Starting out... & the benefits and drawbacks
Starting out own your own can be daunting... where do you start? After creating your own portfolio site the next step will be to setup your own business whilst trying to land your first job. Setting up your own business can be a challenge in its own right, luckily there are a number of organisations that can help get you up and running. Business Gateway is probably the best place to start, they will offer information and help to get your idea/business plan off the ground. Business gateway will take you through the first steps, help with finance, and give advice on how to manage and hopefully grow your business. Other organisations that can help....
Both Business Gateway & Creative Scotland can help with initial start up costs.
Paying work
landing your first job... Freelancers spend around 40% of their time looking for work. Fortunately there are a number of on-line resources that can help you get started as a freelancer, and it may be useful to sign up to sign-up to service that can help hook you up with potential clients. Freelancer is a good example and they can align you with contracts. Before diving in and getting started it's important to establish a clear set of requirements with the client, don't commit to things that you can't deliver. Draw up a contract setting out the requirements, time-scales and importantly how much you will get paid on completion. Be aware that this maybe fixed if using a hook up service. Once a project is under way its important to stick to the brief, remember wasted time is time that could be spent earning money! Keep the client regularly updated with progress of the project, this will help build trust and a relationship that will hopefully lead to further work in the future. Deliver what was asked for and meet the deadline agreed in the contract. Once complete ask for feedback, again this will help you build the relationship with the client. More importantly it will help you improve and allow you to focus on what could have gone better. Its often said that you are only as good as your last job.
Some of the benefits and drawbacks of working as a freelancer are listed below:
Benefits
- You are your own boss
- flexible working
- Can be as creative as you want
Drawbacks
- Lack of job security
- Project based working to tight deadlines which in turn can mean long hours
- High proportion of work time spent looking for new work
- Intense competition
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