Finding my Freelance Style

How to work from home and make money from your blog or through your self-employed side-hustle, with top tips and free online resources for freelancers.

Last month, I left my job at an art gallery to go freelance full time, after 'side hustling' for about 2 years. It can feel like a big jump to quit the day job and become self-employed, but as I took the transition slowly, I've been able to learn from my (many) mistakes along the way. So, I thought I'd write up a quick blog post with my top tips on making freelancing work for your lifestyle, inspired by my current favourite read, The Multi Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon.

With a little help from some online gurus (see below for my favourite resources for freelancers), I have been able to find a style and routine that works for me.

I am primarily a digital marketer, so my work for any freelance clients I get involved all things online, including social media management, blogging, and journalism, website development, press and PR, events and collaborations. This means that 99.9% of my work is behind a laptop screen, on my own. But I have learned that there is a limit to your productivity when you are holed up at a desk all day, and in order to motivate yourself, you need to take your work to new locations and environments, new people, and above all, take breaks when you need to.

I've also learned more about finances, as it can be complex when you're self-employed and have multiple income streams, so I've had to take things like late invoice payments and contracts a lot more seriously. I have also come to realise that being your own boss is damn hard, and you need to be a very determined and enthusiastic person to thrive without direct accountability, so it's important to be passionate about your work so that it doesn't become something you can resent.

Are you just starting out on your self-employed journey? Here are some fab free resources for freelancers to connect with!

Easy as VAT podcast

Blog & Beyond facebook group

Freelancer by Contently

The Hard Refresh by Skillcrush

And here are some fab blog posts from fellow Scottish Bloggers with key advice on how to make money working for yourself:

Colours & Carousels: Is Blogging Full-Time Really the Dream? Elevator Musik: The Pros and Cons of being Self-Employed Forever Yours Betty: What I've Learned After 2 Years of Working Freelance Forever Amber: I Make A Full-Time Income By Writing This Blog – And I Wrote A Book Explaining How I Do It…

Finally, here are my favourite ways to find jobs, products, and clients as a freelancer:

The Dots - I recently starting using The Dots as a way to explore vacancies for remote roles- it is specifically targetted towards creative and digital roles so it's great if, like me, you are interested in fashion, marketing, design, and media.
Linkedin - Linkedin is such an underrated network for not only finding and applying for opportunities, but connecting with those who work in your industry, and both communicating and collaborating with them, and learning from their career paths.
Twitter and Instagram - More often than you think, successful people are willing to share their success, or the so-called secrets of their success, with people who are self-aware and confident enough to ask for it. Twitter and Instagram DMs are great ways to reach out to those who inspire you and ask for advice, and also find contact details for potential clients to pitch yourself and your work to.
Networking and Word of Mouth - Despite all the technology we are lucky enough to have at our fingertips, face-to-face interactions are the best way to connect with people, hands down. Open yourself up to events and meetings, and don't be afraid to make the first move bringing an email chat into real life.