Is it time to freelance?

Sometimes a downturn in the economy is just the push people need to branch out on their own, stop working for someone else and start their own business. Designers, maybe it is time to consider building up your client base as an independent freelancer.

Even without an extra push, at some point in your professional career, you may find yourself in a place where you feel like you have learned all you can by working for someone else. Or, that your career has become stagnant. Perhaps you’ve just become tired of working toward a set of goals or creative standards that don’t mesh with your own. Because let’s face it, doing the same repetitive tasks or producing work you wouldn’t want to show to other people is just not rewarding. We don’t become creative professionals only to lose ourselves in a daily Photoshopping black hole.

Whatever the reason, the temptation to strike out on your own and freelance finally catches up with you. If you go into this process with a clear understanding of the risk (and the reward) and make a plan that you can (realistically) stick to, then the next six months to a year of your life will go much more smoothly.

By the way, we think that “freelancing” is a term who’s time has come and gone. You don’t want to be one of the hundreds of freelancers that potential clients run into every day. Think through your new business like the design professional and entrepreneur you are, and use language appropriate for your new title. Learn to love your thesaurus, and come up with a better way to say “freelancer.” You can be a creative specialist or a branding expert and give yourself some added value just through the way you identify and introduce yourself to others.

Ok, so you’ve made your decision and come up with your cool new way of presenting yourself to the world. What now? Well, we were going to write a list of things to consider when setting up your design business, but then we found a great list already out there. Speckyboy’s list of 53 (yes 53) steps to follow if you want to become a freelance designer.

We’ll give you the top five here:
1. Set a realistic date for starting officially as a Freelance Designer.

2. Write out a plan-of action for your new business.
(Always remember it is a business you are building).

3. Save as much money as you can in that six months.
(You’ll need money for stationery, lawyers, accountants, hardware, software…).

4. Make an appointment at your local bank to discuss a business account.
(If you can try to avoid asking for an overdraft, do that. Same with a Credit Card).

5. Familiarize yourself with what your and your clients legal obligations are, then speak to a lawyer about a Contract Draft.
(When it comes to legalities you can’t afford any mistakes,the expense is worth it).