I read a post online recently (link escapes me) from a freelance web designer living in the UK. In it, he mentioned that one of his aims over the next 5 years was to build his business and expand off the back of his freelancing work. He’s already been accepting freelance work for the past five years.

He’s got ambition, drive, enthusiasm by the bucketload - all things you should have before looking to start a business but also all vital ingredients when you’re entering the world of freelancing. By business he means he wants to pitch the bigger contracts, build his brand, get more people involved, establish a company presence.

Then again, there’s people who go the other way. They spend a lot of their life in the corporate environment yet gradually realise they want to break out on their own and take some freelance work.

But can you freelance forever? If the drive resides in you to turn freelance and pick up odd contracts here and there; the thirst is in you to keep this up and seek out more and more work; will the energy and enthusiasm overtake you and you find you’re back building a business all over again, taking on partners and entering the corporate world again?

If you’re good at what you do, there should be no reason why you couldn’t freelance forever. You could plan it that way. Pitch for enough work to sustain yourself comfortably year-in-year-out as a full-time freelancer. But when does freelancing become more than freelancing? Is it a bad thing that it does?

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Tonight’s post (I say night as I’m late in the door once again) is more of a question than anything - what would stop you going freelance?

Is it the security issue? The lack of a regular paycheck or a reduction in income from a more stable corporate source? Are you worried that you may not have enough contacts in order to start sourcing work, at least initially? Is it a health insurance issue? Worried about family support or burning bridges with your current employer?

If you’re out of work already or currently not in the workforce is it more a case of not knowing where to start or perhaps finding the avenue that’s right for you?

I’d like to know.

Leave a comment or drop me an email personally to ken [at] profreelanceblogger.com.

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“Are you sure you’re happy with €XX.XX?” asked a client of mine this morning. To which I replied “yes, it’s fine, sure the computer did most of the work”… which is pretty true.

The job was a tech repair call… something I do on free time and it’s usually to someone I’ve carried out some freelance web work for. As most web designers will have experienced, if you can do something on the internet it’s automatically assumed that you can also fix it when it’s broken.

Cutting a long story short, the callout was to deal with a virus and spyware-riddled PC, a cleanup job which took a grand total of 5 hours including an XP Pro repair install, guessing admin passwords and restoring internet, network and printer connectivity, as well as some guidance on antivirus solutions and general security issues.

In hindsight, I should have doubled the fee at a minimum as the bulk of the work (3.5 hours) was carried out on the Friday, with 1.5 hours spilling into my Monday.

Not realising the overall extent of the issues at hand or the time it would take and ultimate steps needed (an XP repair along with a chkdsk and fixboot scan were rather time consuming) I decided to quote for the service, as opposed to the time spent on the job.

I had felt this a fair move for the client as quoting for time would have been the more expensive option, but given the time lapses in running an XP repair, hard disk scanning etc. I was able to make up time on other projects (have laptop and mobile broadband, will travel), so felt that while the job might have taken 5 hours to carry out in total, I was able to make up 2-3 hours working remotely at the client’s premises.

That said, if I wasn’t connected to the web or had decided to travel without my laptop, the resulting invoice may have looked quite different.

Finding the balance between quoting for your time spent on a job or quoting for a service can be a tricky one. It certainly gets easier the more you do it. Some jobs I’ll quote for time, moreso with new clients. With existing and repeat clients I find I’ll quote for a service, increasing the possibility for me of repeat business (which I find, sometimes you’ll turn the service around in minutes, sometimes in hours).

But at the end of the day, I’ll still look at a project and ask myself “time, or service”. When the client asks you if “you’re happy” taking a certain amount, possibly in the back of their mind thinking “I’m getting away lightly here”, you have to be certain in your own mind that you made the correct choice.

I know I did today and I also know there’ll be a repeat phone call for more work in the future because of it.

So how about it… are you happy with your own pricing or do you find a difficulty in debating whether to quote for time spent on a job or for an overall service on a whole?

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I’ve just finished my first freelance web job that did not involve in any way a single phone call. Considering I own four mobile handsets, three of them currently active and regularly buzzing - that’s not a bad feat. Emails, regular updates via GoogleTalk and no face to face contact with the ultimate end user have resulted in the job being completed.

It has certainly been an interesting one.

It is the first job in three years I’ve decided to take out of the county, opting to do so as there was a local contact for the project - again dealing via email, IM or the rare SMS.

But yet through all that and with no face time on the project, we’ve been able to see things through to the end. One of the joys of freelancing online. Because there are so many ways to communicate online and given I’ve been able to increase my accessibility through mobile broadband, it is becoming that bit easier to start accepting pure web-only freelance work - for me anyway.

Usually it’s phone calls, meetings, phone calls and plenty of face time. But when you’re taking work from overseas, or out of county as I’ve done in the past, the same tends to apply at least phone call-wise.

I don’t know what the end user looks like, what they sound like but I’m comfortable in the knowledge that we’ve taken the job to 100% and seen it launch well.

I certainly wouldn’t work every job that way - working as a freelancer the opportunity for personal contact on a job is often welcomed but I’m happy with how this one has worked out.

Does anyone working strictly online miss the personal contact? Do you need - at some point - to speak to or see the end user of your project?

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Earlier in the year, I blogged a bit about Going Solo, as a wonderful opportunity for creative freelancers to get together in the fantastic surrounds of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Now, it seems the conference is about to hit the UK with Leeds and September 12th of this year being the location and time set for the event.

Organised by Stephanie Booth once again, Going Solo is

a one-day educational conference for freelancers and small business owners of the internet industry and beyond. It will cover topics such as setting rates, negotiating contracts, finding clients, balancing work and life, being productive without getting all stressed out.

Registration for the conference in Leeds is open at present and with the early-bird deadline for registrations having passed, the cost of the conference to you is £220. This is still a good price considering if you wait until the 10 days before the event, you’re entering into late-bird territory with the cost of the conference rising to the £300 mark. If you’re really leaving it late, you’ll be able to register on the day at a cost of £350. So at a saving of £130, it really does pay to register early!

Balancing work and life, tax, negotiation, marketing, networking, business realties and more are all set for discussion across the course of the day.

Check out the full lowdown at Going-Solo.net.

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Doing my regular weekend trip to the local book shop (and general magazine wonderland) I happened to spot the current edition of Computer Arts Projects magazine, a UK-based mag I used to read but have long since fallen out of touch with.

Until this issue.

If you’re working freelance or looking to embark on a freelance career then try and grab yourself a copy of the current issue, #114, as it’s all for the freelancer in you.

The mag includes lessons on freelancing from Dean Evans, tips on designing a logo to suit your freelance career, developing and maintaing a good looking online portfolio, dealing with tax and accounts setting up a home studio (based on a budget of £1,000, £5,000 or £10,000), networking, an interview with Matt Booth on the upside to being your own boss and a whole lot more.

There’s also a few accounting packages for Mac and PC users fired onto the cover disc with the current issue.

I grabbed mine for around €12. Check more details here or drop to your local newsagent to grab your copy before the next issue comes out (which looks to be about print media and print design).

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When it comes to work-life, I’m a total techie. I rely on technology for everything I do - mobile phone, laptop, broadband, TV, sound recording, the whole lot.

However, there’s some things I feel are totally necessary to have in the home, especially if you’ve set up a dedicated work space.

High Speed Broadband Connection

I rely on the internet for everything - my daily news, delivering my client work, sharing large files via FTP with the theatre company, keeping my blogs updated etc. I’ve got a 6mb cable broadband connection coming into the house and at this point find it difficult to work at lower speeds. Working from my Sligo base is tricky due to restrictions on mobile broadband coverage but for any freelancer, particular those working in the field of web design, a high speed broadband connection is a must.

Finding the balance between speed and affordability is the key.

A Wireless Router

A wireless broadband router is a must, especially if you’ve got a laptop. Yes - I mentioned dedicated workspace but sometimes it’s good to be able to get out of the room, out of the small office and sit in the garden or maybe the kitchen and get some work done - without the worry of “will my cable reach?”. I picked myself up a Linksys WRT54Gs wireless router last year and haven’t looked back since I bought it.

A Skype Phone

More and more I find myself turning to Skype when ringing clients and dealing with clients and friends out of town. It keeps my home phone bill down and more importantly it keeps my mobile phone bill donw. I picked up a cheap Skype phone (USB) on eBay for around US$15, upgrading to a desk phone (dual PSTN / USB) earlier this year. Both are fantastic working solutions and beat the hell out of a headphone and mic combination.

Good speakers

I don’t listen to the radio an awful lot, only tuning in if there’s something very specific I feel I need to hear. So on a daily basis I often play through my MP3 collection. I like the music loud and I like it clear. So I invested in some desktop speakers. Hearing music through the laptop just doesn’t cut it and I couldn’t face wearing headphones eight hours a day and then some.

You could pick yourself up a simple 5.1 speaker setup from Logitech for under the €60 mark (Irish market, see here on Komplett)

A Laptop

A simple one, but not often a given. The wireless router is useless unless you’ve something solid to work from - I chose a MacBook Pro almost two years ago. While MacBook’s are expensive (in comparison to PC-based models from the likes of Dell), I’ve found the Mac to be a solid investment that has more than paid for itself in the last two years. If I had to make the choice again to choosing a platform to work from, I would choose Mac all over again. It’s light, portable and hasn’t thrown a single day’s trouble since day 1.

A Second Monitor

A second monitor has become a must for me. Being involved in a lot of design work, the extra desktop space and screen space provided by an additional monitor has been a lifesaver and times, and boosted my productivity. The laptop has a secondary DVI port to connect a monitor, while my desktop also holds a graphics card with dual monitor output.

I managed to pick up a 19″ flat panel LG monitor for under €180 some time ago and like the MacBook, I’ve never looked back and even now find working on a single-screen setup restrictive.

A Mobile Broadband Option

I raved about this so much before buying into it. More to convince myself than anything but now that I’ve secured the mobile broadband option, my internet options are secure. Firstly, I can travel outside of the house, working from a client’s premises, a coffee shop - whatever happens. Secondly, already this week we had a power outage. A power outage means the desktop PC won’t turn on, the wireless router won’t turn on. But providing I’ve still got a charge in the laptop, I’m free to work away with the mobile option as a back up.

That option in itself alone came in so handy this week.

Small things, but things nonetheless that I rely on a daily basis. How about you?

(A late night post again for my ‘post a day’, thank my current theatre production for that! But we got there)

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I’m looking for freelance podcast producers. Not necessarily to hire a podcast producer (I produce a number of podcasts myself that are currently enjoying a summer break), but more to find out how you approach your work and how much in demand you find your services.

Browsing through Craigslist, I came across this advert seeking a podcast producer in Seattle. You are delivered storyboards, raw recordings and get to edit them from the comfort of your own studio for US$30 per hour, 16 hours a month (roughly $500 a month).

$30 per hour seems rather cheap for a podcast producer, freelance or otherwise.

I’d be interested in finding out more from podcast producers on rates charged for freelance work, pitching for podcast production jobs and keeping up with podcast clients.

If you want to get in touch with me, drop a line to ken AT profreelanceblogger.com or click here to contact me. On your approval, I would be happy to add your name to a list of freelance podcast producers (as with the list of theme developers) for consulting in the future.

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While doing some research online at the weekend I stumbled across CareerVanity.com, a blog offering expert career advice for working women. One of the articles that jumped out at me was their Top 3 Freelancing Mistakes To Avoid.

On a global level, everyone seems concerned these days with the phrases “recession” and “economic downturn”. The article does raise some valid points though that one needs to be reminded of now and again.

1. Don’t charge too little
2. Pick the right clients and if taking a partner on board, make sure they’re right for you
3. Plan ahead for economic downturns… just like we’re seeing now.

Of course, each of these points raised you will come to deal with with a greater level of experience. Only through starting to take on work can you determine what you should be charging and what you can be charging.

You should know in advance what you want to charge and need to charge in order to sustain yourself through your work but there will always be additional factors such as the state of the economy, competition (whether locally or further afield), client budgets, how badly you want the work etc. The main thing though is to find your price point, find it quickly and stick to it.

I’ve also mentioned in the past about setting up a partnership (a move I made a few years ago) and what to look out for.

Speaking with another freelancer recently, it was summised that you often find a partnership is a good way to start a new business or venture but ultimately one of the partners will keep the drive going while the other slowly takes their eye off the ball.

Don’t let this happen to you - at the end of the day you need to be certain the partnership that you’re form (if you are indeed forming one) is 100% right for you. Even at an early stage it is always worth drawing up some form of partnership agreement or planning ahead for the possibility of the partnership diverging at some point. The above can be taken whether running a freelance business with a partner or forming strategic partnerships with other freelancers to bounce work to/from.

As the article says itself,

If you’re ready to take the plunge into freelancing, don’t wait until you’re knee deep into your dream to make costly errors. Avoid these top freelancing mistakes and ride the entrepreneurial tidal wave to riches, like a pro.

As for budgeting, I’ve already spoken about budgeting for the unexpected and I continue to work from a spreadsheet myself with an outlook as to how my personal financial year is going.

Sometime it’s important to remind ourselves of the basic lessons involved in working for yourself!

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Just a thought, but is there something in the summer air that causes the number of leads and phone calls looking for work to increase in the summer months?

We’re in the second month of my summer period (I would count June through to August as the summer) and I’ve found the number of people looking for my services on the increase, something which I hadn’t noticed before and something which doesn’t seem to follow the trend of my professional work (as opposed to freelance work).

Working as a full time freelancer, can you see or say that your work is seasonal? Would you find yourself inundated during the summer months yet clawing for work in the winter months?

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