Freelance designers are often seen to have all the fun – they get paid well, work flexibly, and go on holiday when they want. Digit guides you through the pleasures and pitfalls of going it alone.

border=0 /><p>Image by Anthony Burrill </p></div> </p> <p> The world of the freelance creative is a tantalizing prospect for many jaded full-timers. After all, freelancers earn more money and work less hours, don’t they? </p> <p> Freelancers get to work on projects that are more interesting, get proper credit for their work, and get to work with a different group of fantastic people every week, right? </p> <p> For some people this is the reality – but if you misjudge the situation, or if you’re unlucky, going freelance can mean working longer hours for less money, not working at all, or being treated like a skivvy. </p> <p> There are no cast-iron guarantees, but a bit of thought and a lot of forward planning can help you decide whether freelancing is the life for you, and if it is, how to make the best of it. </p> <p> In some industries – TV production, for instance – most people are freelancers, whether they like it or not. In others, like graphic design, the perception of freelancers isn’t always very complimentary. Again, nothing guarantees success or failure. </p> <p> Whatever field you work in though, there are reasons to be cheerful if you possess highly specialist skills and your name is well known. If you already combine a full-time job with a steady supply of freelance work, then the transition will be much easier, too. </p> <p> Think twice, however, if you’re a junior (with less than two years’ experience – you’ll need even more in some fields), or if you just happen to hate your current full-time job. </p> <p> This is because your working methods aren’t the only things that will need to change if you decide to go freelance. “Freelance is a mindset as much as anything else,” says Brian Cantwell, general manager at Soho Editors. </p> <p> The life – and income – of a freelancer is unpredictable. “You’ve got to be prepared for gaps where you’re not going to get any work,” he says. “Use the time off: use it for development [of your skills], catch up with paperwork – or go on holiday.” </p> <p> <h2>Freelance pay cheques</h2> </p> <p> <div class=inlineimage><img src=

THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ARE BECOMING MORE RELIANT ON FREELANCERS AND THERE IS WORK OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO TAKE THE TROUBLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY’RE UP TO THE JOB.

border=0 /><p>Image by Richard Guest </p></div> </p> <p> Top 10 tips to freelancing </p> <p> 1. Know your specific industry – and make sure you’ve got enough experience and contacts before you quit your job. Also, ensure you have enough cash to sustain you. </p> <p> 2. Ask yourself whether you’ll be able to handle all that time to yourself – will you get any work done? Will you maintain a social life? </p> <p> 3. Don’t oversell what you can do – you’ll get found out. Instead, make sure you’ve got skills in as many areas as possible – you never know what your next job will be. </p> <p> 4. Get kitted out with all the hardware and software you’re going to need – and be prepared to fix it yourself if it plays up. </p> <p> 5. Be prepared – both mentally and financially – for spells of time without work. It will happen. </p> <p> 6. Get an accountant – or make sure you’ve got the skills to balance the books, sort out tax, and ensure you get paid on time. </p> <p> 7. Give clients a quote and agree a contract so you don’t get stung with twice the work you expected. </p> <p> 8. Be nice – the key to getting clients to come back to you is getting them to like your personality, as well as delivering the work, of course. </p> <p> 9. Keep your portfolio up to date and in pristine condition, and use it to demonstrate what you have done and what you can do. </p> <p> 10. Operate like a proper business – don’t go freelance thinking you can wing it. </p> <p> <div class=inlineimage><img src= Print

Comments