So I reported a few weeks dorsum how I made the crazy motion of leaving my stable OK-paid chore to exceed into work oblivion, otherwise known equally setting upwards equally an independent freelance PR consultant.
Without clients to accept alongside me, nor a huge network inwards London, many were concerned most my bold move. During the commencement week, I was a footling concerned myself. Staring at a blank figurer covert alongside no schedule or boss was unusual to tell the least. However, after a few stumbling blocks, as well as some serious solo-motivation, I survived my commencement month, secured some steady work, met some lovely people, made a novel bunch of contacts, as well as launched HK Communications to the world.
Going it lone is yesteryear no way easy, as well as every twenty-four hr menstruum presents a novel laid of challenges. But the biggest back upwards has been from those inwards the same boat equally me, whose insight, experience as well as advice remove hold helped me forge my ain path. While it’s really early on days (infancy, you lot mightiness say), I wanted to part my experience, but inwards example whatever of you lot are inwards the same boat or are thinking of also taking the plunge into independent working. So hither is what you’re probable to experience if you lot determine to exceed a freelance as well as live your ain boss:
You’ll remove hold major moments of self-doubt. But the commencement breakthrough alongside a prospective customer volition boost your confidence
Seven years agone I had a chore that involved cold-calling businesses to force the company’s marketing services. It was a thankless task which I hoped never to practise again. Yet vii years later, I discovery myself doing just that.
Cold calling is non for the inhibited. You demand to live confident, conversational, tenacious as well as thick-skinned. The latter is of huge importance equally you lot volition acquire some abrupt responses, as well as some downright rudeness downward the line. While set off at first, I picked myself upwards as well as ploughed through, eventually getting some swell results as well as existent leads. You see, it’s a flake of a numbers game, as well as you lot remove hold to remember, that if the recipient on the other describe is a flake harsh, it’s non personal. But for every uninterested party, you lot mightiness gamble upon that ane arrangement or private that truly needs your support, so cold-calling is a necessary evil.
Another confidence knock you lot may endure is at the thought of selling yourself. I did remove hold moments of self-doubt, equally my previous pitching environments were inside the security internet of larger PR agencies, such equally Bell Pottinger. However, I so remind myself that PR is most relationships, non names, so people purchase into you, non the fellowship you lot represent. This cognition has spurred me on as well as served equally a reminder equally to why I’ve embarked on this adventure inwards the commencement place.
You’ll discovery that freelancing is incredibly fickle
So I learnt a harsh lesson inwards my commencement calendar week equally an independent consultant – you lot can’t rely on anything. The twenty-four hr menstruum I left my job, a contact got inwards send on requiring freelance back upwards that month. I was assured that this was inwards the pocketbook equally I was asked to secure dates inwards my diary, but a calendar week subsequently the chance was gone equally the contact had changed their mind. You see, dissimilar the security of a fixed contract or permanent role, inwards the independent consulting world, clients tin modify their hear really quickly. You’d sign a contract if taking on retained or projection work. But earlier you lot acquire to this, meeting, proposals, as well as fifty-fifty potential move dates are fixed upon a non-legally binding ‘gentleman’s agreement’.
This experience has taught me non to set all my eggs inwards ane basket, or pivot my hopes on a item slice of work. This is where my cynical glass-half-full nature comes inwards handy.
Non-freelancers won’t acquire what you’re doing
Understandably, my non-freelance friends practise non acquire what I do, nor practise they realise how difficult it is. Freelancing has a bad rep. The discussion ‘free’ suggests that you lot come upwards as well as go, practise some bits of move as well as chill. However, equally I’ve taken a slightly different road of setting upwards my ain fellowship (hence I flit betwixt using the price ‘independent consultant’ as well as ‘freelance’), I am oft working harder as well as longer hours than ever before.
Family as well as friends volition assume you’re non working unless you’re on a customer projection
Similar to my previous point, I’ve lost count of the publish of times that people remove hold said: ‘Wanna come across upwards inwards the week? You’re gratis directly equally you’re non working, right?’ The hardest matter for household unit of measurement as well as friends to contemplate was that when I was at dwelling describe solid - non getting paid or doing whatever customer move - I was truly soundless working.
Again, dissimilar a regular chore where you lot start your commencement twenty-four hr menstruum when you lot exceed into the office, it’s non so straightforward alongside consulting. Clients or projects don’t autumn into your lap. Until you lot acquire an manufacture leader, you lot remove hold to seek them out. So a typical twenty-four hr menstruum mightiness involve the following:
- Updating my website alongside a spider web log post from my industry
- Updating my social media channels
- Responding to enquiries on Linkedin / concern requests
- Emailing / chasing upwards prospects
- Ringing around novel prospects
- Researching theme areas of relevance
- Researching twitter to remain abreast of what’s going on inwards social media
- Meeting potential clients
And non to forget, inwards the eve I mightiness popular to the odd networking event, after doing a twenty-four hr menstruum of the above.
If you lot don’t acquire upwards early, your move twenty-four hr menstruum volition exceed out of the window
Never a truer discussion spoken. To exceed along upwards my A-game, I prefer to wake upwards at the same fourth dimension equally my married adult man as well as live inwards my role (whether that’s at dwelling describe solid or outside) yesteryear 9am. The days I don’t are almost write-offs. Everything moves at a snail pace, as well as you lot pass a footling longer having your breakfast inwards front end of the TV. I practise believe what you lot practise commencement matter tin laid the note for the whole day. So you lot remove hold to live upwards as well as at ‘em, ready to accept on the world, or at to the lowest degree practise some goodness business. Otherwise this happens…
If you lot start late, you’ll move later
The odd occasions where I remove hold started subsequently remove hold inevitably meant that I destination later, so it flies inwards the confront of the whole work-life ease concept. I mean, I didn’t determine to laid upwards my ain consultancy so I could move into the evening. Yes, you lot are your ain boss, so inwards theory you lot tin move whenever you lot want. But personally, sticking to a 9am-5.30pm where possible helps exceed along my trunk clock - as well as life - inwards check. Otherwise, the barrier betwixt move as well as life but disappears.
If you’re working from home, you’ll discovery lots of excuses non to practise move – so practise a ‘home office’
When I commencement started freelancing, I was working from my living room using a dining chair. But beingness inches from the sofa as well as TV was but weird. Particularly the days that I had dejeuner at dwelling describe solid too, equally move as well as dwelling describe solid seemed to acquire one. So turning our spare chamber into an role was the best matter I could remove hold done. Having at to the lowest degree some form of separation meant that I felt similar I was working. It’s non the perfect dwelling describe solid role that you’ll watch inwards the Kardashians, but at to the lowest degree it’s a infinite that I solely see for work, as well as tin nigh the door at the terminate of the twenty-four hr menstruum as well as alive inwards the ease of the apartment.
You’ll acquire isolated at dwelling describe solid – so it’s vital to move out when you lot tin
As a natural people-person who had solely worked inwards busy offices, beingness completely lone was strange. The danger, equally many freelancers would verify, is the isolation as well as cabin fever. So it’s vital to move out when you lot tin as well as remain plugged inwards to the existent world.
I was lucky plenty to acquire a projection inwards my commencement few weeks which involved me beingness on-site, so I got out of the house, met some swell people as well as had the best nutrient places inwards London on my doorstep (if whatever of you lot Londoner’s haven’t visited Leather Lane, you lot should). And but recently, I’ve taken the plunge to rent some shared role infinite inwards Central London, which volition non solely acquire me out of the house, but volition live a swell identify to come across novel people (I’m sharing alongside a tonne of entrepreneurs, so the chance for idea-swapping as well as learning is huge). It’s also got coming together room infinite for customer visits, which comes across equally a whole lot to a greater extent than professional person than having somebody come across me at my spare bedroom-turned office…
If role infinite seems a footling steep or unnecessary, taking your laptop to a java store ever helps. You see, you lot mightiness non set value on beingness outdoors, after all the wages of freelancing is working inwards your PJs, but to exceed along informed, as well as but a flake sociable, it’s goodness to acquire exterior as well as interact alongside other humans.
Other entrepreneurs /freelancers volition live your biggest supporters
By far, the best advice has been from others who remove hold been through the same matter equally me. PR as well as media may live seen equally a bitchy manufacture from the outside, but other entrepreneurs as well as freelancers remove hold given me invaluable, honest advice. Taking learning from other people gives you lot the best gamble of succeeding on your own. And of course, you lot remove hold to pay it forward. Not but because ane goodness turn deserves another, but because you lot move much meliorate alongside people than against them.
Everything volition live a prospect or opportunity, so shout out back to live nice
While I mentioned that novel concern is a flake of a numbers game, it’s vital to shout out back the numbers are people. So exceed along inwards send on alongside your contacts, as well as live opened upwards to all prospects, equally you lot never know what volition come upwards of them. It’s slowly inwards the relentless novel concern slog to employ a ruthless procedure of elimination as well as live a flake brusque to those who you lot may experience don’t remove hold whatever value for you. However, you lot could turn away a jewel – non but equally a potential client, but a potential collaborator, partner, adviser or friend. Yes, nobody wants to indulge a fourth dimension waster, but inwards PR, you lot remove hold to live squeamish as well as on indicate at all times, otherwise nobody volition desire to move alongside or recommend you.
You’ll larn a whole bunch of skills
Running your ain business, all the same large or small, demands a whole novel laid off skills. At present, I am my ain bookkeeper, salesperson, PR consultant, build guru as well as marketing expert, as well as role manager. Oh, as well as I’m also my ain PA (maybe ane twenty-four hr menstruum I’ll employ one). But the concern as well as life skills you lot larn from this are invaluable. There is no other fourth dimension inwards my life where I would remove hold had to article of apparel so many hats. So I’m relishing the steep learning curve.
Now at that topographic point is a whole lot to a greater extent than advice I’d dish out, but this is turning into a white paper. So for now, I’ll leave of absence you lot volition the inwards a higher identify nuggets, as well as live certain to exceed along you lot informed of progress (between lipstick reviews as well as recipes, of course).
And if you lot practise turn over off to live interested inwards understanding to a greater extent than most what I practise when I’m non blogging, banking concern lucifer out my website here.