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Why the new year is the perfect time to pursue your freelance career

New year, new you – isn’t that what most people say? Whether it’s starting a new healthy eating regime, taking…

Author Photo by Kingsbridge

New year, new you – isn’t that what most people say?

Whether it’s starting a new healthy eating regime, taking up an exercise class or looking for the next big job opportunity, the new year is the perfect time. You’re revived after your Christmas break and ready to tackle anything.

We don’t suggest leaving your job immediately. If you think it’s something you want to do, research into the idea properly. How feasible is it? What steps can you take in the first month of 2018 to get you where you want to be.

Making it your New Year’s resolution’ will help you figure out if working for yourself as a freelancer is the right fit for you.

Saving as much as possible before you take the plunge means you have that financial cushion should you struggle to find work for at least the first few months.

You don’t want to make the jump from a monthly salary to potentially nothing. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly. If the pros of flexibility, being your own boss and much more is appealing and perfect for your home situation, then it’s something you should definitely consider.

Don’t go into this career with rose-tinted glasses, though – there are many downfalls that come with going freelance, from unsteady money to clients failing to pay and other admin tasks you won’t have carried out before.

Some great tools and sites are listed below. Take advantage of the freelance forums and Facebook and LinkedIn groups. They can offer you a real insight into the world of freelancing so you can approach it fully-equipped!

People Per Hour

People Per Hour (PPH) is a great platform for new and seasoned freelancers alike, offering a safe environment to conduct business with a variety of clients. The platform also offers a forum section for all freelancers to ask for advice or help with projects.

Freshbooks

Facing managing your financial accounts with next to no experience can be daunting. Freshbooks makes invoicing easy. The platform can help you easily manage all client invoices and takes a weight off your mind, as well as helping with sending automatic invoices and follow-ups.

Trello

Every freelancer needs an easy way to manage all client work. With many freelancers working with multiple clients at one time, it can become instantly confusing trying to keep on top of what hours you’ve worked for which clients. Trello offers users a free to use basic platform, perfect for freelancers.

Hootsuite

Your own marketing can slip down the priority pile when you’re managing a whole host of client accounts. Keep up with your own social media with the help of the social scheduling and monitoring platform HootSuite. It’s free for three social media accounts.

If going self-employed is your next career move, don’t forget to take a look at our freelance insurance. It’s built specifically with you in mind and rolls five insurance products into one nice, neat package!

Read more about Kingsbridge and why we could be the right fit for you here.

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