As much as we all enjoy freelancing and self-employment, it can be challenging and tough at times. But whether you’re struggling with the basics of building your business, or need some inspiration to keep making progress, the best books for freelancers and the self-employed can give you much needed help, ideas and support.
Many freelancers and consultants will feel a constant pressure to follow the latest changes in technology, or quickly respond to new situations. But many of the best books on business and freelancing will help you develop a timeless framework for handling whatever is thrown at you now, or in the future.
And while the internet is an amazing source of news and information if you’re working for yourself (including IPSE), reading a book in print lets you get away from electronic screens for a while and absorb the information in a different way. Especially without the interruptions of emails and social media notifications.
Collecting together all of the best books for freelancers and the self-employed could produce an overwhelming list. To help you find what you need right now, or the perfect present for someone else, we’ve loosely categorised them into broad areas such as creativity, business or inspiration. And if your favourites aren’t included, why not tell us on Twitter, or share it via the Creative Freelancers UK Facebook group?
Packed full of tricks and tips on how you can focus on the most important contributions to your business and personal success, not everyone will be able to follow all the advice offered by Ferris. But the core message is to be unafraid to delegate or outsource where it makes economic and business success, which is a massive struggle for many freelancers and solopreneurs.
A practical guide to getting new ideas and businesses operating with principles based on lean manufacturing, rapid experimentation and validated learning from rapid development cycles, encouraging you to test, adapt and adjust.
Similar to the principles of The Lean Startup, but far more focused on individuals and solopreneurs looking to start freelancing or building a self-employed business. Using the analogy of a pilot checklist, it’s simple and easy to follow the steps to test and learn whether you’re on the right path or not.
Part manifesto and part playbook based on the authors success in building 37Signals (now Basecamp). It’s written in a concise and straight-talking style, covering principles and strategies which don’t follow established business rules (And if you enjoy it, you may also like Remote: Office Not Required, and It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by the same authors.)
While it does contain practical strategy advice, not many of us happen to be friends with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, leading to the launch of Square. But along with advice on how to potentially build a repeatable model for new companies, it’s also one of the most enjoyable business books to read, with a mix of humour and great examples of the principles it recommends.
Subtitled ‘The Evolution of a $1m Web Designer’, the book looks at the most common problems faced by freelancers, and how to avoid or solve them.
Most books on business, freelancing and self-employment focus on growth and revenue as the measure of success. But what if it’s better to concentrate on building a small company which allows you to spend time on other aspects of your life? It’s a great way to change your perspective and focus on being successfully small rather than chasing expansion all the time.
Advice from international designer and author David Airey and a number of other well-known creatives, inspired by the questions everyone will have when starting out on their own.
Written for anyone who wants to build and lead a creative agency. If you know anything about the advertising industry, the Ogilvy name will be familiar, but the book also covers how people think and behave in any business.
While education tends to focus on logical thought, creativity is about problem solving and making new things in ways that are less obvious. So, learning new methods of thinking and considering the world will quickly boost your creativity. You can supplement this with a range of short books offering exercises and techniques to generate ideas, including A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young , or longer works like Creativity on Demand and How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael J Gelb.
Short and snappy, and based on a talk originally given to students explaining that you shouldn’t worry about being completely original. Instead, you should embrace the personal flair you can give to the work you create. Also recommended from Kleon are Keep Going, and Show Your Work!
Essential reading for web designers and developers. And recommended for those who work with them on web and mobile projects covering navigation, information design and usability.
It’s easy to come up with ideas, but much harder to actually make them happen. Written by Behance co-founder Scott Belsky and based on interviews with hundreds of creative teams and people around the world, the advice focuses on how new breakthroughs and solutions can actually be implemented.
After more than a quarter of a century, the 7 Habits remains a core text for anyone looking to become more productive, efficient and effective in all areas of their life. To follow it fully takes a certain mindset and focus, but even just adapting some of the advice to use in your own way can make a big difference.
A manifesto structured to take you through a project from start to finish, covering all the predictable points where the enemy of Resistance might cause you to stop or give up. It’s a concise and quick read, perfect to pick up anytime you’re feeling stuck on a particular project and need a bit of a kick and some fuel to get going again.
Many people became successful because they were passionate about business, but as the founder of Patagonia, Chouinard describes how his love of rock climbing and the outdoors led to building a hugely successful company committed to different ways of working, with environmental concerns at its core.
The memoir of Nike co-founder Phil Knight is a more traditional look at business than Let My People Go Surfing. But it’s also packed with honest insight into the creation of one of the world’s most famous and profitable brands, especially when it comes to the experience of losing a key supplier in the early days, and dealing with incredibly fast growth of a business.
Like many of Holiday’s books, this mixes some of the principles and guidance of the Stoic philosophers to provide a modern look at how to endure hardships and overcome the psychological
A look at 1,500 businesses which started at $100 and managed to achieve $50,000 in revenue, along with the 50 most intriguing case studies to help inspire anyone wanting to build their own business on a very limited budget.
Where better to learn about managing creativity than from the President of Pixar Animation and Disney Animation? Having partnered early on with George Lucas and built Pixar with Steve Jobs, it’s widely recommended as a great book exploring what it takes to build a creative organisation.
We’re lucky enough to have interviewed, or collaborated with, a wide range of experienced freelance authors, including:
SEO consultant Steve Morgan shared his freelance story with us, and has also written this useful book tackling one of the most challenge areas of working for yourself.
A guide to self-employment based on 20 years of experience as a freelance marketing copywriter, which includes anecdotes and advice to provide an honest guide to succeeding in working for yourself.
Cut through the myths around PR and learn that anyone can be a great publicist for their own business, delivering direct results from the exposure.
How to develop your personal brand, pick up financial essentials, grow your client list and negotiate deals with advice from the founder of the Mission Accomplished consultancy, CEO of Screen Central and a NESTA-accredited creative enterprise trainer
Ultimately, no list can cover all of the great books which can be useful across the wide world of freelancing and self-employment. But hopefully it can give you a start in exploring some of the timeless wisdom available. Especially when many will help you avoid making costly mistakes, and all for the price of a paperback.
Need more book recommendations? The Freelance Corner and IPSE teams have also shared their personal favourite books for freelancers.
And if we’ve missed out your favourite from our list of the best books for freelancers and the self-employed, then let us know about it via Twitter or the Creative Freelancers UK Facebook group.
Whether you’re new to freelancing or a seasoned pro, a change of government is big news if you’re your own boss. After 14 years of Conservative-led government, the business world is bracing itself for changes to tax, regulations and the economy.
Labour won the 2024 general election with the message of “change.” So just what kind of change can freelancers expect?
From exploitative zero-hours contracts to false self-employment, Labour wants to give working people a ‘new deal’ that will shake up their experience of finding and keeping work. But if you think this won’t affect you if you’re your own boss, think again.
Within the first 100 days of a Labour government, expect big announcements on ending ‘fire and rehire’, making working hours more predictable, and extending basic rights to workers from day one of an employment. Later down the line, they’re set to begin looking at bringing the titles of ‘worker’ and ‘employee’ together, giving everyone (apart from the self-employed) the same rights and protections.
This will undoubtedly change the equation for employers looking to hire staff. Whilst a great many workers will benefit from a rights upgrade, it could also make hiring a worker less appealing in some situations – which could create some extra opportunities for freelancers, depending on the sector.
And plans to create a single status of ‘worker’ for “all but the genuinely self-employed” raises the question of “who are the self-employed?” It seems like a straightforward question at first, but the real answer lies in tricky legal tests that top legal minds regularly argue over. Depending on the outcome, opening this question back up could make it easier – or harder – to prove that you’re a freelancer and not falsely self-employed.
One of the biggest downsides to freelancing is the risk of being paid late, or even not at all. It’s a huge problem for freelancers, with IPSE research estimating that they’re waiting on a whopping £5,000 in overdue invoices on average.
Responding to campaigning by the small business and freelance sectors, Labour have also promised to “legislate to tackle late payments” which they say will unlock £20bn in late invoices.
As part of this plan, they’d force the boards of big companies to publish reports on their own payment practices as part of their annual reports, which get read by shareholders and journalists alike. The exact details are still sketchy, but the idea is that the scrutiny of how long they take to settle invoices and how many were overdue, will motivate companies to pay faster.
If the plan pays off, this could be a great thing for freelancers who contract directly with big firms. But it may not do much to help subcontractors, or anyone at the bottom of a long chain of suppliers.
Have you ever taken a gig without having a written contract in place? They’re something freelancers should always have, even for roles with regular clients who they’ve never experienced an issue with in the past.
Labour have said they want to give all freelancers a “right to a written contract”. Whilst they haven’t said exactly what this should look like, any good contract will at least specify payment deadlines, the scope of the project and what happens if either side fails to meet their terms. Depending on your line of work, intellectual property and corporate liability could also be relevant.
A new ‘right to a written contract’ would presumably make it more difficult for clients to find reasons not to provide one if asked. Government may even offer a basic template contract for freelancers to use as part of the initiative; but ideally, freelancers will take the initiative to write their own terms.
An interesting twist in Labour’s offer to freelancers is the promise of more ‘in-work’ protections for freelancers.
Whistleblowing and blacklisting are difficult areas for freelancers who may feel they can’t speak up against malpractice they’ve witnessed at work, for fear of losing their gig and being shut out of their industry for good. Whilst the details aren’t yet clear, Labour have pledged to give freelancers blacklisting protections and whistleblower safeguards when in government.
The party has also committed itself to extending more health and safety protections to the self-employed – an important issue for a sector which has huge representation in the construction and building industries.
It’s easy to stay motivated and focused when you start working remotely. Escaping the office to start your own business is probably all the fuel you need. But that can fade after weeks, months and years, so it’s important to understand how to stay productive when you work from home.
The struggles you might face will differ depending on your personality, living situation, and how well your business is doing. But a lot of the advice will help whether you’re living alone and trying to find your first client, or surrounded by family and juggling the demands of a growing business.
It’s easy to assume good times will last forever when things are going well. But it’s important to set aside some time and money to prepare for the future, whether that’s to cope with future growth or any drops in demand for your products or services.
Along with saving into a ‘rainy day’ fund for emergencies, budgeting for new equipment and upgrading your workspace, new software and training, or your physical and mental wellbeing will pay dividends in the future.
And even if you’re struggling, there are inexpensive or free ways to boost your mood, productivity, and ability to turn things around.
Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, it’s important to establish a regular schedule which helps you plan your tasks and workload effectively. Working from home offers you freedom and flexibility, but having a regular routine will help you get into ‘work mode’ at the right time, and also make it easier to switch off when it’s time to rest.
Be realistic about the hours available, and don’t be tempted to aim for 12 hours of uninterrupted work every day unless you’re aiming for disappointment and burnout. It’s better to set a sustainable routine of 6 hours of focused work each day which you can reliably maintain, saving the all-nighters for emergency deadlines. Or setting up a four-day week, with time for business admin and other pursuits on the fifth day.
And if you do prefer to work late into the night, you’ll often have to balance this with the more typical routines of clients, and plan to deliver work the evening before it’s due, rather than delivering it after the day has ended.
You may find that a walk, getting dressed in work clothes, or other routines can help you start the working day. And having similar routines at the end of work will help you switch off, especially if you don’t have a separate home office. It’s also a great idea to list your tasks for the following day to avoid thinking about them all evening.
Whatever hours you’ve scheduled to work each day, you need to include regular breaks to eat, hydrate and move around. Not only will this help you minimise aches and pains from being sat in the same place all day, but it also helps you be productive for the whole day.
There are various techniques for time management, for example the Pomodoro Technique, which breaks your day into 25-minute intervals with five-minute breaks, and a longer rest after four Pomodoros have been completed. But whatever approach you use, it’s a good idea to think about your breaks occasionally.
It’s easy to grab unhealthy snacks and drinks when you have free access to the kitchen with no-one around. And there’s nothing wrong with watching TV or playing a videogame during longer pauses from work. But if you know you struggle to stop and get back to your tasks, or you hit a mid-afternoon slump in energy, then it’s worth trying some alternatives when you’re taking a break.
Not everyone will want a full-kitted out home office to work from. For some people, working from their bed or the kitchen table might actually be preferable. But whatever location you choose, it’s important to invest in your comfort and effectiveness. And that doesn’t have to be expensive.
Try to pick somewhere with space and a good source of natural light. If you struggle with distractions, then a separate room makes things easier. But good noise-cancelling headphones can also be effective.
A good quality desk and chair doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you look for second hand deals. And they’ll make a big difference to your comfort and focus, especially if you take a little time to set everything up ergonomically. A monitor arm or riser can lift your screen, but a pile of books can also work, while adjustable desks and footrests can make a big difference to your posture.
Keeping your workspace clean and relatively uncluttered will often help you focus on work. Try to have all your essential work tools and documents organised and close to hand. And cleaning your computer, keyboard and mouse regularly will help them last longer, and make them more pleasant to use.
You can also create a more inspirational workspace with some plants, art, or other features around the room. Which also makes a more interesting backdrop when you’re on video conferences and Zoom calls.
Being productive doesn’t mean you need to shut yourself off from the rest of the world. Freelancing and working from home gives you more choice how you connect and socialise with other people, in the way that works best for you.
This can mean asking clients to email rather than call, or blocking time to check emails rather than responding to alerts at random times throughout the day. And choosing whether to meet with clients in-person or virtually. While it may seem more productive to conduct everything through video calls and meetings, sometimes going to a client location can be much more educational, and inspirational.
For some freelancers, being around other people helps them to be more productive. You can try co-working events and spaces for some of the week. And ADHD or neurodivergent people can find body doubling really helpful, having someone else around even if they’re doing something completely different.
Virtual co-working has also become increasingly popular, either through groups of friends or dedicated websites.
And rather than socialising with colleagues and at work events, as a freelancer you’re able to choose who, how, and when you get together with other people. That could be at work-related meetups in your area, or around your hobbies, sports, or other interests. You can often get great ideas and inspiration from chatting about things completely unrelated to your industry.
Working for yourself may be the first time you’ve experienced real freedom in your career. You’re able to shape your career and make all the decisions. But you’re also working without the safety net of managers, colleagues and all the other measures employers have put into place.
Making mistakes is an inevitable part of being self-employed, and even the most successful people have plenty of stories of mishaps that occurred along the way. No-one gets through life without experiencing any setbacks, but how you respond in a difficult moment will probably have a bigger impact on your career than the fact the issue occurred.
And here are some of the most common mistakes most freelancers will recognise, collected from friends, contacts and some personal experiences over the last 15 years of self-employment.
Sometimes self-employment happens when you haven’t had time to prepare. But even if that’s the case, you can catch up quickly by booking some time in your first days and weeks to set out your ambitions, budgets, and what you need to achieve over the first six and 12 months.
You don’t need to spend hours creating a full board presentation. But having goals, milestones and deadlines will help you to make progress even when you’re not feeling motivated. And it also helps to reassure family members that you’re not aimlessly drifting towards disaster.
The occasional client nightmare makes for good conversation when you meet up with other freelancers. But if you’re constantly working with bad clients and relying on them for your income, it’s a much more serious problem.
Red flags include a lack of objectives, no clear understanding of what they need or want, and late or missed payments. It’s at this point, you should realise why checking out new clients, setting up contracts and having a set onboarding process can be invaluable.
Even if you spot a potential bad client, sometimes your financial situation will tempt you into still working with them. At least in this situation, you might have your eyes open to the possibility it all goes wrong. Far worse is the hope that eventually you can transform them into a good client.
Freelancing can be the best experience in the world, but at times it can also be tiring, stressful, and all-consuming. The occasional late night or long hours to deliver a project on time is fine. But if it’s happening a lot, and you’re constantly trying to push through physical and mental exhaustion, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Try to be realistic about the volume of clients and work you can deliver, and include some wiggle room for projects to require more resources than you expected, or clients wanting additional hours at short notice. And book some time in your diary which is protected for your wellbeing, whether it’s to be with your family, go for a walk, play sport, or enjoy a good book or TV show.
The ability to work in your pyjamas, take a midweek day off at short notice or complete projects at 2am are all great aspects of freelancing. But routines actually help you find your freedom by establishing a pattern for you to reliably deliver your best work.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an early bird or a night owl. What’s important is that you have a structure for getting up at the same time each day, getting into work mode, winding down, and resting. You might need to experiment to find out the right routine for you, but once you’ve found it, stick to it.
The majority of your clients will be reasonable human beings who understand that life sometimes gets in the way of even the best plans. Even good scheduling can sometimes come undone, but alerting clients at the earliest opportunity and keeping them updated will minimise any disruption.
And if you’re routinely missing deadlines even without unexpected emergencies, then you’ve either taken on too much, or made some serious errors with your time management and planning. In both cases, it’s worth taking a step back, investing some time in rescheduling everything with realistic deadlines or solutions, and presenting clients with a realistic way to get back on track.
Even if it means passing some work onto another freelancer, or scaling back your deliverables, it’s more likely to salvage your client relationship than letting them down time and again.
A lot of people become freelancers because they want to focus on the parts of their work that are most enjoyable and fulfilling. But ignoring admin, accounting, and other tasks you find boring or complicated won’t make them go away.
Staying on top of invoices, bills, taxes, contracts and more will make your life easier now, and at the end of each financial year. You might find scheduling just 15 or 20 minutes each day allows you to tackle everything around the more enjoyable parts of freelancing. Or it may be easier to automate and outsource as much as possible. But even if you’re brining in a personal assistant and an accountant, it’s important to understand what they’ll be doing, even if you leave the actual work entirely to them in the future.
And don’t be afraid to ask even the most basic questions. Whether it’s about tax, insurance, contracts or any other freelancing task, there’s always the opportunity to get a qualified answer from a specialist in that field. No matter how simple the query, you won’t be the first or last person to voice it.
The worst time to think about having adequate backups and improving the security of your equipment is in the minutes after you realise it’s been lost, damaged, stolen or hacked. Without adequate backups and processes in place, it’s often too late to recover anything.
That’s before you consider issues like GDPR and data privacy, or the damage to your business reputation.
Add in the potential for any service you use to also have issues or close, and there are plenty of reasons to invest time and effort into ensuring you have multiple backups and redundancies for anything core to your business.
When you’re responsible for every expense, spending on new software or investing in experts or staff can be daunting. But penny pinching will often cost you more in the long run.
If automated software can save you 3 hours each week, and costs less than you make from spending those hours on client work, then doing it yourself is actually costing you potential earnings.
When your equipment is so old and clunky that it regularly lets you down, then upgrading will allow you to recoup the cost and ensure you’re not passing on those delays to clients.
And investing in specialists can often deliver savings (if you’ve never had a good accountant, they’ll often spot income or cost reductions you’ve probably missed), knowledge, and potentially work referrals in the opposite direction. By bringing in experts when needed, you’re building your network at the same time.
Setting aside some time and investment each year for personal learning and development will also help you stay up with the latest changes in your industry, or help you build new skills.
In the social media age, it’s easy to find people who are apparently more successful than you in half the time, working on higher profile projects, spending on nice houses and cars, and still able to bake sourdough and do charity work in their spare time.
It’s also easy for anyone to fake it. Or omit the parts they don’t want people to know about.
Working for yourself doesn’t come with a set of requirements that mean you have to build a business empire to succeed, be working 100-hour weeks, or constantly travel to glamourous locations as a digital nomad. Focus on your own life, and the plans and objectives you have set for yourself, whatever they may be.
Researching and preparing for self-employment is a good idea, and the IPSE website has an entire advice section dedicated to new starters. But I’ve encountered far too many people who are chasing perfection before launching their new business or career.
An eye for detail can be an advantage when you work for yourself, but sometimes obsessing over tiny design choices can be a way to procrastinate and mask your fears. And while there are common mistakes which can be avoided fairly easily, it’s extremely rare that any of them will be terminal for your business or career.
Success in freelancing and self-employment is usually found by learning and evolving over time, rather than coming up with the perfect product or service from day one. Many famous companies started out in completely different directions (Twitter began as a podcast network, Starbucks didn’t actually brew and sell coffee for more than a decade, and Suzuki started by producing weaving looms rather than cars and motorcycles).
While old and new media love to feature companies founded by teenage geniuses, the average age of a successful business founder is actually around 45. Even Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos saw their biggest successes when they were older and had built up more experience running Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. The faster you can acquire knowledge and apply it to your business or career, the more likely it is that you’ll be successful.
There’s a reason ‘Just Do It’ has been such an enduring slogan for Nike. My own move to full-time freelancing was prompted by my employer restructuring at a time when I was still a new parent. My preparation for both roles could be charitably described as less than ideal, but somehow, I quickly adjusted to pitching, invoicing, and 2am nappy changes. And both child and business have reached their teenage years despite my occasional mistakes.
Life may have been easier if I’d built up more savings in advance, hired an accountant earlier, and embraced project management software more enthusiastically. But none of that stopped me from earning a fairly consistent and sustainable income. Or being rated as ‘not that bad’ as a parent, even occasionally when other people can overhear it.
For an example on a grander scale, comedian and military history fan Al Murray subtitled his recent book Command as ‘How the Allies learned to win the Second World War’. In a series of examples, he describes how early defeats turned into later victories as tactics and technology evolved incredibly quickly.
None of this is an excuse to jump into self-employment completely blind, and without any idea of how you’ll fulfil client work or find products to sell. You need to have some understanding and experience of the industry you’re freelancing in, or the market you’re aiming to serve. But if you’re putting off your new business because your logo needs to be two pixels further left, or until you’ve read your twentieth book on working for yourself, it’s probably a sign you’re more than ready and just need to get started.
If you make some extra money, or run a side hustle, through platforms including eBay, Airbnb and Vinted, those online marketplaces will now share your income with HRMC.
The change comes into effect from January 1st, 2024, and requires websites and apps to report the income of sellers who make more than 30 transactions or an income of £1,735 (€2,000) in a year. And it applies to handcrafted products, second-hand items, and services including taxi hire, food delivery, short-term rentals, and freelance work. Reporting will be due by January 2025.
In the past, HMRC was able to request information, but it will now be supplied by digital platforms under new rules introduced as part of the UK signing up to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). And information will be shared between countries that have signed up to the OECD tax rules.
As an individual in the UK, you can get up to earn up to £1,000 each year as a tax-free trading allowance from self-employment, or from property. If you have both types of income, you’ll get a £1,000 allowance for each, calculated as your gross trading income before any expenses.
Even if your income falls under these amounts, you may still need to register for Self Assessment and complete a tax return for various reasons, including claiming relief on losses, voluntarily paying Class 2 National Insurance, or receiving Tax Free Childcare or Maternity Allowance.
But even if you’re not intending to file your taxes, it’s important to keep records of all your online earnings in case they’re required by HMRC. Examples include invoices, receipts and statements, and you can find more details on tax-free allowances via Gov.uk.
And if you’re potentially making an income or profit approaching the threshold, it’s worth contacting HMRC or speaking to an accountant in advance, rather than waiting to find out you may need to pay tax, especially as you could incur a penalty.
For most people, even if your income amounts to more than £1,000, any tax liability is likely to be relatively small, especially as you can still use that amount for ‘partial relief’ against your tax bill.
So the change is likely to impact a small number of individuals and sole traders who either should have already been reporting their income to HMRC, or tip over the £1,735 threshold in the future without realising the implications.
If you have any questions about your income and tax status, it’s worth speaking to a specialist financial advisor or accountant. IPSE members get access to tax and legal helplines as just one of the benefits designed to support the self-employed in the UK.
Do you ever find yourself feeling bored or burned out by freelancing, even after you chose it to escape the typical nine-to-five routine? Every day feels the same, especially if your work tends to leak into the weekend?
The good news is that it’s probably not down to being self-employed, considering that freedom is one of the big attractions in working for yourself. And it’s also easily fixed once you recognise the issue.
Unconsciously slipping into the same habits and routines is an evolutionary trait of the human mind that can probably be traced back to our ancestors in caves. If you’re learning which berries are non-lethal by trial and error, it’s a good thing that you start picking the edible varieties without really thinking about it. And that now means we end up choosing the same one or two lunch options even when there might be lots of risk-free food available to try.
Making new choices also uses mental energy and willpower. It’s why the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama famously wear the same style of clothes every day.
But it’s also why bad habits are harder to break than creating new ones. And the reason you can end up working with the same clients, in the same way, day after day. Which can not only impact your enjoyment of freelancing, but also have a negative effect on the quality of work you’re providing.
Everyone is happy with different levels of predictability in their lives, but some amount of spontaneity and freshness will benefit your creativity, help you avoid boredom and burn out, and even make life appear to slow down.
And putting the freedom back into freelancing is quick and simple. You don’t need to turn your life upside down. Just plan some new experiences, even small ones. You might be surprised at how much difference it can make.
Try a new home office layout, or working in a different location. Choose an alternative route for your lunchtime walk, or sample some food you wouldn’t normally pick. Read a book, or listen to music, outside the genres you normally enjoy.
If you usually write on a computer, try drafting something with a pen and paper to see how it might change things. Swap your smartphone for a camera, set your meeting agenda in reverse order, or schedule some time to learn a new skill.
And you don’t necessarily need to plan an amazing novel experience on a daily basis. The benefits of increased dopamine and happiness, reduced stress and a better sense of purpose will last for a while, as your brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself is stimulated.
And if you need a direct business benefit to justify the time and expense, it can help you avoid falling into the habit of relying on the same client work continuing indefinitely. It’s easy to slip into a comfortable routine and stop looking for new leads and opportunities. Which makes it all the more painful if all your projects suddenly come to an end.
Do something different, embrace the freedom in freelancing, and your work and business will benefit along with your own wellbeing.
Read more of Dan’s previous opinion columns on freelancing here, including bad briefs, living with another freelancer, and why everyone should be self-employed at least once in their careers.
Buying, renovating, and flipping houses has become a popular subject for daytime TV shows. And if you’ve been considering moving self-employment, our guide on how to become a property developer might help you decide whether it’s the right career for you.
To become a property developer, you simply have to make money by building new homes, or improving existing locations to increase their value.
Alongside new builds, you can renovate or convert existing properties, or buy and sell land which you have prepared for development. Profits can come from successful sales, or by renting out buildings to tenants.
Your daily tasks will vary depending on the type and scale of each project. You’ll need to work with builders and other contractors, architects, estate agents and surveyors, managing timescales, budgets, and deadlines unless you also employ a dedicated project or site manager.
If you choose to rent one or more properties, you’ll also need to attract tenants, and maintain the buildings for commercial or residential use.
Each project is likely to produce different challenges, from securing planning permission to unexpected delays or additional costs. It’s important to plan for potential complications, otherwise you could end up incurring a loss rather than making money.
Alongside developing the property, you’ll also need to be aware of house price and rental trends, along with interest rates which will impact any loans or mortgages you’re relying on.
Anyone can become a property developer without the need for specific qualifications. But knowledge of the industry will certainly help you secure funding and avoid potential disasters, especially when you’re starting out.
Formal education focuses on various areas of the real estate industry, including surveying, property management or sales. Some of the recognised organisations offering qualifications include Propertymark, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Investment Property Forum and the Chartered Institute of Housing.
You can also pursue a BTEC and HND, or a university degree, in relevant fields such as surveying, urban planning, construction or property management, or real estate.
Whether or not you gain formal qualifications, you’ll certainly need to develop a range of skills to be successful, including;
You’ll also need to either be able to pay for the land, properties and work yourself, or be able to secure the funding required.
Unless you already have access to large amounts of money, it’s likely you’ll need to fund your property developing by borrowing a suitable amount. In addition to your proposed budget, you’ll also need a contingency fund to cover delays and unexpected costs. Typical fees include structural surveys, estate agent fees, maintenance, repairs, and stamp duty.
Options for funding include;
You can find out more in the IPSE complete self-employed mortgage guide, which covers topics including fixed, variable, interest-only and buy-to-let mortgages.
With any self-employed career, your potential income can vary a lot based on your skills and experience, location, and a wide variety of other factors. Any figures quoted are as a broad illustration of what you might expect.
The average salary for a property developer in the UK is estimated at £39,027 (Indeed), £45,000 (Talent), £49,726 (Glassdoor), or even £63,374 (Jooble). But it’s possible to earn much more or less, depending on the scale and number of projects you’re able to complete each year.
If you’re able to build a portfolio of successful sales and rentals, you can earn a much higher income, and being self-employed allows you to choose whether to take the earnings from your business or reinvest it for a larger reward in the future. There’s also no cap on what you can potentially earn.
Obviously, there’s also no guarantee of a profit, so many people choose to start with small, part-time property development around their day job or existing career.
Researching other freelance careers? Why not check out our other guides:
And you can get support and help if you’re starting out with self-employment, or still in the early stages of building your career, with the IPSE Incubator. The 12-month programme is currently free with IPSE membership, and includes advice, events, webinars, networking and more, tailored to anyone just beginning their freelance business.
Building a sustainable self-employed career takes a certain amount of belief and dedication at the best of times. And it can be much harder to keep going when the national, or global, economy is contributing to the challenges. Having launched my own business during the Great Recession of the late 2000s, I know how useful it can be to find good advice on freelancing during a cost-of-living crisis.
Both the latest IPSE Freelancer Confidence Index and a cost-of-living survey show how many freelancers are worried at the moment. Nine in 10 (90%) surveyed were concerned about rising inflation, and 25% were considering leaving self-employment in the next 12 months due to the financial pressures. Following the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, 64% of freelancers were less confident about the UK economy over the next 12 months, expecting a 12% drop in their day rates, and an increase in costs.
Everyone responds differently to pressure, but what advice am I finding useful during the latest financial crisis?
Staying calm and productive
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless when you’re facing issues on a national or global level, causing stress, procrastination, and burnout. If you struggle with imposter syndrome or self-confidence, those feelings can be magnified when clients make cut backs during a financial crisis, or you’re facing higher costs and household bills.
But to adapt the Serenity Prayer, staying successful as a freelancer means knowing the things you can change and impact, and accepting the things you can’t solve for yourself. And continuing to work on the areas you can improve, delivering projects, and moving forwards as best you can.
Your targets, business plan and budgets might need to adapt to the current situation. Success may look more like survival than expanding your company. But when times are financially tough for everyone, that’s an achievement in itself.
Make use of all the help and support available
You’re not the only person facing difficulties. And while it may seem heroic to try and solve everything on your own, especially if you’re providing the sole income in your household, it can lead to unnecessary isolation and pressure.
Help and support can come from a lot of different sources. Past clients and other freelancers can provide new work opportunities, organisations such as IPSE provide a range of advice and support for the self-employed, and charities including Stepchange can provide free debt advice and manageable solutions.
It’s also important to maintain your mental wellbeing as much as possible during difficult times, whether that’s through opening up to friends and family, support from reputable organisations such as CALM, Mind and the Mental Health Foundation, or via the NHS. With around one in four people in England experiencing a challenge to their mental health every year, there’s no reason to struggle alone.
Cut costs where you can
Lowering your costs and bills as a freelancer doesn’t necessarily mean your work or lifestyle needs to suffer. If you haven’t audited your outgoings for a while, then you may find you’re still paying for products and services that aren’t required any more. Spending a few hours going through your business and personal accounts could save you hundreds of pounds each month if you’ve been using expensive software or hosting in the past.
Other options can include switching to a cheaper plan, or pausing your account for a while.
The same applies to personal expenses, including entertainment subscriptions, gym and fitness memberships, or your weekly shop. It doesn’t mean automatically cancelling anything you enjoy or that benefits your mental or physical health. But prioritising what you find most valuable and beneficial could identify some products and services you could happily live without. It’s about making sensible swaps rather than just cancelling everything.
Switching services can also save you money. Some business bank accounts include access to free accounting and invoicing software, saving you the cost of a separate system. Or you may be able to switch to a cheaper phone contract, car lease or mortgage provider. It can take a little time to move your accounts, but the savings can make a huge difference.
Increasing your income
It’s easy to lose track of invoicing and payments when you’re stressed and overwhelmed. Make sure you’re chasing late or unpaid amounts on a regular basis, and staying on top of client billing.
If client hours have been reduced, then use that time productively to either work on your business, or consider taking on a side hustle to boost your income. The gig economy can provide lots of temporary or flexible opportunities.
Refresh your approach to finding new clients, and don’t dismiss online job boards for freelancers as a source of opportunities if you’re struggling to find projects at the moment. If your need for more income isn’t urgent due to savings and current contracts, then invest any spare time by building resiliency into your business by updating your portfolio, expanding your network, and exploring relevant communities.
Most freelancers don’t think their current day rates are able to keep up with the current rises in inflation, but more than 80% are still charging the same amount. While it may seem counterintuitive to increase your prices during a cost-of-living crisis, it’s certainly possible. Especially if you’re close to fully-booked and working with larger clients, when a small increase is likely to make little difference to their budgets, but could make a big impact on your income.
Even after increasing your rates, it’s likely you’ll still be a more affordable option for businesses than permanent full-time staff.
Keep promoting your business
Studies always focus on how big brands are able to increase their market share during a recession or financial crisis by continuing to promote themselves rather than cutting budgets and going quiet.
And the same is likely to be true for small businesses and individual freelancers. You don’t need a huge advertising budget to attend local networking events, answer questions on social media, or create content for your website.
It can be a good prompt to look at what efforts have previously brought in clients, or to experiment with creative new ways to reach potential customers. If you do have some money available, advertising is likely to be cheaper at the moment. But it’s also a chance to enter free business competitions, apply for grants or funding for new projects, try out creating videos or live streaming your work, or trial a new product or service.
Don’t stop saving if possible
An emergency or ‘rainy day’ fund is an important safety net when you’re self-employed or freelancing. If you can build up three or six months of income in a savings account, it can provide a lot of security.
It’s tempting to stop saving or to dip into your funds when finances are tight. But it can take a long time to build up those amounts, and you’ll want to use them when absolutely necessary. There’s nothing wrong with lowering the monthly payments into your savings or pension when money is scarce, but try to avoid wiping them all out at the first sign of financial pressure.
And even a small emergency fund can be incredibly important when you’re faced with an unexpected bill. If you can continue putting £10 a week into your savings, that’s £520 each year, which could be a lifesaver if your car breaks down, or a client payment is late and your rent is due.
My most important lesson from freelancing during two financial crises
Even if you know exactly what you should be doing as a freelancer during any financial hardship, it can be hard to put everything into practice. It’s easier to recommend staying productive than to avoid procrastinating when you realise bills are due before the next round of invoices are due.
The most important thing I’ve learned from freelancing for more than a decade, and during two financial crises, is to practise a little forgiveness and understanding for myself. We’re all human and make mistakes, or have times when we struggle mentally or physically. Making small, incremental improvements over time is much more important than beating ourselves up for failing to save an emergency fund in the past, or realising that there’s a recurring subscription hidden in a business account that should have been cancelled years ago.
You’ll still have moments of stress and panic, even when you try to focus on achievable changes. But giving yourself a little understanding and forgiveness over a normal human response can help you move on more quickly.
Rising costs and inflation, the threat of artificial intelligence, complications from Brexit and IR35, a global pandemic and more. It feels like a particularly challenging time to be self-employed, so why would you start freelancing in 2023?
I’m reminded of the comedian Bill Hicks, when he watches constant coverage of wars and disasters on cable news before opening his door to hear crickets chirping and watch the sun go down. While it’s easy to succumb to existential despair about the future of freelancing, when you step away from news websites and social media, the issues are often a lot easier to manage in day-to-day reality.
And many of the benefits of freelancing actually become more valuable in challenging times, especially if you’ve become frustrated with how your employer has handled the constantly changing environment over the last few years.
To borrow a popular quote from disputed origins, the best time to start freelancing was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.
If you need more convincing, then here are some good reasons for choosing self-employment in 2023.
It’s possible to make a big career change when you’re employed, but it’s rare. If you’ve worked as the company account for a decade, moving into marketing or design will probably mean starting at the bottom again.
But as a freelancer you can add or drop services whenever you like. And if you want to switch from being a network engineer to becoming a personal trainer, you can make that change overnight. All it takes is finding your first paying client.
You’re also free to develop new skills without getting approval from management for courses, or finding out the training budget has been cut this year. Whether you decide you’d rather be a freelance WordPress developer or dog groomer, there’s never been more information available online, and much of it is free.
Want to start selling products alongside offering freelance services? You can have an eCommerce store up and running in less than a day. Diversifying your income also helps to protect you against sudden drops in client demand, and gives you practical experience in other areas of business.
The demand for employees to return to the office full time has been met with a lot of resistance. And that’s not surprising for most freelancers, as they’ve seen family and friends discover the benefits of hybrid working and home offices.
Whether you want to set your own schedule to suit your preferences, be available for the school run, or want to continue Covid precautions, then being self-employed allows you to do just that. And without needing negotiations with management.
You still need to ensure you deliver work reliably, and manage client communication and expectations appropriately. It’s no good deciding you’ll work from noon until midnight if clients think you’ll be answering your phone from 9am sharp every day. But if you deliver good results and set clear boundaries, you’ll find more than enough clients happy to accommodate your working routine.
Given that most people see self-employment as a risky venture, it may seem strange to suggest it actually increases your job security for the future. But when you run your own business, you know exactly what income and outgoings you have. And that means you can potentially spot issues in advance, or times when you might need to drum up extra work.
Compare that to sudden layoffs and redundancies at larger companies. Especially in challenging times, when even the largest corporations can announce large-scale cuts at short notice, or find themselves going into administration seemingly overnight.
Being self-employed doesn’t prevent you from also taking on full or part-time jobs as you need them, or jumping into agency work if required. And then going back to your business as your income allows, rather than waiting around between redundancy and finding a new job.
Most jobs and employers will tend to have a maximum salary range, and any pay raise tends to be tightly controlled. But when you start freelancing, you have control over your rates, whether you invoice for the hours worked or the tasks completed, and there’s no limit to your potential earnings.
Sadly, not every freelancer will become massively successful and wealthy. But a lot of people have discovered their time was much more valuable to clients than it was to their previous employers. And you’re able to control whether you get a pay rise by attracting more clients, increasing your fees, adding more services, or starting to outsource or employ your own staff. Rather than waiting for a manager to decide whether you deserve it.
There’s also no ceiling to your maximum income. The top freelancers in any industry will earn a lot more than the average for that role. And the skills that helped them achieve that status are typically transferable to other ventures, including marketing and promotion, business management and more. Which means you could end up with multiple businesses delivering you a financial reward.
One impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and remote working has been a trend dubbed the Great Resignation. And one of the big reasons employees gave for voluntarily leaving their jobs was long-lasting dissatisfaction with their workplace and career.
For some, this will have been prompted by finding a better balance to work and life by ditching the commute, working from home, and spending more time with family and friends.
But other causes include wanting more interesting projects, getting away from office politics, and being able to choose the most personally fulfilling tasks to specialise in. And freelancing allows for all of that to be realised. And if you miss social interaction, you can potentially work anywhere with Wi-Fi, or visit a dedicated coworking space. Or you can even create your own community around work or other interests.
If you’ve always had an idea for a startup, side hustle or want to create a project for social good, freelancing lets you ringfence time and resources to make it happen. Or for it to become your main focus and career.
With many more people dealing with challenges to their physical and mental health, self-employment can also provide a valuable way to balance your need for a sustainable income with taking care of your own wellbeing.
While I think everyone can benefit from trying self-employment at least once during their careers, that doesn’t mean committing to working for yourself until retirement. Freelancing may be something that works at different stages of your career, or that you pause and come back to in the future.
You might decide that you prefer life as an employee, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that decision. But unless you’ve experienced self-employment, you might not realise what the alternative can look like for your individual situation.
And the skills you build can make you more attractive to potential employers, or you may find clients become keen to bring you in-house at various times during your freelance career.
Starting as a freelancer during a challenging period also means things are likely to get easier at some point in the future. Meaning you will have already developed resiliency and determination, which you can use for greater rewards during the next boom time for the self-employed.
Freelancing isn’t for everyone, and that’s not a downside to running your own business. It brings different challenges to employment, and requires a level of commitment that may seem off putting to some. But there are ways to make it easier to freelance in a chaotic and stressful world, alongside organisations such as IPSE, who provide advice and membership services to support self-employed professionals across the UK, including a whole series of guides for anyone new to self-employment and a dedicated Incubator programme.
Why would you start freelancing in 2023? A better question might be why you haven’t tried it until now, and how you can get started today in the right way?
Have you ever dreamed of building a self-employed career that lets you to travel to potentially remote and exotic places? And which forms a vital part of TV and film production, meaning you could be working on major franchises including James Bond, Star Wars or Marvel? Find out how to become a freelance location scout, and your dream could become reality.
What does a freelance location scout do?
As a freelance location scout, you’ll be responsible for finding and selecting suitable locations for films, television productions, commercials, videos, or photo shoots.
These settings could be anywhere around the world, or based on an in-depth knowledge of your local area.
The location process starts with understanding the requirements of a script of brief, and researching suitable areas. Not only do you have to find places which look right, but you’ll also have to consider the logistics, including legal and environmental restrictions, and you may need to negotiate with property owners and local authorities to clear any permissions needed.
Once the final locations are chosen, you’ll still need to work closely with the production team to cover any issues that might crop up during filming. Depending on the scale of the film or photo shoot, you may be working alone, or collaborating with location managers and production managers.
So, on one hand, you’ll need to have an eye for beautiful settings, or unusual locations which can bring a film or photo shoot to life. But you’ll also need to balance that the challenges of potentially bringing in hundreds of people to that location, along with equipment.
What skills or qualifications do you need?
There are no formal education requirements or qualifications required to become a location scout, but if you have studied photography, cinematography or at film school it can help to build and demonstrate your knowledge of the production process.
Any experience of dealing with local authorities and governments will also be useful, along with the logistics of filming and shooting. Many location scouts have previously worked as entry-level crew members, in roles such as production assistants, runners or location trainees.
Useful skills to develop include:
As a freelance location scout, you’ll need to build a portfolio by actively scouting and capturing locations, including photographs, reports, and any additional material such as maps, requirements for film permission, or any other special requirements.
Useful professional organisations and associations including the Location Managers Guide International (LMGI), the British Film Commission, and Screenskills. Various places offer relevant training, and the National Fim and Television School is a good starting point if you’re researching courses.
You could also consider volunteering for organisations including the Media Trust or the Independent Cinema Office to build up both your experience within the film and TV industry, and your contacts.
How much can freelance location scouts earn?
Self-employed incomes can vary due to a variety of factors including current demand, and your personal skills, experience, location and more. Any figures are provided as a rough outline of what may be possible, but you could find yourself earning a lot more if you become a notable and sought-after freelance location scout working on the biggest films and TV shows.
Annual wages for an entry-level location scout or assistant are likely to be between £18,000 and £25,000, riding to between £30,000 and £60,000 as you gain experience. The average reported base pay for a location scout in the UK is £41,187 (Glassdoor).
As a freelancer, you’ll be responsible for setting your day rate or project fees, and deciding which projects are worth investing your time and effort into. For guidance on rates, you can find suggested amounts via the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu), along with other filmmaker job sites and resources such as the Video Collective.
If you need more support to manage your self-employed finances, including your income, outgoings and paying your taxes correctly, there’s a wealth of useful advice on the IPSE website, with members able to access more resources including helplines, training and more.
Researching other freelance careers? Why not check out our other guides:
And you can get support and help if you’re starting out with self-employment, or still in the early stages of building your career, with the IPSE Incubator. The 12-month programme is currently free with IPSE membership, and includes advice, events, webinars, networking and more, tailored to anyone just beginning their freelance business.
If you’re an animal lover and looking for a self-employed career, then why not find out how to become a freelance dog groomer to see if it might be the right job for you.
We’ve previously looked at hair stylists and makeup artists for humans, but helping our four-legged friends look and feel their best could be a better option if you want to avoid having to make small talk with clients all day. And you’ll also be contributing to better animal welfare by helping to prevent infections, matted hair, and other issues.
The advantage of being self-employed is that you can set your own hours and choose your work location, whether that’s visiting dog owners at their homes or setting up your own pet salon. And it means there’s the potential to earn far more than if you’re employed by someone else.
There’s more to dog grooming than bathing, drying and brushing animals. In addition to those tasks, it’s important to talk with clients about any specific requirements or help issues, carry out basic health checks, provide good advice to owners, and keep good records on each pet.
Along with trimming and styling the coat of each dog, you may also provide other services such as nail clipping, ear cleaning and teeth brushing. So, your focus may change for each job, switching between prioritising health and hygiene, or looks and style.
This is particularly true if you’re switching between grooming pets, or show dogs which will be competing at events like Crufts. To be show ready, dogs will generally be bathed and groomed at least every four to six weeks, although it does differ between different breeds.
As a business owner, you’re free to decide whether you want to visit clients and their pets at their home, or set up your own dog salon at a location you choose.
There are no formal qualifications required to offer dog grooming services, but completing recognised courses will help to reassure potential clients that you’re competent. This can be especially helpful if you haven’t built up a portfolio of previous work.
City & Guilds provide a Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants, which is an introductory qualification, along with a Level 3 Certificate in Introductory Dog Grooming or Level 3 Diploma for Professional Dog Stylists. And these courses are also offered by other accredited organisations, such as The College of Animal Welfare or the National Pet College. A Level 4 Higher Professional Diploma in Dog Grooming is also offered by the iPET Network.
Alongside units covering canine care and styling, these courses also include how you manage a dog grooming business. But if you want more hands-on experience, then you might choose to do an apprenticeship or volunteer for an existing business or pet charity.
You can find volunteer opportunities at local pet salons or animal shelters, or via larger national charities such as the Dogs Trust and the RSPCA, who also offer apprenticeships.
Skills that you’ll need to develop to become a successful freelance dog groomer include:
You’ll also need to build the skills required to manage your own business, from administrative tasks and tax returns to marketing and building up your client list. You can find lots of helpful advice on the IPSE website, whether you’re new to self-employment or looking to grow your business, along with access to the 12-month Incubator programme for IPSE members.
If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to invest in a range of equipment and tools for dog grooming, with obvious examples including clippers, scissors, combs, and brushes.
Depending on your work location, you may also need to invest in a bath, along with a dryer. And a grooming table. Other useful equipment will include nail clippers, tick removing tools, shampoo, towels, and clothing which is water and fur proof where possible.
You can find various lists and recommendations for the equipment you’ll need online, or by asking existing dog groomers for advice on products and brands they recommend. But it’s also important to invest in suitable insurance covering both public liability and professional indemnity, along with your equipment.
It’s a good idea to set out a self-employed business plan and budget, which will help you identify other potential expenses such as advertising and marketing, along with getting your financial records and tax returns organised from the start.
With any self-employed career, your earnings can vary depending on location, experience, any special skills, or your ability to market yourself. Any figures offered are estimates or averages based on typical earnings.
As an employee, a dog groomer in the UK could expect to start out around £13,000 per year, rising to around £20,000 or more with experience. The average tends to be £23,000 (Talent.com).
The average hourly rate is quoted between £9 (Payscale), and £11.79 (Talent), but this will tend to be higher if you’re self-employed, as you’re able to set your own prices to match the lack of employer benefits such as sick leave or holiday pay.
While employed dog groomers will tend to maximise their income around £25,000 per year, if you’re freelance or self-employed, there’s no limit to your potential earnings, as you can expand your business with employees or franchise your operations as you build your brand. Or you may find yourself specialising in show-winners or celebrity pets.
If you’re starting a new business, then it’s important to plan how you’ll attract new clients over time to grow your income. Unless you already a solid reputation and experience from working for an established grooming salon, you’ll need to reach out to find potential customers.
There are lots of marketing options that apply to any self-employed business, from advertising to creating content for search engines or social networks. Specific opportunities for dog groomers including leaving material at local vets, dog daycare or boarding kennels, or popular parks and pet shops.
To build up your portfolio beyond family and friends, you could offer services to local rescue centres and shelters, and make sure you get pictures or video wherever possible to share on your website or social media.
And encouraging recommendations and reviews online, and in your local community, can provide a strong source of new potential clients. Look for local dog walking groups, or consider starting your own, along with more general community networks.
It’s also possible to combine grooming with related services, such as dog walking, or pet sitting, to generate more income.
Researching other freelance careers? Why not check out our other guides:
And you can get support and help if you’re starting out with self-employment, or still in the early stages of building your career, with the IPSE Incubator. The 12-month programme is currently free with IPSE membership. It includes advice, events, webinars, networking and more, tailored to anyone just beginning their freelance business.
