How to Get the Best out of a Freelancing Career

Here at Five in a Boat, our team has a great deal of experience in the freelancing department. With a combined total of 13 years of freelance work under our belt, we’ve gained great insight into the inner-workings of life as a freelancer.

Having cleared the annual self-assessment deadline, we wanted to share our top tips for anyone on the look-out for work, looking to maximise the work opportunities they already have, or wondering about taking the freelance plunge themselves – and we promise it gets more exciting than tax (although figuring that out is important, too!).

Advertise your availability

As a freelancer, never feel embarrassed to advertise that you're looking for work. People won't know otherwise, and the power of a quick tweet or casual mention to an industry colleague can be quite astonishing! Also, if you have good relationships with employers from previous freelance stints, drop them an email first. In an ideal world, they'll come straight to you whenever they need an extra pair of hands, but it never hurts to send a quick FYI. You may even find your well-timed email gets in ahead of any immediate workload issues and helps them realise that actually, right now, they really could do with your help and expertise.

Always show willingness to help

Never be obviously unwilling to do something – and always be willing to help! If others are overworked, an offer to take something off someone else's plate can be really appreciated. Never mind if it's proofing a document, dashing out to the post office (more so in normal times) or helping someone wrestle with a huge pile of data – if you've shown a capable, can-do attitude, it will be remembered. And if you don't want to do it, that will probably be remembered too. Especially when there's almost certainly someone else out there who's only too happy to say yes.

Polish your skill set - and keep on keeping on

With work opportunities fewer and further between at the moment, it’s wise to make sure you can offer as much value as possible to prospective employers. Nurturing a strong niche, such as social media management or media training, alongside keeping up with the traditional PR skills of accurate pitching and sharp writing, will help you stand out from the crowd. And when you’re in the midst of a challenging work day, with success seemingly elusive, the ability to just keep trying - and maybe apply some lateral thinking - will serve you far better than simply declaring the whole exercise a failure.

Don’t stop reading

Reading around and keeping up to date with your niche of choice is fundamental, especially if you are a copywriter. Set aside time to read even in your busy periods to make sure you’re up to date with the latest goings on in the space you work in, and use that added context in your work. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming you know everything already, as with that attitude you’ll end up wrongfooted eventually.

Learn to manage your time well

Your time is valuable – learn to manage it correctly. With working in offices not currently being a thing we get to enjoy (or endure), managing your time is more important than ever. One of the best things about being a freelancer is that you can choose to work at a time that suits you – but this can be a double-edged sword, leading to procrastination work eating into your free time. This is only made worse by the peaks and troughs of work you’re likely to experience. Your finely honed schedule for January might be woefully inadequate for a busy February, so always be realistic about how much you can accomplish in a day and make sure you stick to your targets.

Build a network

Stay in touch with your freelance friends, and actively try and make new ones, whether they're in PR or other adjacent industries. You'll be thankful for the opportunity to commiserate when things are slow, as well as celebrate when you win a fantastic new contract – and it never hurts to be close to a network of pals who can recommend you to their bosses when a perfect you-shaped PR role comes up, and vice-versa. Working from home can be lonely at the best of times, so it definitely pays to have a few people within easy texting reach, who understand That Freelance Life with all its many highs and lows.

Maintaining your training

Go back to school whenever possible! Getting refresher courses in basic tools like Excel and PowerPoint if you need them (yes, I see you) is nothing to be ashamed of, and although not the most riveting subject matter, will make life so much easier for you day-to-day. If a boss offers you the opportunity to learn a new skill or polish up an existing one, dive in and go for it. And if it's not offered but you know you need the training, don't be afraid to ask: training budgets exist for this very purpose. Similarly, it's 100% worth reading some of the old-school PR/advertising/copywriting bibles, such as The Business of Persuasion by Harold Burson or Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Johan Berger, for some high-level inspiration. 

Organisation makes life less taxing...

You don't need to treat the 31st January self-assessment deadline as your target deadline – save yourself the headache and do your tax return in April. Or at least during the remainder of that year, when it's still fresher in your mind. Then you'll have longer to deal with the cold, hard reality of your tax bill, as well as more time to contact HMRC with any questions – and without competing with 90% of the rest of the self-employed community in January. (And yes, since you asked, I naturally do my tax in January.)

Whether you’re newly starting out or just looking for tips, we wish you all the best with your future freelancing endeavours!