Going freelance during Covid-19?

We spoke to Shane Austin, a seasoned digital creative freelancer, to get his views and thoughts on going freelance, during COVID-19...

As the country grinds to a halt over COVID-19 many employees have been left high and dry. For those being made redundant, you might be scrambling for ways to make ends meet. For those of you on furlough, you’re probably worried you might not have a job to go back to once the government scheme ends. Many of you are turning to freelance as a way to get through this.

Three years ago I quit my job to go freelance. Like many of you right now, I had nothing. No clients, no website, not even a portfolio. I had a month’s salary in the bank, a mortgage to pay and a family to support. Having experienced everything you are going through first-hand, I wanted to offer up some advice to help you find your feet as quickly as possible. Follow these 10 steps and you’ll be successfully freelancing in no time.

1. Sole trader or limited company?

First things first. You’ll need to decide if you are going to work as a sole trader or under a limited company. I started as a sole trader and moved to a limited company setup a year after once I’d started working with bigger clients. If you’re just starting out, sole trader will get you on your feet but some clients will require you to be limited. Ask a few fellow creatives (both sole traders and limited companies) how they’ve found it and see what works best for you.

2. Speak to HMRC

Don’t forget this one, it’s important. Trust me. Call HMRC and tell them you’re freelancing and they'll send you a UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) in the post. You'll need this in April to file your self-assessment.

3. Make a PDF portfolio

This one is super important, especially during lockdown. Right now there is more competition than ever so a great portfolio is going to be the deciding factor of you winning the work or not. Your portfolio is usually the first thing a potential client is going to see so make it count. I could write an entire article on this point alone so do your research but simply put, this ALONE can win you work so focus your time here.

4. Get a website up fast

A great piece of advice I was given when I started was to ‘get something up quickly’. Being a digital designer I know that great websites take time to craft, but time is something you don’t have. Head over to SquareSpace, you’ll have a website up before the end of the day. Remember, most portfolio websites look the same so make up for that by reflecting who you are as a creative and what makes you different. Craft that beautiful site once you have your first few clients.

5. Use the tools you have

I met a designer once, he had a lovely gold-plated MacBook pro. Unfortunately, his design work was less impressive. Sadly that’s a true story. When you’re starting up all that matters is the work. You don’t need the latest equipment. Figure out what your key strengths are, then use the tools you already have to showcase them.

6. Create an invoice

I could recommend tons of online invoicing tools. I’ve tried them all over the years, but I’m not going to yet. When you’re starting up you need to run as lean as possible. For my first year, I created an invoice template in Google docs. Keep them organised and you’ll be just fine. You’ve just saved £30 a month. Win. When you’re ready to take the plunge, check out XERO.

7. Figure out your day rate

When you’re starting out it’s tempting to undercut everyone else in order to win work. Don’t do this. Once lowered you’ll never get it back up and you’ll just come across as trying to charge too much in the first place. Figure out what a competitive rate is from the outset. Recruitment agents can help with this, all you have to do is ask. Most importantly, YOU have to be comfortable with them. There will always be those who earn more, and those who earn less, but ultimately it’s about being content with your own rates. Good clients will respect you for it and will understand that they get what they pay for, even during a pandemic.

8. Get an accountant

In my first year, I did my taxes myself. Big mistake. If there is one piece of advice I could have given myself early on it’s this. A good accountant will pay for themselves tenfold AND save you the stress when April rolls around. They’ll cost you £1,000-£1,500 per year, but are worth every single penny.

9. Set up a tax pot

I set aside 20% of everything I earn so when that tax bill lands there is more than enough to cover the bill. My best advice would be to open up a Monzo or Starling account, both are completely free and have a feature called tax pots. It’ll automatically set aside a set percentage of your income as soon as a payment lands in your account. You can then pay yourself a salary from what’s leftover.

10. Lean on your creative community

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Hell, shout about it on Tinder if you have too. Put yourself out there and make some noise. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help, you’ll be surprised how people come together in times like these.

Now, I'm not going to pretend COVID-19 hasn't affected me. Three weeks ago I lost all my work. ALL of it. Zero. Nada. Zilch. But if there is one thing being self-employed teaches you it's how to be resourceful, persistent, adaptable and, above all, positive. Thankfully over the last two weeks I’ve leaned on my community and I've got a few new clients. It's still really slow. It's still really difficult. And the upcoming few months look very different, but you have to keep going.

Even during a global pandemic, I can honestly say that becoming a freelancer was the most rewarding thing I've ever done and I don’t regret it for a single second. For those of you thinking of doing the same (and those forced into it) I hope you look back at this time and see it as the catalyst that took your career to the next level rather than something that held you back.

To anyone in the creative community who needs help with any of the steps above, please reach out. I’m always available and always happy to talk. I’m not pretending to be an expert, or promise to have all the answers. The freelance landscape is ever-changing right now, but in these crazy times, the important thing is to have one another’s backs. And keep being creative.

Shane Austin
Email: shane@wegobeyond.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneaustin1987/

Twitter: @wegobeyondco

WhatsApp: 07841480638