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Hey Owlets,
In March 2020 it suddenly dawned on me that in my first year as a full time travel blogger I’d gone from building up, to doing quite well to becoming unemployed overnight. At the time I was living in my family home with very few outgoings, so I was in a more fortunate position than most but it was still utterly terrifying. I’m a proud “winging it” kinda girl, so I decided to get myself out of the mess the same way I always had - by making it up as I went along.
I threw myself into the world of freelancing - as a blogger you’re a “jack of all trades, master of none” so I started pitching myself to do pretty much any job I could think of. From writing to admin to social media - if you’d pay me I’d do it. In the end, I carved out a nice little career and I find my new split of freelance work and blogging much more enjoyable. Having said that, I’ve had one hell of a learning curve on my road to freelancing, and there are so many things I wish I knew before I started. So if you’re a freelancing newbie, make sure you take note of the things that I wish I’d known before - it’ll save a lot of time, stress and money in the long run!
ALWAYS Have a Backup Plan (and Insurance)
As a freelancer, clients will often come to you with a task and expect to come back in a few days/weeks to find it done, no questions asked. What happens to get you to that end goal is up to you. If you’re a writer, make connections with other freelance writers so that you have someone to pass work onto if you get sick. Always save your work in multiple places (both on and offline) and ALWAYS have insurance. I’ve thankfully not needed to use mine yet, but it’s important to have personal indemnity (in case you do something wrong and get sued), public liability if you conduct your work in a public place (like a photographer) and freelance-specific insurance that will cover you for a sudden loss of income through illness or personal tragedy - some will even pay out on your invoices if your client hasn’t paid.
Know the Law and ALWAYS Sign a Contract
I’m sorry, I know this is a boring point but it’s important. I used to work on good faith and expect clients to pay me afterwards, then had no contract to fall back on if a client started messing me around. There are plenty of freelance contract templates online - just search with your country at the end so the law is relevant, or you can even find solicitors who will write a generic contract for a few hundred pounds, and it’s so worth it. The contract should state which country’s law you agree to follow, specific agreements that you’ve made in your emails, reasons for contract termination, what happens if someone breaks the contract and payment terms.
If you’re in the UK, HMRC guidelines state that you’re able to charge a flat admin fee as well as 8% interest plus the Bank of England base rate (currently 1.75%) on late payments and it sets out a standard timeline for payment which is assumed unless you agree otherwise. Don’t let yourself get bullied out of getting what’s rightfully yours - most clients are lovely but some will try it on and you need to show that you’re not going to put up with it.
Collaboration, Not Competition
In times when work has been quiet, it’s other freelancers who have gotten me through it. They’ve passed on work when they know I need it, and I’ve done the same for them. Equally, they’re as close as you will get to colleagues. Join Facebook groups for freelancers - many are specific to the kind of service you offer. You’ll always find people that are willing to help, because they were in the same situation before.
Keep Receipts and Get an Accountant
I’ve now been unfortunate enough to complete two tax returns - which is two too many in my eyes. I’m convinced that HMRC actually go out of their way to make tax returns difficult to understand.
First of all, get organised. I have a basic accounting spreadsheet which lists income and expenses in date order, with a sheet for each month. It’s nothing fancy, but it does the job. I sit down and do my accounts (or rather my boyfriend bullies me into updating my accounts) every couple of months, which means I’m not digging through pages of bank statements in a panic at the end of the year! Platforms like Quick Books can be a good way to keep track of your accounts because you can scan receipts and upload invoices, but unless you have lots of expenses then a simple spreadsheet will be fine.
What I will say, however, is GET AN ACCOUNTANT. Just trust me on this - year end accounts preparation is a necessary evil, but it’s one that you can outsource to save stress and money! If you’ve been organised and kept a basic record over the year, your accountant can simply check to make sure that everything is in order, advise you on things that you’re allowed to claim as expenses that you might not have thought of (which reduces your tax bill) and submit your tax return on your behalf. This actually costs a lot less than you think because you’ve done most of the heavy lifting already and are paying them to check the accounts and submit it for you, but if you find accounting entirely overwhelming then you can obviously pay more for them to handle everything. I think there’s a tendency to think “I’ll do it myself and save money” in every aspect of your freelancing journey, but there comes a time when you realise that sometimes it’s better to spend money to save your mental health. Learning to accept help and outsource the things you struggle with is a valuable skill to learn, and for me that outsourcing starts with my accounts!
Don’t Undersell Yourself
Why did you choose to start offering a specific service as a freelancer? It’s probably because you have some knowledge or experience in that area. During your career you will find a lot of potential clients that will say anything to beat you down and get a better deal - never give in.
From my experience (and many others, from what I’ve seen in Facebook groups), the clients who haggle with you are almost always guaranteed to be the ones who cause problems. They’re looking for a cheap deal, they’re usually not willing to pay for quality and they expect you to do everything and more for a cheaper price. Know your worth, stick to it and you’ll attract the kind of clients that you actually want and deserve. If you’re not sure what to charge, look at Facebook groups or freelancing blogs for inspiration.
Hopefully these tips have helped you. Even if they only serve as inspiration, it’ll hopefully make your life a little easier. At the start of your freelancing journey there’s a temptation to accept anything and everything, which is definitely the trap I fell into! It takes time to settle in and learn the ropes, but accepting the advice and support of more experienced freelancers will make the transition much easier. Good luck!
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