5 Things Every Freelancer MUST Know
By Matthew Ward, Founder and Director14 June 2021
Freelancing, contracting, self-employment, whatever you call it, means working for yourself rather than as someone's employee. It's an increasingly common path, though self-employed people still tend to skew older than employees on average, which suggests plenty of younger marketers are missing out on opportunities that are genuinely there. If you're thinking about taking the leap, here's what's worth knowing first.
Freelancing comes with real responsibilities around tax, client relationships and staying organised that an employee never has to think about, and getting ahead of them early makes the transition far smoother.
Set money aside for tax from day one
Getting paid as a freelancer works completely differently to being on payroll. You're responsible for invoicing clients and handling your own tax, which an employer would otherwise take care of. Setting aside around a fifth of everything you earn in a separate account means the self-assessment bill in the spring is already covered rather than a nasty surprise.
Understand your employment status if you have one client
Working with a single client isn't a problem if you're actively building toward more. But if you only work for one company long-term with no intention of taking on others, that's worth flagging to them directly. Misclassifying someone as a contractor when they're functionally an employee creates real legal exposure for both sides, so it's better raised early than left ambiguous.
Stay organised from the start
Keeping a clear record of what you earn, what you've set aside for tax, and your business expenses makes the self-assessment process far less painful. If you work with an accountant, logging which days you worked for which client gives them a much clearer picture to work from.
Never stop networking
It's tempting to ease off on networking once you're busy, but that's exactly when it matters most. Staying visible, posting on LinkedIn, attending events, meeting new people, means work keeps coming even after your current projects wrap up. It's also worth getting to know other freelancers in your field. Turning down work you can't take on is a natural moment to refer a trusted freelancer instead, and that kind of goodwill tends to come back around.
Keep your portfolio current
A digital portfolio is a working document, not something you build once and forget. Whether you're actively pitching or fully booked, keeping it updated means potential clients already understand your work before you ever speak to them.
If you've recently graduated and you're weighing up freelancing, our honest advice is to give it a genuine try. Even if it's not permanent, the experience builds skills, time management, organisation, client communication, that carry over into any career path. If you'd like to talk it through, get in touch. For more on what the path can actually look like, see freelancing for marketing graduates.
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