HOW TO BEGIN FREELANCING IN UK
You might have a lot of reasons why you are interested in being a freelancer such as, you want more freedom of movement and opportunity, or because you want to have autonomy over yourself and your work, or you just don’t like the hours of regular work. Either way, freelancing has advantages that people are attracted to that fit in with life choices. In this article, we will not be discussing the pros and cons of the gig economy. Instead, we will simply offer some tips on how to get started. We gathered three basic guides to help you start freelancing in the UK.
3 basic steps to kick start a freelancing career
Identify what you offer – as a self-employed professional, marketing and sales is important. You must know and inform others what kind of business services you offer. You should be very clear about your business model, who you work with, what you do, and how you do it. People want a fast service and want to know that you are the right person for the job as quickly as possible.
Register as self-employed – when you were a full-time employee, you probably didn’t spend much time worrying about the HMRC and your taxes and benefits. If you begin freelancing all that is going to change. Tax works differently when you are full-time. As a freelancer, you need to actively pay your tax rather than being used to the old way where tax is deducted out of your salary by your employer.
Decide where you will work – not all freelancers have the same set-up. The stereotype where freelancers are expected to work in coffee shops is seldom a reality. Actually, there are three options on where to work as a freelancer: either you work from home or you rent an office space, or you look into Hot Desking or Co-Working spaces.
