It takes a lot to be a freelancer – find the work, secure the work, do the work, invoice for the work, find the next work. Repeat. When you start out, it can take a long time to establish yourself – and the key business skills you need to have a sustainable career in the industry - are often not taught to us.
One of the things we talk about in Business Toolkit for Freelancers (a programme supported by the High-end TV and Film Skills Funds), is getting control – no one can work effectively if they feel out of control. It can be really hard for people even to confirm the basics when you first get a job offer in the industry:
- what are the hours?
- how many days a week?
- are there payments for working over those hours, or time off in lieu
- does that include holiday pay?
Asking these questions is really important – and they will help you to understand the job and your responsibilities. If you don’t have anyone in your immediate circles who freelances, make sure you are connecting to freelancers on social media – there is a lot of good advice out there. Build your confidence in asking questions – in the long run, it is always better to know what you are getting. (And when you are going to be paid! Don’t forget to ask that).
Budgeting for freelancers can be a nightmare. You may start with lots of work which suddenly disappears, or the work may trickle in while you establish yourself. How will you budget to make sure you can pay your bills? Many freelancers can have a mixture of PAYE and freelance income – and they need to make sure they are putting money aside for their tax bills. What is the minimum you need to make to pay your bills? Our tutor, David Thomas Media has a lot of ‘free stuff’ on his website davidthomasmedia.com which can help – including a number of Cash Flow planners for those who are freelancing, on PAYE or operating as sole traders. (And make sure you know the difference!) Thinking about pension pots, what will happen if you are incapacitated and cannot work – even basics such as how much it costs you to get to work (!) are all important considerations.
Not enough freelancers think of themselves as businesses whether in how they approach getting work or how they behave once they have done the work. Imagine you are hiring a plumber, I always advise. Who would you hire? The one who comes in, sizes up the job and gives you their rate, how many days the job will take and how their pricing runs (overages, not finishing on time etc) or a plumber who says – I am not sure what I would charge for that – what are you thinking of paying? We practice in Business Toolkit – chatting about our ‘rate’ and accepting that almost everyone’s rate is within a ‘range’ – the lowest amount they will accept (and why they are willing to do the work, for example they will learn a new skill to add to their CV) and the highest rate they would expect (is the job very demanding? Is it likely to be long hours? Challenging work?) It is funny how much more demanding people can be when they can see themselves as the ‘hirer’ rather than always being the ‘hired’. Belonging to a union or a guild can be one of the most important choices you make – not only do these provide rate cards and guidance, but they can be invaluable to freelancers who may feel isolated from their peers. The industry is notorious for not sharing rates of pay – so freelancers can be left high and dry when trying to discover whether they are being paid fairly.
Contracts – always a minefield in the industry – need not be. Even if a contract isn’t issued before you start – be clear what is in the offer (asking those important questions again) and sending the person hiring you a confirmation email is one way to make sure you are setting the terms and conditions of your employment. Be clear to them that this is your understanding of your television conversation, and if there is anything incorrect or missed – ask them to get back to you straight away. If you are a sole trader – write your own terms and conditions.
Getting paid is the most important thing you can do as a freelancer – you need to ensure you know when you are being paid – and that you are paid. Don’t be afraid of asking when the cut-off is for expenses and payroll. Both are going to be very important to you. Understanding how to do a simple invoice (and again, davidthomasmedia.com has some handy templates for FREE) and invoicing quickly after a job is done is the best way to get paid on time. A handy note on the invoice outlining that you understand ‘late payment legislation’ and directing your payees to www.payontime.co.uk can often concentrate the mind of someone dealing with your invoice.
Keeping boundaries between your working life and personal life is key to making a career sustainable. Try to get those in place as soon as you can – you can’t always be looking for work so make sure you set aside some time to think ahead. Keep your networks lively – check in with people, let them know what you are up to and what you hope to do in the future. It really helps to tell people when you want to make a move – don’t assume they are going to know that. Remember, as a freelancer you need to be able to articulate where your career is going – don’t let other people do that for you!
And finally, and this is never easy for me to say, but I truly believe some people aren’t made for freelancing. If you are someone who likes a steady and guaranteed income, who doesn’t like selling themselves or worries too much about what the future holds – freelancing may not be for you. And that is okay.