LOAFC Week 6 // 11 things you need to know before you take the freelance plunge
By: James Binns
Tags: Copywriting, Copywriter, Freelancing, Freelance, Remote Working

1 // You’re going to need to get good at admin

Well, better, at least. From scheduling and budgeting to time recording and invoicing — you will spend a significant amount of time doing things that I would have referred to during my agency career as ‘boring s£#%e’. This is your life now. Try to embrace it. I like to push my glasses down to the end of my nose to look more bookish. But you do you.

2 // Quickbooks is the best £3.99 you’ll spend

While we’re on admin — believe the Quickbooks hype. It is very, very handy. Even for a finance-phobe like me. Subscriptions are quite often on sale too. Bargain.

3 // Open a separate bank account from the get-go

Having a separate bank account will make keeping track of your finances so much easier. If you’re registering as a limited company, you need a business account. These normally carry a small monthly charge. As a sole trader you can probably get away with a normal free current account.

4 // The HMRC website is the absolute worst

Gov.uk: Have you got your Government Gateway ID?

Me: Errrrr I think so.

Gov.uk: What about your Unique Taxpayer Reference?

Me: My what now?

Gov.uk: It’s a 10-digit number on your tax return

Me: The only 10-digit number I can see has a K on the end.

Gov.uk: Denied. Did you include the K? Never include the K.

Me: Well, you could’ve said.

Gov.uk: Now put in your secure password.

Me: OK — I’m pretty sure it’s this one. Nope? Must be that one. Or this one.

Gov.uk: We’ve just sent a text to your phone with another 6-digit passcode.

Me: Arrrrrrgh where’s my phone?! I bet I left it charging downstairs.

Gov.uk: You have been timed out. Please enter your Government Gateway ID.

Me: *Head explodes*

5 // You can claim back loads of stuff you wouldn’t think of

Get an accountant. They can save you money on loads of stuff you probably don’t know about. Things like utility bills if you work from home. Phone contracts if you use it for making work calls (as well as playing Candy Crush Saga). Fuel for even the smallest of business trips to pick up some new ink cartridges for the printer. It all adds up.

6 // LinkedIn is super useful. LinkedIn Premium is not.

I’ve managed to start loads of really helpful conversations through LinkedIn. It’s been a great place to prospect for new business, get recommendations and connect with freelance recruiters.

In fact, I was finding it so useful that I decided to try the free trial of Premium. For me, this is where LinkedIn massively falls down. £24.98 a month is a LOT to pay to essentially see who’s been stalking your profile. Which was the only bonus feature I found useful. To put that into perspective, that’s more than what I’m currently paying for Netflix (£9.99), Spotify (£9.99) and Medium (£3.99) combined.

7 // Cashflow is an absolute buzzkill

The olllllllld invoicing. Until you get into a rhythm, cashflow is tricky to manage. It’s taken a good 5 or 6 weeks for my first invoices to start steadily trickling in. So it pays to plan for a rainy day. Or 40.

8 // Take an EasyJet approach to managing your workflow

There’s a reason why airlines over-book. There are hundreds of reasons why a percentage of passengers end up missing their flight. And there are plenty of reasons why your briefs won’t come in when you’ve planned for them to. If they come in at all.

My advice? If you can, keep a few floating jobs on the back-burner to fill any sudden gaps. Or just take it as a sign that you need to sit in front of Netflix until the automatic power-down message on your TV shows up and makes you reappraise your life.

9 // Have strict rules when it comes to favours

Freelance isn’t free. But from time to time, your friends, family and clients will test that theory. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying you should start hitting Great Aunt Edna with the full force of your agency day rate every time she asks you to reformat the WI newsletter for her. You just need to have clear boundaries in place.

Generally, if something is going to take me less then an hour or is something I would‘ve been happy to do in my own time, I suck up the cost in exchange for the good karma. All in the spirit of corporate social responsibility and all that.

10 // And even stricter rules when it comes to work-life balance

The lines are always going to be blurred. But a few ground rules can help keep you walking the tightrope between work-obsessed maniac and FIFA-loving under-pant slacker. It’s going to be an ever-changing list. But my key groundrules include:

Always get dressed. Properly. Trackies and an Oktoberfest t-shirt don’t count.

Properly. Trackies and an Oktoberfest t-shirt don’t count. Go to work. I always go up to the office to avoid the lure of the TV. Well, almost always. Season two of The Punisher is very easy viewing BTW.

I always go up to the office to avoid the lure of the TV. Well, almost always. Season two of The Punisher is very easy viewing BTW. Admin comes first. Between 9am and 10am is my admin hour. If I haven’t got any invoicing or expenses to do, I use this time to try to drum up new business or chase up ongoing projects.

Between 9am and 10am is my admin hour. If I haven’t got any invoicing or expenses to do, I use this time to try to drum up new business or chase up ongoing projects. Have a day off. It’s rare that I’ll have a day where I do absolutely nothing towards keeping the lights on. Even if it’s just trawling LinkedIn for half an hour. But every now and then I’ll try to completely tune out for a bit.

11 // Working remotely is easier than you think

To be honest, I think remote work is the future. Thanks to Skype, dropbox and collaborative tools like Google Docs, Sheets and Slides — it’s never been easier to work with people around the world. Just because you don’t walk on the same piece of carpet all day, doesn’t make the output any less effective.

How many times have you sent an email to someone sitting literally yards away from you in an office, anyway? This is just the same. But instead of dragging your backside to a nondescript office that the management team are constantly trying to make you feel more at home in (if your home happens to contain a ping-pong table, beanbags and 120 people that don’t know how to load a dishwasher properly) — you are at home.

James Binns is a senior freelance copywriter, creative and content writer based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He’s spent the last 9 years helping brands tell better stories. It’s cost him his formerly glorious hairline.

View James’ agency work

Like what you see? Book me today at: jbcopyandcreative@gmail.com