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How have you found working freelance? What are the highs and lows, the frustrations and the bonuses?
OK. Being a freelancer can suck. But it’s a damn sight better than working for someone else. I was a Whitehall civil servant for 11 years, so trust me, I know what a riot being an employee can be!
The trouble can be in the name. Freelancers are actually businessmen and businesswomen. Don’t let anybody ever say: ‘Oh you’re just the freelancer/supplier/writer/photographer/journo/designer/marketing or PR person/plumber/IT guru/ bottle washer’. You’re a person who runs their own business; you’re an entrepreneur, the next big thing, a skilled professional with the balls to go it alone. You’re highly motivated, self-disciplined and have to pay the mortgage – you’re not doing it for fun. Or in my case you’re the unemployable, totally anal, antisocial geek who doesn’t give a shit about being a team player.
The Lows are:
• Getting paid on time – God, don’t start me off. But if anyone does read this I recommend Thomas Higgins Solicitors. They are an online company, massively effective and only £2-odd for an LBA. See them at: www.thomashiggins.com
• Falling out with established clients. Usually because they don’t pay on time. You know the feeling: God, they paid me £x thousand last year - eventually. I’m fucked.
• Clients who email you at 6.14pm on a Friday and say: ‘Oh please, just please, please, please, pretty please…so 9.00am Monday’s OK then?’ Yeah, yeah you git! Ruin my weekend why don’t you!
The Highs are:
• Getting paid on time. Obviously.
• Getting paid early. Oooooh getting sexy now.
• Getting paid early and by BACS. Oh God!
• Getting paid by BACS and receiving an email apology for the three day delay. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! OH YES!
Look, I’m not completely obsessed with getting paid on time. But it has a massive impact on whether I sleep at night…know the feeling? Thought so!
Has being a member of Freelancers In The UK helped you? We’d like to think so but how?
Freelancers in the UK is great. It is. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Claire ….oh… sorry, Kate…. is an inspiration. Being an older member, in at the start, I know that Kate has worked incredibly hard to build this thing. Think about the work involved. This has taken years out of her life, been an obsession. It’s a passion for her, just as our businesses define our lives, are our passion. You only need to look carefully at the site to see how much she puts into it, to differentiate it, and that’s for us, us freelance business people – so we should be fucking grateful. But we’re not. We just moan about the cost probably, stupidly – I know I did – this year and last year - but then I realised she’s above me in Google on certain keywords and that’s all that matters in my sad life!
And, before you ask, yes I have got work out of it. People and Projects is a winner! But because I’m mega-sad I was more concerned about the page-rank hike being listed with Freelancers gives me – but the work was good also!
What are the biggest challenges for you throughout 2007?
Writing about Swinefleet FC for the Marshland Messenger Parish Magazine, keeping the rats from running up my septic tank pipe into the house and biting my arse off when I sit on the bog and wallpapering my 18-year-old daughter’s bedroom. Oh…you mean work-wise? Well, my business is at that difficult stage. The one where you ditch the bottom-feeders and cultivate the larger, sexier, higher quality clients – or that’s the idea.
This would be fine but:
• I’m too soft and do too many freebies
• I can’t say ‘no’ and hate conflict
• Have an unhealthy obsession for ‘dirty’ industry and manufacturing
• Love writing
So I’m screwed.
What is your favourite food and drink, and why?
I live in the Middle of Nowhere (MoN). The MoN is great. I love it. It's ace. I recommend it. Especially to those creatives who feel pressured and surrounded. The MoN gives you a new perspective and shows you that life really isn't a competition, you don't need to compete to be liked. People will like you as you are without your intellectual and professional baggage.
Anyway. Because I’m now fair, fat and 40 and live in MoN I eat anything – rats, birds, Shetland ponies, bits of washing line, cats – though they can be difficult to run over unless you swerve and then you might hit a tractor.
On the drink side I’m fairly eclectic. Being a northerner I’m a pint person – beer – natch – but I will drink anything: wine, cider, lager, port, schnapps, aquavits (does anyone remember the Danish Bar in Manchester in the 1980s?), Talisker, Merrydown, White Lightening, meths – get the idea?!
That seems to be it. All my questions are over. It’s finished. But if anyone read all the way through, got to the end and is still reading this, then if you email me I’ll add you to my list of people to pass work on to if I don’t want it – highly recommended…so, you knew there was a reason for carrying on, didn’t you?!!!
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