be a freelancer: Job satisfaction and wellbeing
CCCU Alumnus Patrick Channon on working as a freelance musician as a student
Emmeline Pidgen on building a successful freelance business and the challenges it brings
Jane Foster on the highs and lows of self-employment
Do your reading!
Great, now that you’ve decided you want to become a freelancer, here are 2 books to help you along the way.
The Freelancer’s Bible, £13.90
“Written by the founder of America’s Freelancers Union, this is a one-stop, all-encompassing guide to being a nimble, flexible, and successful freelancer. Topics incluide the three essentials of getting clients and the three most important ways to keep them happy; 13 tactics for making it through a prolonged dry spell; a dozen negotiating dos and don’ts, and plenty more besides.”
The Money Book, £11.71
“This book is not aimed at designers specifically but freelancers of all kinds, and is focused on how to manage your finances. From interviews with financial experts to anecdotes from real-life freelancers, plus handy charts and graphs to help you visualise key concepts, you’ll learn about topics including: “Managing Cash Flow When the Cash Isn’t Flowing Your Way”, “Getting Real About What You’re Really Earning” and “Tools for Getting Out of Debt and Into Financial Security”.”
Text courtesy of Tom May @ Creative Boom
Struggling to find freelance work?
Here are some great websites for sourcing freelance work, as recommended by Creative Boom:
Krop – Predominantly American but there are some UK jobs on there for freelancers, mainly in the creative industry fields.
Freelancer – Freelancer calls itself ‘the world’s largest outsourcing marketplace’ and includes a huge range of freelance opportunities, available for you to browse. All helpfully categorised and you can quickly see project briefs and budgets.
FreelanceUK – Job opportunities posted on this popular UK freelance website. Be sure to check out their ‘Running a Business’ section for additional tips and advice.
PeoplePerHour – An established site that has been around for a while now, allowing you to register to people can find you and you may also ‘bid’ for job opportunities with potential clients.
Behance Jobs – A jobs board for creative professionals, offering opportunities from across the globe. This is part of Behance’s online portfolio directory and it’s always worth a look.
Smashing Jobs – Smashing Magazine’s own Jobs Board where you can search for web design and development opportunities, sometimes featuring ones in the UK.
Sensational Jobs – Another freelance jobs board for web professionals. Includes job opportunities from the UK.
CreativesRus.com – A UK leading freelance database, connecting creative industry with independent professionals. Launched in mid-2010, it’s about time we saw more of these, so will be keeping an eye on how this develops in 2011.
Download our short Freelancing handout for more info:
And don’t forget that we have a range of resources on start-ups and enterprise on The CORE.
A big well done to all of the hard-working freelancers out there, and good luck to those trying it out.
Other resources:
Is self-employment right for you?
How to make it as a freelance entrepreneur
