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I’ve been blogging for almost six years now and freelancing for almost three. It has been a hard slog at some times but I think I’ve done well to come so far and I now have regular freelance clients and regular blogging contacts who I work for month to month. I see many people talk about jumping ship to freelancing/blogging full time – whether that is because they’re not happy in their current role, they’re facing redundancy or they want to try their hand at it now their children are attending school full time, we all have our own reasons.
I started blogging just before I got pregnant with Jack and it was just a hobby back then. Even if I didn’t earn from my blog now, I would probably still be writing as I found a world that I fell in love with. I started getting asked to work on a freelance basis by people too so when redundancy was put on the table at my workplace, I made the crazy decision to take voluntary redundancy and go freelance – and I’ve never looked back. Yes, I’ve had lean months and other times I’ve had absolutely amazing months. So what tips can I give you?
GO SELF EMPLOYED IF YOU AREN’T ALREADY
Make sure you are doing everything right in the eyes of the law. If you’re working for yourself, make sure you are doing it legally and register with HMRC. This means filing tax returns (whether paper or online) each tax year and keeping impeccable records. You can either do this yourself or choose a good tax accountant to do it for you.
I must admit that I am yet to do my tax return for April 2015-2016 but will be doing it in the next few weeks as there is no way I will get it done in the last few weeks of the deadline (31st January 2017). I am also considering hiring an accountant this time around as I find myself getting in such a flap even though I’ve got everything filed away neatly, ready to just pull out and type in the details.
CARRY ON WITH THE SAME ROUTINE
It is all too easy when freelancing and blogging to come downstairs at 11am in your pyjamas and set up for the day but that won’t do you, your business or your productivity any good. Getting up at a reasonable time, making yourself some breakfast and a cuppa and then getting on with your day – much better all round. I have a drink and some breakfast in the morning with Jack then I walk him to school before getting home to sit at my desk at 9am. If I didn’t have that structure and routine that I’ve finally forced myself into, I wouldn’t start work until afternoon due to sheer laziness!
NETWORK & BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
This is one I need to work on but I’ve been getting better. Networking is key to getting your name out there but believing in yourself is a key part of that. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re less likely to interact with people. I still haven’t attended my villages business community meeting even though I know I really should. Most of the time the hours clash with the school run but they’ve started later meetings now so I really should turn up.
However I am getting much better at talking about myself and what I can offer when talking to people now. My blog isn’t a secret like it was when I first started and I’m more than happy to explain to people what I do when I’m freelancing. Sometimes I may be in conversation with someone and someone else overhears and asks more questions and something comes from that – if I hadn’t been having that original conversation, nothing would have happened.
Start to believe in yourself and watch your world change. It certainly has for me.
Do you have any blogging or freelancing tips? What do you do for a living?