All the things you need to consider before going freelance

On the surface, working freelance is fantastic – you have the freedom of working how you want, when you want and where you want. You don’t have to be subjected to that annoying coworker who talks too much and you cancel out the stress and expense of a long commute.

But with every positive situation comes potential negatives – and that’s certainly true of remote, independent working. With this in mind we asked the team at WorkSpott, which creates co-working spaces around London for independent workers, entrepreneurs or start-ups, to give us a run-down of the issues you may face in a freelance position, and how best to tackle them.

Working for yourself is great — until you realise you haven’t spoken to a human being in a month. Trying out co-working spaces from time to time means you’re socialising more while doing your job, which can be a big help.

If you can do your job using a laptop from your bed in your pyjamas, then you probably will. Which sounds perfect, until you realise you haven’t showered in two days. Trying to do your work in a public place rather than at home will help encourage you to get dressed and have more of a healthy routine.

Depending on the client, it may be the case that you don’t know when the work is going to come in, or how much of it. If you have a client who isn’t providing as much as you need, consider taking on more clients to fill the gaps, or taking on one completely new client who might be more dependable when it comes to work. Choose work which suits your needs.

Working freelance means that, when you’re not working, you feel like you’re losing money. There’s always “just one more before I go to bed”. Setting up deadlines and time slots for your work means you can have more of a structured routine. Planning on working only until 5pm every day, for example, means you know when work stops and down-time comes in.

It’s common with freelance work to not be paid the rate you believe your work to be worth. To avoid this, set up-front fees which you can advertise on your website or can outline in a job application, so the client knows your minimum rate. Only accept jobs which pay enough, otherwise you will suffer in the long run.

Looking for more expert advice? We asked successful entrepreneurs what they wish they’d known when starting out…