Top Tips for going Freelance

I have been a freelance digital marketing consultant for nearly 6 years now and it has certainly been a steep learning curve! I am really glad that I had some great advice before getting started from someone who knows what it is like to run a business – my mother – who is Practice Manager for my father’s Dental Practice.

Her advice prepared me right from the start and made sure I was ready for getting started running my own one-man-band business. Here are some top tips for getting started in the world of freelancing.

1. Contact the HRMC to inform them of your new status, this is important as they will adjust your tax requirements and records to suit your new business. You will need to register the name of your business so take some time considering this. I went with just my name, but you are allowed to use any name you like.
2. It is important to record the incomings and outgoings for your freelance business right from the start. I have a spreadsheet where I record all my invoices, their amounts, due dates and paid dates so that I can easily see what I have earned at any time and will have a full record for when I have to do my tax return. I also designed my invoice template at this time so I knew I would have it ready when it came to it. There are lots of templates available online or you can make your own. Just be sure to include your contact and payment information.
3. Get the word out! Once you’ve settled on your business name think about designing a logo and getting some marketing materials made up. I went for business cards and I made a website specifically for my freelancing. I also have an advert in our local village magazine and use social media to find prospective clients. If you are looking for virtual assistant clients you can find some great tips here.
4. One of the hardest elements of freelancing is to work out what you’re worth. Obviously, you want to be able to bill for as much as possible, while still being competitive and offering good value. A good starting place is your last salary plus a third (to balance out the lack of holidays, sick pay and the time you will need to spend on your business admin.) Don’t undercharge for your services just because you are starting out.
5. It is worth investing in good tools for your trade. When I started out freelancing I used my Windows Surface laptop for all my work which despite being portable, was a bit slow and not up to the demands of my jobs. I decided to invest in a brand new top spec desktop computer which I now use for the majority of my work. It makes sense to have reliable equipment no matter what field you work in and don’t forget you can claim back the tax from anything purchased for your business – an extra bonus.
6. Build a portfolio. Prospective clients like to be able to see what it is they are buying so having a collection of previous work examples which you can showcase is very helpful to reassure them. Ask clients, colleagues and employers for references and testimonials and put together examples of your previous work that demonstrate your skills and the type of results you can deliver. If you have a business website then publish these there, otherwise consider putting together a marketing brochure or leaflet you can give out to prospective clients.

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