Institute of Internal Communication

Why do you want to become freelance? Is it a voluntary choice or have you been made redundant? You need to examine your reasons. The freelance life doesn't suit everyone. Jackie Mitchell takes a look:

What should you do? Firstly, as you would for a new business, you need to set out your goals - what do you want to achieve? How many days a week do you want to work and how much income do you need to earn to keep afloat?

As a new freelancer, perhaps you may be lucky enough to land some regular work with your last employer. If not, you need to look at your cash flow situation - perhaps you have some savings you can live off if needed - a "financial cushion" to have when you're not earning. If you have a partner, especially if they are employees, it may be easier to juggle the cash flow.

In Richard Carlson's "Don't Worry, Make Money" book, he says you should set aside two years' living expenses - this may be able to be cut back to one year. This is not because you may not have enough work, but because companies can take a long time to pay up - advertising agencies, for example, can take six months to pay.

I became freelance as the company I worked for folded and I was made redundant. This was during the recession in the early 1990s and there were no jobs, so in a way I had no choice but to become freelance - but as things have worked out, it was the best thing that ever happened.

I started out working in other people's offices for two or three days a week until I had built up my business. I was also lucky that my partner supported me financially during lean times - until he, too, was made redundant and become self-employed. Then we juggled our cash flows.

So the ability to juggle is one of the main qualities you need to become a freelance because while you're working on one job, you need to be looking for the next one.

Setting goals will help you set direction - making a chart with deadlines will help you get started.

Time management - not only to complete the work by deadline but also to take time off including holidays.

Discipline - if you're working at home, you have to be disciplined that you don't attend to domestic chores.

Telephone and email management - learn to prioritise telephone calls and emails especially if you are under deadline pressure

What are the problems?

• uncertainty about the future

• inability to plan - when you've started, having holidays is out of the question; finding work

• getting new work

• keeping existing clients

• learning to turn down work

• analysing whether you should work for a particular company or not

• not getting paid - even by clients you may have worked with before

• you may get sick and be unable to work

• your computer may crash - all these are problems

What are the rewards?

• Freedom to do what you want, when you want - within reason.

• If you need to take half a day off, you can.

• Freedom to do the type of work you want and move into new areas

• the sheer variety of the work you do.

• Being your own boss.

© Jackie Mitchell

Jackie Mitchell is a freelance writer and editor for brochures, magazines, newsletters covering a wide range of subjects including food and drink, hotel health, travel, small businesses and women's issues. She also provides PR consultancy services, including media relations, media training and event management. Her email address is Email: words@jackiem.com and her website: www.jackiem.com.