How to go freelance: The skills you need to do freelance writing jobs and contract work

Want to work for yourself? Check out our guide on how to prepare
Are you thinking of becoming a freelancer?
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Edwina Langley10 May 2019

The number of people choosing freelance life has risen considerably in recent years. Indeed, a report released last year by IPSE found that of the 4.8million people registered as self-employed in the UK, 46% were highly skilled freelancers.

It's easy to see the appeal. Flexible working hours, choosing what you work on (and who you work with), being your own boss... it's the wistful 'one day...' dream of those chained to their desks on the eleventh floor doing the mundane 9-5.

But being freelance requires skills – and not just those included in the service you are offering. Freelancers need to know how to issue invoices, manage tax returns, register as self-employed – amongst other things.

If you are considering switching to self-employment, here is a short guide on what you need to know.

Touch typing

Whilst not a necessity, knowing how to touch type will undoubtedly benefit those starting out on their own. Working for yourself means a lot of correspondence and being seen as an efficient operator means getting through it all as quickly as possible. If you can touch type, so much the better!

Pitman training offer a number of touch typing courses, from Typaz Professional (for those looking for advanced skills) to the regular Typaz – work up to speeds of 20-40 words per minute – and Keyboard Speed Development, which improves pace and precision, all of which you can do online (or in a centre, if preferred).

Alternatively, you can try City Lit, the adult education centre in Holborn which offers all sorts of courses, from touch typing to computer skills for the workplace.

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How to work a CMS

Many company websites use content management systems (CMS) – web applications which facilitate content management in the digital sphere. If the freelance services you are offering involve working on websites, or if you are considering setting up a website yourself for your business, you will most likely need to learn how to use one.

CMSs differ from website to website, but broadly speaking they are user-friendly and have a number of functions in common. They're a bit like different models of smartphone: largely, they do the same things, but ever so slightly differently.

The best way to become a whizz with a CMS is through practice and usually that means learning on the job. To give yourself a head start though, there are courses you can do – like the Web Design with WordPress (CMS) Training Course at London Academy of IT – or alternatively, by going on to wordpress.org and reading the 'how to' it's entirely possible to teach yourself some basics.

What is SEO?

Continuing on from the above, if your freelance work involves online content, you will need to know about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). In a nutshell, SEO is the process of optimising digital content so as to increase traffic to a website from searches through search engines.

What this means is, using language and content in such a way that makes it easy to search for, and therefore likely to push your website up top when potential customers enter a search term related to your business into a search engine.

It's using, for instance, phrases like 'graphic designer Central London' on your website, and not 'I am a designer who creates graphics and am based in the UK's capital'. Because the former is what potential clients are more likely to look for.

There are numerous things to know about SEO; to get to grips with it, Google's SEO Starter Guide is a useful resource.

( Shridhar Gupta on Unsplash)
Shridhar Gupta on Unsplash

Issuing invoices

You might think issuing an invoice means writing out a document describing what work was done and how much money is owed. But in reality, they are a bit more detailed than that.

Yes, they need to spell out your fee. But they also need to include a unique identification number (so you will have to start a personal numbering system), your company name and address and that of the customer and an easy-to-read description of the services or goods provided plus the date of when they were delivered. Obviously the invoice itself must be dated, VAT included (if applicable) and the total amount owed, clearly indicated.

You can set your own payment terms – for instance, offer a discount for early payments, or whatever. And unless otherwise stated, the customer must pay up within 30 days of receiving your invoice or goods or services.

If they don't, you can use a statutory demand to request payment – and you have every right to charge interest too.

For all information on how to correctly invoice (and what to do when those gentle reminder emails go unnoticed) visit: gov.uk.

Sorting the dreaded tax return

"Tax doesn't have to be taxing" said that Inland Revenue ad. The problem is though, it just is. There are ways to learn how to do a tax return yourself but for ease's sake, employ an accountant and get them to do the hard graft on your behalf.

Word of mouth is usually the best way to find the right accountant, so make sure you ask around. Otherwise, you can search for options online – just make sure the person you settle on is certified or chartered.

Most importantly though, you must make sure you register as self-employed. You can do that here or alternatively, ask your accountant to do that for you too.