freelance

The Farm’s Paul Silver talks freelancing; getting started, working for clients, finding work and staying alive.

Darren Fell | Managing business

Winning new business! 6 Simple Rules for Success

Winning new business the easy and fun way. By following 6 simple rules you can build the freelance life you always dreamed of. Lucky you! You could be getting yourself shed-loads of new business starting from today.

You may to want to earn good money, have long holidays and be your own boss….but all you have to do is win new business. That’s the bit where most freelancers get the heebie-geebies. But I promise you can do it and you’ll get good at it!

Emma Jones | Managing business

Create a publishing empire from your home

Do you have content you would like to share with an interested audience of existing and potential customers? It’s never been so easy to package your content in a stylish way, and distribute it in a cost-effective way.

Enter the age of home publishing with Emma Jones.

Freelance Review: Pretty pink Pogoplug powers unprecedented personal productivity

Michael Rose | Technology

The guys and girls at Cloud Engines are my new best friends! As a roaming freelancer (working on contracts in other people’s offices, working from home and, sometimes, working from bed) the problem of where to keep my data has always been a difficult one to solve. Not any more.

Pogoplug is a great solution. It’s got 4 USB slots and it connects to a home WiFi router and, yes it really is that simple, now I have access to my portable hard drives wherever I am in the world.

Go Freelance - 2010 Edition

Leif Kendall | Guides

‘The ultimate guide’ to going freelance is now even bigger and better. The 2010 edition comes with 32 packed pages of advice for anyone who freelances or who is considering making a move to freelancing.

Getting Started: How do I make my website happen?

Alex Blyth | Guides, Starting Out, Technology

If you want a website for your small business or to show off your freelancing work AND know what you want then you are almost ready to contact the designers but thinking clearly, focusing on objectives and writing a good, clear brief can make a world of different when it comes to getting a quote.

You’ll not only save yourself time and money but you’ll also make developers and designers like Alick Mighall really happy.

Freelance Podcast 20: Making a living without a job – Part 2

Joyfully Jobless! Part 2 of an interview with Barbara Winter, author of Making a Living Without a Job.

Freelance Podcast 20: Making a living without a job - part 2 [23:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Taj Kang | Financial & Insurance

Getting a mortgage: Are lending conditions relaxing for contractors?

Freelance Advisor and Associate Director of Contractor Mortgages Made Easy, Taj Kang, surveys how the mortgage market is looking for contractors and freelancers.

Michael Rose | Accountancy & Tax

Going limited: How much can I save?

If you are a freelance sole-trader or a contractor working under an Umbrella company you may not be aware that going limited could save you money.

By going limited you can, save tax, open more avenues for employment, benefit from limited liability if you get into trouble.

Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out

Freelance Coworking: Funny video with a serious message

A great little video with a simple message.

“Sure you can speak to me… but if I’m wearing my headphones you should come back later”

Go Freelance! Making a living doing the things you love

Leo Babauta | Lifestyle & Time out, Starting Out

As Confucius said… “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

As part of our new series on Making a Living Without a Job, productivity guru and professional blogger Leo Babauta explains that everyone can go freelance and earn a good living by doing the things they love to do.

Is Your CV Fit for Purpose?

Malvolio | Starting Out

Marketing yourself with an excellent CV or resume is not easy. Malvolio has found that there are not only technical issues to deal with but often several layers of audience from recruitment agencies, to human resources, departmental heads and senior management.

Can you help Malvolio unpick this particular puzzle?

Accountancy News: Crunch continues to cause ripples

Michael Rose | Accountancy & Tax, News

The specialist freelancer and contractor-focused accountancy world is hotting up as Crunch continues to cause ripples in the sector.

It’s been a busy month for Crunch with the news that the all-in-one online accountancy service has received investment from Bebo co-founder Paul Birch and Skype chairman Michael van Swaaij. Combined with news of an award for [...]

Freelance Training: How to improve your Sales hit rate

Hannah Keep | Training

It is competitive out there, the freelancing market is growing every day and now more than ever it is important that we make the most out of every opportunity. So how can we improve the quality of our client interaction?

Let’s look at a simple sales formula for calls/meetings to get us started…

Daryl Close | Lifestyle & Time out

Freelance Coach: Personality profiling and freelancing

Do you know the critical personality and behavioural traits that you need to exhibit in order to be a successful freelancer?

You might spend a lot of time and energy working on your freelancing business but achieve little because you are not focusing on the key performance drivers. I’ve decided to improve your chances of becoming a [...]

Freelance Reviews: Fujitsu Siemens S6420 Laptop

Getting the job done in a timely and professional manner is a combination of both knowing how to do the job, and having the right tools with which to get the job done. If you are carrying around a battered old consumer notebook and struggling with a shortage of processing power or connectivity, then it [...]

Freelance Event: Have a chat and join the debate…

Michael Rose | Events

If you want to find out more about Freelance and Contracting then the Freelance Advisor team will be at the Digital Media Job’s Fair in Brighton today. We’ll be there From 12am – 8pm if you want to pop in for a chat and from 2-4pm we’ll be hosting a session especially dedicated to current and [...]

Starting out in freelancing: Legal considerations for online businesses

Michael Rose | Legal advice

Regulations and legislation are part and parcel of any business and trading online is no exception. Healys solicitors have extensive experience in IT, e-commerce law and software development agreement. Here they sketch out some of the key factors you need to consider when trading online. Legal considerations when setting up an online business The remote nature of [...]

Freelance Awards: Why Freelancers Need To Be Celebrated

Freelancer and contractors are unsung heroes and Xchangeteam’s Emma Brierley has made it her mission to get freelancers the recognition they deserve. This month’s Freelancer of the Year Awards are only the beginning… Why Freelancers Need To Be Celebrated At some point in their career no less than one in seven British workers will be their own [...]

Freeleancer News: Green is good for business

Small businesses go green Small businesses are ‘going green’ in a bid to save costs, an expert says. Erica Russell, a sustainable business advisor from Business Link, said many small companies were adopting recycling methods and using low-energy applications in an effort to cut down on costs.

“When switching off your lights could save you between 18 [...]

Kasey Brunt | Accountancy & Tax

Freelancer News: Taxing times

Tax burden hurts small business HIGH taxes are hitting UK small businesses hard, new research has found. About 16 per cent of small business’ outgoings is spent on tax, according to financial business information firm Creditsafe.

This means tax is the third biggest expense for most small businesses, freelancers and contractors, behind wages and investment in stock [...]

Emma Jones | Managing business

Marketing yourself: 7 steps to creating the right impression

Whether it is networking, meetings, clients or conferences, marketing yourself is an essential skill for any freelancer or contractor. Freelance Advisor and author Emma Jones offers seven quick tips to help you shine Starting on the right foot: 7 steps to creating the right impression You only get one chance to create a first impression. To make [...]

Starting out: 10 things no one told me about freelancing

Martyn Reding, Creative Director at Preview, examines the realities of working as a professional designer. Working as a freelance designer: the things I never knew I didn’t know If you’ve been through the rigours of your design course and your now out in the world learning your craft then the last thing you need is another jaded [...]

Freelancer News: Government cash flow help for small business

Government unveils plan to help small business’ cash flow problems THE British Government will guarantee up to £20bn in loans to UK small businesses to help them manage cash flow problems in the current economic downturn.

Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson unveiled his “real help for small to medium businesses” plan this week, saying its aim was [...]

Freelancer News: Female business owners optimistic in economic crisis

FEMALE business owners remain optimistic despite the economic crisis, a survey has revealed.

The business risk survey, undertaken by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, found 58 per cent of female business owners believe their business will grow in 2009.

And 13 per cent said they would take their business to an international level in 2009.

The survey [...]

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Starting Out

Going freelance: Four ways to get your family to support your freelancing career

Choosing to switch from full-time to freelancing can be a tough decision and the change will go a lot smoother if you have the help and support of those closest to you. Freelance Advisor, Coach and Consultant Dianne Bown-Wilson continues her series of articles on freelance career development issues for freelancers and contractors. Nearest and Dearest [...]

Working from home: top five freelance home-business opportunities in 2009

Emma Jones | Starting Out

The top 5 home-business occupations in 2009 Whether it is a second income to make ends meet, a result of reduncancy or a decision to make a fresh start as a freelancer, the home business and startup sector looks like it will continue to grow in 2009. Freelance Advisor and home business startup supremo Emma Jones [...]

Freelancer News: This week in Freelancing

Freelancer News: by freelance news journalist Kasey Brunt Help needed for small software contractors, says report A GOVERNMENT system should be simplified to help out smaller businesses, a report has found.

The joint Intellect and the British Computer Society report has recommended the government procurement system allowing software firms to apply for public-sector contracts be made to favour [...]

Freelancing on the move: 3 essential tools for roaming freelancers

Off on his travels again… tech-loving freelancer and electronic evangelist Jim Hatley grabs some essential items for work on the move (and gives us some novel uses for a digital camera). Essential items for your briefcase Continuing on from my briefcase fillers piece of last month, Id like to run through a few of the other items [...]

Go Freelance guide - New & Updated for 2010

Leif Kendall | Guides, Starting Out

Updated for 2010 our free ebook guide to getting started in freelance is essential reading for newbies and experts alike.

‘Go Freelance’ is a complete 32 page guide, covering everything from starting out to running your business and staying motivated.

Download your copy today.

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Top 5 technology applications of 2008

Emma Jones | Technology

Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones gives us her review of the best applications for freelancers. Top 5 technology apps of 2008 As we enter the month of December, I can’t help but look back at the year that was. The thousands of new businesses started, the people we’ve profiled, and the [...]

Emma Jones | Managing business

Tis the week before Christmas…

Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones give us a timely reminder of the things we could be doing in the run up to Christmas. What can freelancers do when things get quiet over the holiday season and what plans can we make for 2009. When the phones hush and emails subside One [...]

Darren Fell | Managing business

Freelance Advice: Marketing yourself for free

Freelance Advisor founder Darren Fell is a successful entrepreneur and all over the first page of results when you Google his name. We asked him to share the secrets of his success and he responded with this guide to marketing yourself. Marketing yourself for free, a guide. The big question running through everybody’s mind when they jump [...]

Andrew Walker | Managing business

Freelance Designer’s Guide: Choosing the right printing method for your clients

Whether it is business cards, promotional posters or flyers for a club night there are many printing options and quality and colours will vary greatly. Print adviser and consultant Andrew Walker guides can help you decide where to get your printing done. Choosing the right printing method for your client Digital vs Litho Printing The two main printing [...]

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Lifestyle & Time out

Freelance Advice: Portfolio Working and how to go about it

In part one of this series consultant, coach and trainer Dianne Bown-Wilson explored the advantages of portfolio working. Today she helps us identify the tools we’ll need to put it into practice. Portfolio career: How to Designing a Portfolio Career comes down to achieving an appropriate and desirable balance in your life between need and want. Ultimately [...]

Dianne Bown-Wilson | Managing business

Freelance Advice: is Portfolio Working the right choice for you?

If you’ve recently retired or are thinking ahead to your remaining working years now could be a good time to consider developing a portfolio career. In this two part series consultant, coach, trainer and writer Dianne Bown-Wilson tells us why it is a good idea and how to go about it… Portfolio careers: the perfect pick [...]

Emma Jones | Working from home

Create a professional welcome while working from home

Freelance Advisor and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ Emma Jones offers us the first in a new series of pieces for our Working from Home section. Here she takes a looks at what freelancers with a home office can do to create a professional image for clients and a great first impression for customers

A [...]

Leif Kendall | Lifestyle & Time out

Working from home: 17 secrets for success

Ah… the life of a freelancer… feet up, TV on, sitting around in your dressing gown and your clients are none the wiser. But is this really the best way to approach your freelance and contracting work? Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall asked the freelancers on the Brighton New Media list what [...]

3 tips for disaster recovery: Backup, backup, backup

Resident gadget guru and reviewer for The Times Jim Hatley shares some invaluable advice on disaster recovery for freelancers. If you have a home office and don’t have an IT helpdesk… Who you gonna call? If your entire operating system went belly-up on the first day of an important contract, how would you deal with it? Apologise, [...]

Farm Freelancer Award 2008 – Nominees

Michael Rose | Events

Congratualtions to the Farm Freelancer Award nominess Shortlisting has now been completed and Freelance Advisor, proud sponsors of this year’s Farm Freelance Award, would like to applaud these three fine freelancing nominees.

This year’s shortlist is:

Jonathan Aizlewood of Carbon Graffiti for his email design, marketing and web design services

Sarah [...]

Podcast #11: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace – Fact or Fiction (Part 2)

In the wake of the results of the Kingston University survey on freelancers, we get reactions and opinions from John Kell of the Professional Contractors Group and Nathan Pope of Latitude Hosting and the Brighton Farm.

Topics Covered:

Growth in the freelance market Freelancer figures, statistics and research [...]

#11: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace - Fact or Fiction (Part 2): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Rosie Sherry | Managing business

Five sites for monitoring your brand online

Look who’s talking: Monitoring buzz on the web As a freelance community builder and co-director of TheWerks web-socialite Rosie Sherry offers advice on monitoring your brand and filtering out the noise. Five sites for monitoring your brand online There’s no denying that the web holds huge amount of information. Most of it irrelevant to you or I, however [...]

Freelancing the easy way… and the successful way

Leif Kendall | Starting Out

Freelancing: The Choice of Champions If you’re thinking of starting contracting or going freelance then you need to take a serious look at the opportunites and options available to you. Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall tells us that freelancing is not the easy option… but it is the most rewarding option. Want to become [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Beautiful Bose SoundDock

Freelance Advisor and Gadget Guru Jim Hatley loves his home hi-fi, but when freelancing work takes him out on the road he needs a powerful portable musical system to keep his music playing at the quality and volumes to which he’s become accustomed. Today Jim looks at how the Bose SoundDock provides a good-looking, great [...]

Kath Burke | Managing business

Compelling Content: Brainstorming your ideal reader or customer

Compelling Content – Part 2 Brainstorming: Your ideal reader or customer A two-part series from freelance copywriter Kath Burke. In part one, Kath explained how you can understand why people buy you. Part two explores how to use brainstorming as an exercise in focusing on the content that really matters before you put pen to paper. Great writing [...]

Kath Burke | Managing business

Write web copy your customers will love reading

Create compelling content your clients will crave In this 2-part series freelance copywriter and content consultant Kath Burke says the secret of writing great web marketing copy is in the preparation. Before you put pen to paper, you need to explore your clients’ deeper concerns and needs. Ah. If only you could magic up the perfect web [...]

Freelance Advisor Reviews: Super Sony Laptop

Gorgeous gadget: the Sony VAIO AW11XU/Q

Life on the road can be tough. The contents of a suitcase are certainly no match for the comforts of home, but if you pick and choose your gear with a little care it doesn’t have to be all bad. We all need cutting-edge technology for the work that we [...]

Michael Rose | Lifestyle & Time out

Tools for Time boxing

Mark Kirby’s piece on Time-Boxing for Freelancers this week got me thinking about all the time I could waste trying to find the perfect tools for the job. The irony of this is not lost on anyone I’m sure so, rather than waste unnecessary time on “productivity p0rn”, I thought I’d take Mark’s advice to [...]

Mark Kirby | Lifestyle & Time out

Thinking inside the box: A method for focusing on freelance tasks

Getting things done throughout the day is what keeps the contracts and cash coming in. But how do we know which tasks we should be working on? And for how long? Freelance Advisor’s life-hacks guru Mark Kirby offers a smart solution to planning freelance work. In this post I’m going to focus on a simple technique [...]

Find us on Facebook – for freelance advice and networking

Find freelancing advice and support by joining our community of freelancers and contractors on Facebook. By becoming a fan of Freelance Advisor you’ll get all the latest articles and advice, alerts when new content is added to the site, and you can help build the community by connecting with other freelancers and contractors in your area.

Help [...]

Podcast #10: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace – Fact or Fiction

Andy talks to John Brazier of the Professional Contractors Group, Nathan Pope of the Brighton Farm and Darren Fell of Freelance Advisor, about their views of how the freelancing and contracting market is evolving over the next few years.

Whether you are a consultant or contractor, contracting or freelancing, the future could look bright for the [...]

#10: The growth in the Freelancer Marketplace - Fact or Fiction [26:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Working Hours, Rest Breaks and Holiday Entitlements – Working Time Directive – and Bank Holidays

All the information you need to know about the Working Time Regulations – Rest Breaks, Weekly working hours limits, Daily working hours limits, Opt-Outs, Holiday entitlements – and Bank Holidays.

Michael Rose | Accountancy & Tax

Loss of tax relief on freelance expenses?

The Professional Contractors Group (PCG), which represents UK freelancers and contractors, has warned the Government against “heavy-handed action” which would remove tax relief on expenses. The warning particularly concerns freelancers who work through ‘umbrella companies’ which oversee the offering of a number of freelancers’ services on large or long-term contracts.

“PCG supports the presence of umbrella companies [...]

Freelance Advisor sponsors Farm Freelancer Award at DiMAS 2008

If you are a freelancer or contractor living and working in the South then you could get your work in front of a top panel of judges from the BBC, Channel 4, Endemol and New Media Age. The Awards are also an excellent place to publicise you and your work – especially if it is [...]

Am I an Employee, Self-Employed (Freelance) or a Worker?

There are three different types of working individuals but deciding someone’s employment status can be complicated as there is no single legal definition.

Here is a quick guide to help you establish your status – if you are an Employee, Worker or Freelance.

Phil Illingworth | Accountancy & Tax

Pension plans for freelancers and contractors

“I’m busy earning as a freelancer, but what about all those Pension plans?” It’s a common freelance problem. You’re hard at work earning money from contracts, but you also know you need to keep an eye out for when you’ll be less busy earning. In this new Financial Management series, Senior Pensions & Retirement Consultant Phil [...]

What are my main Employment rights as an Employee, Worker or Freelancer?

Whatever your employment status, whether you are an employee, worker or freelancer, you have rights at work that are protected by law. Below is a comprehensive summary of what you are entitled to plus links to articles that cover each in detail.

Your employment questions answered

Your frequently asked questions – about Pay, Pensions, Freelancers, Working Parents, Dismissal, Redundancy, Fixed Term Contracts, Resigning, References, Bullying.

I’m a freelancer and my employer says they are ending my contract early for financial reasons. Can they do this?

Read on for advice.

As a freelancer I’ve completed work for an Employer but they’re ignoring my invoice. What can I do?

See this advice on chasing late payments.

How do I negotiate a pay/rate increase?

Asking for a pay/rate rise is not a comfortable thing to do, and there is no ‘right’ way to do it. However, whatever your situation is, you must prepare for a conversation about your pay….. read on for more advice.

Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions

For up to date details of Income Tax and NIC rates for Employees, Workers and Freelancers read this article.

Freelance Advisor Recommends: i-design 08 Portfolio Clinic

If you’re a freelance designer or programmer then attending the i-design 08 Portfolio Clinic Wednesday 17 September in London is a no brainer.

First it’s FREE and secondly if you’re currently looking for work or to expand your future client base then you’ll be able to meet 15 of the capital’s most respected and successful interactive [...]

Michael Riazi | Accountancy & Tax

10 things to ask your prospective accountant

Accounts and Audit Manager Michael Riazi helps freelancers and contractors find the advice they need. Last month Michael gave some great advice on how to find an accountant that is right for our freelance business – this month he gives us ten things we should ask on our first meeting.

Before you choose an accountant… An accountant [...]

Mark Kirby | Managing business

Staying in touch in the midst of mayhem

When you are busy, its easy to forget to keep in touch with friends and family who you don’t see on a day to day basis. Perhaps they live far away, or so close you feel you could get in touch with them at any moment, but always forget. Perhaps you see certain people a [...]

Paul Silver | Managing business

Casual Networking for freelancers and contractors

Freelance Adviser, Paul Silver, on casual networking events for freelancers and contractors. Making contacts, finding work, pitching, passing business cards, sharing skills and advice… and having a drink, or four.

Pitch Yourself into the Freelance Market – Part 3

Bill Faust | Resources

In part one and part two we looked at the marketing process and what you are actually employed for, e.g. the way you think respectively.

Today we look at how to identify the unique features of product, you. Understanding the product – You, Your Abilities, Competencies & Transferable Assets Many of us realise that every interview has [...]

The ADVANTAGES of being a self-employed contractor or freelancer

In the last post we looked at the disadvantages of going solo. Now we turns to the ADVANTAGES of being freelance or self-employed… which is MUCH more fun!

You are the boss

You say what goes. If you want a lie-in or a day off, it’s up to you (but make sure you make the hours up [...]

The disadvantages of being a self-employed contractor or freelancer

In the spirit of getting stuck into the difficult jobs that you hate, but which still need doing, Ground Zero’s Jack Forester talks about some of the disadvantages of being self employed.

First, it can be very lonely starting out in business, especially if you are doing it alone. You tend to spend the majority of [...]

Leif Kendall | Managing business

Marketing yourself as a freelancer or contractor

Become CEO of YouCorp One of the joys of freelancing is that you get to do everything. But this omnipotence means you can’t hate the sales team for not bringing in new clients, because you are the sales team.

You can’t have a spat with Maureen in accounts because she hasn’t sorted your expenses, because you [...]

Podcast #8: Thrive as a freelance graphic designer in todays market

Andy talks to Stuart Scott, an successful freelance graphic designer based in Brighton, about what it takes to succeed in the industry.

Topics Covered:

Getting direct clients; Watch the trends; Attending industry events Having a team of experts around you [...]

#8: How to thrive as a Graphic Designer in todays market [19:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How to build a credible website

Kath Burke | Starting Out

You can think of your website as the modern-day equivalent of the Victorian calling card. Before your prospective client decides whether you’re worth talking to, they’ll have a good nose around your site.

And they might be asking themselves:

How professional is this organisation?

Do they have the products [...]