How to build your career as a freelancer:

This November is National Freelancers Week in the UK, which felt like a perfect time to reflect on my personal journey since leaving the corporate world in 2016 and founding my business as a Career Coach and speaker. If you have ever considered going it alone, read on for nine things I have learned over the last seven years.

By Ellie Rich-Poole

@ellierichpoolecoaching

I never planned to set up my own business. I was always a corporate animal. I worked hard and played hard, had great friends at work and prioritised it over most things. At the start of my career in the retail industry, I moved house 12 times in 13 years because in those days you went where the business needed you.

In 2013, I became a parent and life changed. Suddenly, there were a whole lot of other practical considerations, and I was no longer able to work the hours I felt I needed to, to be great at my job as a Fee-earning Consultant (even with our nanny that arrived at 7 am each day). I was stressed and losing sight of what mattered most. Something had to give. In 2016, I resigned. I never looked back. 

Since 2016, I have been running my own business. I help leaders land their perfect job and be brilliant in it. I am a Career Coach and speaker. I manage my own time and choose who to work with (and not). It’s been the best move for me at this stage in my life, and I know many others who have made a success of it. But it’s not for everyone.

Here are nine things I have learned from the experience:

1. Recognise when it’s time for a change. Be honest with yourself if your current work is no longer serving you. Work out why. Don’t just keep plodding on if you are miserable: life’s too short.

2. Clarify what is important to you in the next phase. Is it something completely different – a career change? Or something similar in a different place? Or perhaps working on a contract basis? There are so many different ways to work.

3. Be open with your professional network. When I confided in one of my best clients that I was leaving, she was hugely supportive and offered me some project work. If I hadn’t been brave and willing to be vulnerable, that opportunity may not have arisen.

4. Prioritise what matters most. Don’t over-invest time in things like a website/logo/ brand before you start (unless they are vital for your line of work). As a Consultant, I used my network and LinkedIn for the first three years. My branding and website followed when I had a track record and was clear on what I wanted to focus on.

5. Relationships are everything – invest in them. I always say to my clients, don’t wait until you need an external network before building one. This applies to whatever walk of life you are in.

6. Ask for help from people who’ve been there. One of my contacts who’d set up her business a few years previously was so kind and generous with her time (thanks Naomi!). We had a call, and she shared tips on how to set up a company and all the other essentials like insurance and a business bank account. Pay it forward, though, and help people when you are the experienced one.

7. Keep learning. I have invested time and money as I have gone along in a range of professional qualifications and development, including social media management, coaching, and some psychometric tools. Every year I put some of my profit back into me and my development.

8. Let your business evolve. It’s natural. I started doing Consultancy projects in recruitment and talent, then added Coaching to the mix. Today I do Coaching, Development and Speaking engagements. For me, the path has emerged as I have stayed open to opportunities and focused on the things I love doing, rather than just anything I could earn money from. That’s a big difference. Own your path and be willing to say no to the wrong things.

9. Talk (and write!) about your work. One of the biggest mistakes people make is expecting others to know what they do and give them business. They won’t. You have to get out there and market yourself consistently and proactively on social media, creating content, showing up at events and connecting with others. If this is a showstopper for you, there is a chance freelancing isn’t for you, because ultimately you have to sell your wares.

10. Balance Passion and Professionalism. It’s been said that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. This isn’t strictly true. However, if you manage to work as a freelancer in a field you love, it’ll feel less like a job and more like fun. That said, you still have to balance what’s more profitable for your business, considering the less fun side of thing like the administration of your expenses, saving receipts and looking for ways to maximise your income and minimise your taxes end of the year, when possible.
This can feel even more daunting if you work in a creative field, like graphic design, photography, or as a tattoo artist, that can feel so independent from the admin side of things. But you’ll still want to keep things organize in your business and keep account when buying your creative tools like your camera, laptop, tattoo transfer paper, ink, brushes, depending on the job.

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For me, it has been life-changing, and I can’t imagine going back to an employed role. I have been able to live and work in Chile and Singapore as well as London, and I am more balanced and happy. 

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About the author

Ellie has lived and worked in the UK, Germany, Chile and Singapore and enjoys supporting globally-minded individuals and organisations and making new friends. Wherever she is in the world she is always on the quest for a perfect cup of builders’ tea, hailing originally from Yorkshire.

Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellierichpoole/ 

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