If like me you feel like something isn’t right in your work and are looking to change how you do your job rather than your job, freelancing may be the way to go.
It’s not for the faint hearted. You give up the guaranteed job security you have with employment and take a jump into the dark where there are a lot of people already in the dark doing what you do, and you’ve got to stand out with a big torch and say “save me from the dark!”
So here are 5 things I’m doing to make making the jump easier:
- Building bridges – I have a full time job but at the same time I’m still proactively making contacts and applying for little bits of work. Obviously check to make sure you can do this with your current employer, but making those connections first is a big confidence boost.
- Budget Your Life – There are times when you’re paycheck doesn’t seem to go far enough, and when you’re freelance, every penny counts. Get that excel spreadsheet cracking and work out how much your life costs to run, what your expenses are and where you can save money. For video producers like me it’s a case of when am I able to invest in more equipment.
- Make sure you’re not selling yourself cheaply – When starting out its easy to say, ‘I can do that for free’ to make clients come flocking to you, but then you find they quickly run away when they next ask you to do something, only this time you’ve got an invoice for them. As great as this is, I don’t do it. If it’s for a friend of a friendthen sure, but an actual business, never. Sort yourself out an hourly rate. Look at the competition and see how you can be better and different to them. Not necessarily cheaper, but different.
- Know your working hours – Quite a few freelancers I know went freelance simply because of the working day they wanted to do. Many are nighthawks and prefer to work in the early hours or late into the night. I myself am a morning and evening person (no smut necessary). I work best from 7am til 12pm, then pick up again at 7pm and go til 10pm. Afternoons are a dead zone for me so I try to avoid them. Obviously if I’m on an all day shoot then you adjust accordingly, but for my edit days, they’re my golden hours. Find a time that suits you and work it.
- Know who you are and what you sell – You are selling yourself, end of, so make sure you know what you’re selling and who you’re selling yourself to. Are you looking at big businesses, local businesses etc and do you need to be self employed or run your own ltd company? Whatever you do, create a business plan for the year, set yourself weekly targets and where you want to be next year. Without forward planning, you’ll stumble in the dark without ever finding the torch.
Well that’s how I’m tackling the jump to freelancing, hopefully it give you some insight into what you’re about to face.
I’m quaking in my boots, but it is such an exciting time to be doing it!
But don’t worry, I don’t intend to be living in a caravan in the woods surrounded by old furniture – that’s the plan anway…