To balance all the challenges that come with launching yourself into the freelancing world, there’s been a series of little joys along the way. Some of the stand-out ones are finding technology solutions that make life a little easier. So, this week, I wanted to showcase some of the platforms and tools I’ve…
Tag: Charity
First 90 Days (Actual)
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,…
Lessons in Online Facilitation
This week I ran an online event for a charity’s board of trustees, supporting them to review how the landscape around them had changed and how they anticipate it will continue to change, in order to refresh their business plan. A typical nearly-post pandemic event, it was via Zoom as the most practical…
Balancing Contracts
The goal when I started this freelancer journey was to try and maintain a maximum three-day week, safeguarding the weekend as well as the two days with my daughter, wherever possible. The second challenge was to try and at least maintain the level of income I’d had in employment. What I’ve found is…
The Summer Productivity Challenge
In July the summer holiday stretched before us – 6 weeks of sunshine and I only had 50% of my planned working time blocked out for contract work. Perfect. I had all sorts of plans. And yet somehow pretty much spectacularly failed at them all. What happened and why didn’t the school summer…
To Pro Bono or Not?
I’ve recently been approached by an old contact congratulating me on the move to freelancing and being my own boss. She also asked about the possibility of doing some pro bono work. And it’s thrown up a few questions. Namely, is it the right thing to do? And is it the right thing…
How to find a freelancer
Naturally to be a successful freelancer, you need to be able to secure the work. I’ve been trialling a few different ways to find opportunities (more on that later) and something I’ve noticed is the huge disparity in how organisations are marketing, and outlining, their opportunities. From vague one-liners to 5+ pages of…
Juggling Priorities
A critical factor of success in many roles is how well you can manage your time. Like loads of people I’ve experienced huge shifts in working patterns over the last few years, from going part time with condensed hours around the kids, to sliding scales of homeworking through the pandemic. Going freelance has…
First 90 days (foundation)
This week marked my first 90 days as a consultant. I’m counting it as foundation setting, however, rather than actual because 90% of it was while working my notice in employment and running some freelance work alongside. As the first 90 days are generally considered a key transition period into any new role,…
Lessons in Evaluation
This week I concluded a two-month long two-report impact evaluation project for an amazing charity. They provide independent advice services on areas such as benefits, immigration, debt and housing for their local community. Their community-led approach and ability to build trust with a community experiencing significant deprivation is hugely impactful (sorry, should have…