HOW TO GO IT ALONE
Stepping out from traditional working structures to be self-employed can be scary. But, says Anna Codrea-rado, you can make it work – and really love it, too
When I lost my job at a digital magazine in 2017, I was so ashamed. I thought redundancy was the worst thing that could happen to my professional career, that employers would think I was terrible at my job and that I’d never work again. But this feeling of losing control spurred me to start working for myself. I’d been considering freelancing for a while, but I was hesitating because I believed all the horror stories about self-employment being so precarious. What I realise now, though, is that I was telling myself freelancing wasn’t viable because I refused to believe it was possible to have my dream career – but that is exactly what happened.
So, what actually is a freelancer? Generally speaking, it means you’re self-employed and you sell your skills to clients – in other words, you are the business. While you might associate the word with creative jobs such as freelance journalists like myself, the trend towards remote work has opened up freelancing opportunities across industries including tech, education and training. If you have a skill that you can do by yourself, and you can sell it online, chances are that you can freelance.
Over the past two decades, more and more people have been choosing to go solo, with the self-employed now making up nearly 15% of the total UK workforce. According to research from the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-employed (IPSE), the rise in self-employment has been driven by women. Since 2008, there’s been a 69% increase in the number of highly skilled female freelancers, and IPSE’S research found that the main reason women gave for choosing this was greater control over working hours.
And it’s not just beneficial for individuals; according to experts, freelancers will be vital to the post-covid economic recovery. Adam Ozimek, the chief economist at Upwork, has said that freelancing is ‘very valuable’ to businesses ‘facing a lot of quick-moving challenges’. As companies face problems such as moving their entire business online and developing new marketing strategies, they need agile freelancers who can quickly get a project off the ground. The global freelance jobs site Freelancer.com, just hit 50m registered users after seeing record growth in 2020, and research from Yougov and Mettle, Natwest’s bank account for freelancers, found that the self-employed movement will give the UK economy an estimated £125bn boost in 2021.
When I struck out alone, I was looking for flexibility, greater control and a better work-life balance, and now I have all three.
I wake up without an alarm, commute the
30 seconds to my cosy home office (pandemic or not), where I work on projects I care about without having to deal with office politics. I don’t work late in the evenings, and I have designed my day so that my work fits around my life rather than the other way around. I’m earning more, have hit career milestones I once only dreamed about, and I’ve never felt more fulfilled. I used to feel like my career happened to me, but now I’m in control of it. I can wholeheartedly say I have the best boss in the world!
When people ask me: ‘Should I go freelance?’
I answer with a question: ‘Are you being pulled towards self-employment or pushed from your job?’ There’s a big difference. Many people think about going solo when they’re in a job they don’t enjoy and see freelancing as their only way out. But here’s the thing: when you work for yourself, no matter how small you are, you’re still running a business – albeit of one person – and it’s not for everyone. You will have to learn some business basics (my bedtime reading these days is Understanding Business Accounting For Dummies), and there’s no getting around the fact there’s a lot of admin. But if you’re reading this and thinking, ‘What an empowering idea’, you might be right for freelancing.
Freelancing means different things to different people. For someone who’s lost a job, it can be a stopgap until they find a new one. For others, it’s a side hustle. There are many, like me, who are in it for the long haul. Working for yourself can be a dream job or simply a way to pay the bills. Whatever it is, it’s yours for the making. Read on for my top tips…
‘I WANTED FLEXIBILITY AND A BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE’
GETTING STARTED… 1 Set yourself up
There are two ways to work for yourself: you can either be a sole trader or the director of your own limited company. If you’re not sure which to go for, see the self-employment section on gov.uk, then talk to an accountant for tailored advice.
2 Learn about taxes
Money that you owe in tax is not your money – painful, but true. Accepting that this money belongs to the government is actually liberating, because it forces you to find a system for putting money aside for your tax bill from the get-go. I use the online bookkeeping software Xero, which keeps track of all my income and outgoings, but I still use an accountant for my tax returns. Working for yourself means you’re able to offset many day-to-day costs such as utility bills and even coffees (with clients!) against your tax bill, so make sure to learn what counts as a business expense. Your first freelance tax bill will be bigger than expected because you have to pay some of it in advance, so make sure you set some aside!
3 Utilise your network
When I first went freelance, I tweeted about it and a follower immediately got in touch with a project. I then reached out to old bosses and picked up some holiday cover. Using social media can land you your first clients. Remember to frame it as you offering a service that will help them, rather than asking for work. Before you know it, your diary will fill up.
NOW YOU’RE ON A ROLL… 1 Get stuff done
When there’s no one keeping tabs on you, it can be hard to motivate yourself to stay focused. My best productivity trick is The Pomodoro Technique. I set a timer for 25 minutes (I use desktop timer Be Focused) and only work on one task until the time is up; no multitasking. I then set another timer for five minutes, take a quick break, then repeat the process another three times before I take a longer break. I try not to get sucked into emails too much; I use an app called Freedom to physically stop myself from opening my inbox.
2 Know your worth
One of the biggest secrets to succeeding as a freelancer is learning how to discuss money matters without sweating. Find a friend to practise with; a freelance buddy you can ask about rates, run emails past and even share your salaries. Self-belief often holds us back but when you have someone else spurring you on, it’s easier to believe in yourself.
3 Find your tribe
Working alone can be lonely but one of the greatest joys of working for myself has been picking who I work with. Fellow freelancers aren’t competition, they’re colleagues. Some of my favourite digital communities for the self-employed are Leapers (leapers.co), Freelance Heroes (facebook.com/groups/ freelanceheroes) and The Coven Girl Gang (thecovengirlgang.com).
MY FREELANCE TOOLKIT
Best bank account for freelancers:
Sole trader account, Starling Bank
Best newsletter:
Freelance Writing Jobs from Sian Meades-williams
Best podcast:
Hashtag Authentic by Sara Tasker
Best book:
Deep Work (Piatkus) by Cal Newport
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… 1 Work on your business rather than in it
When facing a challenge in your freelancing business, like a cancelled project, it’s time to switch from worker mode into CEO mode. Pull up your money spreadsheet, assess what’s working and what isn’t and make a plan for what needs to happen next. I did this when I lost a major client early on in my freelancing career, and had to come up with a creative way to plug the gap.
2 Reason things out
Don’t let the anxious thoughts spiral out of control; confide in a trusted freelance pal to work through your problems and come up with some possible solutions. Working alone can make us feel like we have no support, but help is always there if you reach out and ask for it.
3 Put your wellbeing first
It’s essential to take care of your health and wellbeing. Don’t lose sight of why you went freelance in the first place and make sure you actually take advantage of what being your own boss means. If I’m really struggling to work one day, I give myself the afternoon off so I have the chance to recharge. An easy trap to fall into is not taking enough holiday or sick days, because you know that if you take time off, you’re losing money. But breaks are beneficial to your productivity and overall life satisfaction, so make sure you schedule time off in advance.