Freelancer in Focus - February 2008 Caroline Clutterbuck

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Description How have you found working freelance? What are the highs and lows, the frustrations and the bonuses? I absolutely love being a freelancer.  It was a pretty daunting decision to make having been promoted in the marketing agency I was working in and having just had my first child.  It’s really difficult going from the reassurance of a monthly salary to the unknown but it’s definitely been worthwhile.  I wasn’t seeing my son awake for days at a time working for someone else and now I can drop him and his brother at school, go to sports days and school plays without feeling guilty and still work as long as I need to. It’s all about variety.  As a freelancer you get the best of both worlds – in the type of client you work with and the project you take on.  I really enjoy working with clients of all different sizes, from sole traders with whom I can develop a close one-to-one relationship to larger companies where I form part of a bigger team and can experience the dynamics this offers.   And the opportunity to work on anything from one-off brochures or websites to monthly newsletters and PR campaigns keeps it all interesting. It’s not all plain sailing.  There are inevitably going to be lean times and I’m not a natural salesperson so getting new business isn’t my favourite part of the job but the feeling you get when you do win a piece of work is just amazing.  I’ve also started going to a couple of networking groups, which I would definitely recommend.  It’s not easy being on your own all day with just you, four walls and your laptop.  You have to be really disciplined.  I find that meeting up with like-minded people who are all in the same boat keeps you sane and gives you a sense of what you are aiming for. Given the choice I would go for freelancing every time.  I know it’s not always going to be perfect and I’m not necessarily going to be rich overnight but the freedom and satisfaction you get working for yourself is well worth the occasional low point. Has being a member of Freelancers In The UK helped you? We’d like to think so but how? When I first started out on my own I registered on a few freelancing websites to see how things would go and to be honest I was a bit sceptical.  But I have to say, I’ve been with Freelancers in the UK since it began and although I’ve not necessarily won huge numbers of projects, I have had a lot of really good enquiries due to my name being found on the site and have won some great work as a result. I like the format of the site and the additional information and links you get access to.  It’s also reassuring to know that you can get in touch with them at any point and that you will get a friendly, helpful response.  This is just what you need when you are sitting on your own in your office with a thousand and one other things to think about. What are the biggest challenges for you for 2008? Apart from affording my DB7 - where do I start?  I just ended a three year contract as a PR consultant for a company in Bristol, which was feeling more and more like I was working for someone else and so now it’s almost like starting all over again.  I’ve had a great start to 2008 and so now I need to keep the momentum going and focus on generating a few more regular accounts as well as building on existing work and just getting my name out there really. What’s your favourite food and drink, and why? It has to be Italian – and everything associated with Italy.  My friends will laugh at this.  They think I am totally obsessed.  I just love the laid back lifestyle, the wonderful ingredients, the beautiful countryside and the colourful history.  I am lucky enough to have quite a few friends in Italy – in Florence, Siena and Rome – and so get to visit regularly.  In fact I get withdrawal symptoms if I don’t go often enough.  I find the Italians so friendly and welcoming and feel so relaxed when I am there I could spend my whole holiday sitting in restaurants simply eating, drinking and taking in the local colour.  I started learning Italian at university nearly 20 years ago and am doing a course in Ancient Rome at the moment.  Given the chance, I could definitely see myself living there (with my DB7 naturally!).