Committee of One
Freelancer, consultant, founder, director, sole trader, entrepreneur, self-employed, business owner – apparently, I’ve gained a whole load of new titles recently. But all of it boils down to the fact that I’m creating a business out of myself. So, what’s the verdict so far on being a team of one? Cooking on gas…
Someone Call IT
Having worked in the charity sector for over 12 years, I’ve got experience in a fair few areas now. From training and advocacy to projects and volunteer management, there’s some good strings on my metaphorical bow already I reckon. But it turns out I’m now adding IT-helpdesk and engineer into the mix, and…
Lessons in Facilitation
With my first freelance-d facilitation work under my belt, it’s worth celebrating the successes and being honest about the improvements needed. So, in no particular order, here’s what I learnt from that first event: 1. There’s never a final version See my earlier blog “navigating event design” for some more of the background…
Which Way to Go
One of the main reasons starting out as a freelancer is so terrifying is because of the huge (occasionally for me all-consuming) fear of whether you’ll have enough, or even any, work to keep the money coming in. You’ve purposefully waved goodbye to a regular, known, paycheck (maybe this definitely is early-onset midlife…
Navigating Event Design
This week delivered me a few steep learning curves as I tentatively begin trying out the world of freelance, and one of the most interesting was navigating the delivery of a final product when there’s a range of stakeholders involved. So what was the event? My second ever client contracted me to facilitate…
Deciding Day Rates
So, early doors is one of the hardest questions – exactly how much is the right amount to charge as a day rate?! Like many people, I’ve worked with a few consultants over the years and always had a fascination with the resulting invoices and what a) people charge and b) what organisations…
The Start-Up To Do List
I’ve been lucky enough to secure my first contract, and while that’s incredible news, its launched me a bit quicker than I’d planned into the reality of “how do I actually do this?!” And here’s the thing – I don’t actually know. I’ve never been self-employed, and my husband does a whole different…
A Leap of Faith
So, last week, I did it. I quit my job. The email I’d been considering for nearly a year went in – “please accept this as formal notice of my resignation…”. I actually left employment to start freelancing. Well, technically, actually, if you’re splitting hairs, I just triggered my three months’ notice, but…