Considering the first 90 days of any new role are heralded as a key period of bedding into a role and laying the foundations for future success, it’s a great opportunity to review progress, consider learnings and celebrate success. I’ve now been freelancing as my sole job for three months now and so, somehow, it’s time for my performance review. What’s been going on?

Three Months in Figures

  • 4 clients
  • 1 of the above a repeat client from a few months before
  • 2 sets of social media accounts managed
  • 3 new applications for work (1 successful, 1 unsuccessful and 1 pending)
  • 1 of the above a newly formed collaboration with a freelance contact
  • 2 laptops (one mine, one a client’s)
  • 4 email accounts managed
  • 1 pro bono request
  • 1 mentee
  • 1 trusteeship application
  • 5,873 impressions and 87 engagements from my professional LinkedIn account
  • 13 weeks of self-directed CPD (continued professional development)
  • 40% more income over that period than through employment
  • 0 coffee shops

Lessons

  • Freelancing is a lesson in courage – it takes bravery to leave employment and put all your faith in yourself, and even more to stay in it and keep going
  • You need a high tolerance for stress – freelancing has been a conveyor belt of deadlines and competing priorities which constantly need to be balanced
  • Digital literacy is key – it’s the only way to survive these days – whether its basic laptop knowledge, website design and maintenance, blogging, LinkedIn, online meeting platforms, digital collaboration tools, or diary and email management, there’s no escaping IT infiltrates every part of the freelancer process and you need to get onboard to keep up
  • Know the law – there may not be a freelancer exam to pass but there are a handful of critical areas you cannot risk ignoring – one is your obligations with HRMC and another is around the handling of data, from registering with the ICO to understanding your GDPR obligations for websites, handling personal data, undertaking research and data analysis
  • Understand your risk tolerance – whether you want to have insurance (s) and any contract to mitigate any risks your work presents
  • Be yourself – as a freelancer, your brand is you. Don’t try and dress that up or hide behind the terminology of “we” – it’s you, and you’re enough. Build relationships, demonstrate testimonials, and showcase your personality throughout. You’re the reason for your own success.
  • There’s enough work – some of it is easier to find than others, with some organisations more on the ball about where and how to advertise but from what I’ve seen so far, there isn’t a shortage of work
  • Listen to your gut – whether it’s if an organisation is the right fit, whether you’re genuinely the right fit for them, whether you have the time or whether you can actually give it your best. If your guts giving you vibes, listen.
  • It’s a learning journey – I don’t think I’ve ever held another role where I’ve constantly been learning so much. It feels like every single week has had a major moment in it where I’ve had to learn a new platform, a new legal obligation, fix an IT thing, research a new topic – it’s been a relentless learning journey and you have to be aware you will also constantly get things wrong. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, learn something and look forward.
  • It’s a business – even when working in the charity sector, I’m running my own business of one. It’s a hugely helpful mentality for some of the harder aspects to navigate like how much to charge, invoicing, talking contracts, setting deliverables and getting feedback.
  • You’re not alone – there’s a wonderful, knowledgeable, big-hearted freelancer community out there. I’ve been really struck by the lack of competition in the networks I’m part of, with a real commitment to bigging each other up, egging each other on to new challenges and picking colleagues up when things aren’t going to plan. There’s a sharing of resources, knowledge and work opportunities that has been nothing short of phenomenal.
  • Recruitment central – in order to keep a regular stream of income, you need to regularly check out new opportunities and keep applying for contracts. The implication of that is that you’re also constantly writing proposals or covering letters, tweaking your CV and interviewing.

Celebrations

  • I’ve had work – I’ve had work and I’ve been so lucky with the wonderful charities I’ve worked with so far, all of whom I’ve loved working with, have provided really interesting work and paid on time. No small feat given what I’ve heard from others. One even came back as a repeat client.
  • I’ve had good feedback – I’ve built good relationships and gained some lovely testimonials from current clients. It’s been a huge validation of my decision to give this a try and gives me hope there might be a longer-term future in this.
  • I’ve covered the bills – I always aspired to at least maintain my employed income to keep contributing my half of household bills and expenses. Freelance income goes up and down each month with the contracts, and their individual cycles, and what I’ve tracked is that for this three month period of doing it as my only source of income, I’ve brought in 40% more than I did in employment. And that employment figure is gross, including the pension contributions my last employer made. I’ve not been brave enough to spend any of that extra, keeping it back as a growing safety net, but I love looking it as a recognition of my hard work.
  • I’ve had flexibility – on the whole, I definitely haven’t worked less than I did in my last employed role but this has been a huge learning curve for what’s enough work to take on and what’s too much to take on. And I’ve definitely erred on saying yes to guarantee income. But one major celebration is that I’ve enjoyed much greater flexibility – I’ve covered childcare when nursery closed, I’ve made it to school events and I’ve been a much bigger part of school runs, while keeping my two days sacrosanct 90% of the time for my daughter.

What’s next?

I’m fairly sorted for the next few months with current work and am waiting for the outcome of two submitted proposals, with another two applications planned. I am very, very excited for Christmas and the possibility of treating myself to a few well-deserved weeks off. I feel incredibly proud of getting this far, and while still early days, I feel a bubbling hope that there might be a future in it yet.

Photo by Lindsay Henwood on Unsplash