Things To Think About Before Becoming A Freelancer
by Euella Jackson.
So you’re considering delving into the depths of the unknown to become a creative freelancer. Why the heck not? You’ve got the talent, the drive and the resilience to be your own boss, and the flexibility to make it work.
However, while freelancing can be massively rewarding it also takes a lot of organisation, discipline and commitment. So before you rush into work to hand in your resignation, we’ve compiled a short checklist to ensure you’ve covered all your bases first.
1. REGISTER AS SELF EMPLOYED
Unfortunately, being a freelancer isn’t as easy as quitting your job and voila! you’re a freelancer. You need to let the government know that you’re becoming self-employed, partly so that they can keep track of the tax that you may (or may not) owe and because you may be entitled to certain benefits or exemptions. To do this, all you really need is your National Insurance number.
Now, we would be lying if we said that registering as self-employed is a fun walk in the park, but there are plenty of people who know what to do and can give you advice on how to navigate the website (as well as plenty of resources online).
2. REGISTER YOUR TRADEMARK OR COMPANY NAME
If you are setting up a business or selling a unique product, you may need to register your business with Companies House or want to register your trademark to protect your intellectual property via copyright—this prevents people from copying or illegally using your name without your permission in writing. It can all get pretty complicated and messy, so make sure that before you get excited naming your business or products that you have searched the Companies House website or trademarks database to make sure that name isn’t already taken.
3. GET PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE
While public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for all businesses, it is often an important cover for self-employed professionals and freelancers, as it can protect you if someone is injured or their property is damaged because of your business (eek!). You should consider getting it if members of the public are or will be interacting with your business in any way—from customers receiving deliveries to clients visiting your office or work premises. The best (and cheapest) place to go is via signing up for a.n membership which is a brilliant thing even without the free offer of insurance!
4. GET DBS CHECKED (Disclosure and Barring Service)
A DBS (formerly known as CRB check) is a document/certification which shows employers that you are able to work with vulnerable groups and persons. These checks are made to aid employers in making safer recruitment decisions and ensure that they are employing the right people for certain types of work, like working with children or vulnerable adults. You can get a basic DBS check yourself from the government (Request it here: GOV.UK). The check requests information about your criminal record, should you have one, and your eligibility to work in certain environments. Having a DBS will boost your eligibility to work on projects involving members of the public—particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Note: You can only request a ‘Basic’ check yourself; if you want to get a ‘Standard’ or ‘Enhanced’ DBS check, an “umbrella body/registered body” or employer need to apply for it for you. Find out more about the different types of checks here.
5. GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER
As a freelancer, there’s a bunch of new responsibilities that you need to handle and a large part of that is organising your finances. How are you going to be paid? How much are you going to charge? How will you pay for your general upkeep? It’s a good idea to get a separate business bank account so you can differentiate your personal money from the money dedicated specifically to your business. Use spreadsheets to stay on top of how much money you are making and back it up by keeping records of the invoices that you send and receive and your expenditure. Be sure to take out 20% of your total earnings each month to pax your income tax at the end of each business year to save any nasty surprises.
6. CONTRACTS
Part of organising your responsibilities comes under managing your workload—this is where contracts come in handy. No job is too big or too small for a contract. In basic terms, a contract is the written terms of any work that you undertake for a client or organisation and is to be signed by all parties. It is also where the duties/responsibilities of you and your client are laid out. You should make a new contract for each new job you begin if your client does not provide one, and be sure to include a breakdown of the brief, the duties to be undertaken by you and your client, as well as the terms of pay (such as when, how, and under what circumstances you will be paid). Think about whether you want to include a penalty for late payment, and whether it’s up front or upon the delivery of your services.
7. INVOICING
You need to get yourself an invoice template (there’s a whole range available online, or create your own) and make sure you send out an invoice for every piece of work you do, giving each invoice a different number starting from 001 and working your way up. It’s a good idea to put ‘Pay within [X]’, with [X] being the maximum amount of time you’re prepared to wait before being paid. (Remember what we said in #6 about late payment!) You also need to provide your name, address, bank details—and some employers may want your National Insurance number too.
8. GET AN ONLINE PORTFOLIO
Advertise your skills and services through an online portfolio or website. This makes it easier for you to market yourself and find more work. Your website will serve as a one-stop shop to demonstrate your skills, your prices and the breadth of your services. (Or you could get in touch with us and ask about becoming one of our Featured Artists and we could host your work and promote it for you!)
We hope you’ve found this useful. Any feedback or more questions just get in touch.
Until next time!
Team Rising