Freelancers flying high: Six tips for successful self-employment
Posted: Fri 5th Jul 2019
Fiverr, the online marketplace for freelance services, took to the skies above London this week and opened a workspace in a pod in the London Eye.
Enterprise Nation went along to meet Andrew Wray, Fiverr's UK country manager, to discuss the company's latest research and his advice for freelancers.
How many Brits are considering freelancing?
There is no denying that the world of work is changing dramatically and our research states that 67% are thinking about quitting their jobs to go freelance. This new generation of workers are already benefiting from, or considering, the freedom and autonomy that freelancing presents.
The Office for National Statistics says the number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3m in 2001 to 4.9m in 2019.
What are the reasons for the self-employment spike?
Our research findings highlight that those who want to work for themselves cite the following to be the three top reasons for going it alone:
flexible hours - 74%
being their own boss - 64%
working wherever they want - 58%
What's your advice for people considering freelancing?
Don't quit the day job - yet
We recommend to think about the right time to make that transition. Our data shows that nearly half of full time workers (43%) have a 'side hustle' to help make extra income on top of their main job.
Many of these people will have the ambition to work 100% freelance but are working evenings and weekends to build up their skills, portfolio and client base to give them the confidence before they go at it full time.
Find your niche
The more you can promote your specialist skills, the easier you'll be able to attract clients. You can then have a more targeted approach in marketing yourself to an audience that requires your particular skillset.
Being a jack of all trades doesn't always help you cut through the noise and stand out from the crowd on an online marketplace.
Find a flow of work beyond friends and family
To be a successful freelancer, you need to be able to secure clients that gives you sustainable long term work.
Using an enabler like Fiverr will bring traffic to your services, increase your profile and also takes out the hard work out of processing payments and chasing invoices.
If you need advice on how to price correctly or ways to optimise your online profiles, check out Learn from Fiverr, which includes practical 'how to' tips and online courses.
What insights are you seeing around workspace?
More than three quarters (77%) of those questioned in our research preferred to work away from the office given the chance. From those who want to work for themselves, 'working wherever I want' (58%) was given as a top reason to do so.
The data also revealed that a new generation of millennial workers are shunning the traditional nine to five with eight in 10 millennials (25 to 34-year-olds) saying they prefer not to work in the office.
Sophie Robinson, an interior designer who transformed the London Eye pod into a colourful and futuristic workspace for freelancers, also shared advice.
How can home workers create a conducive working environment?
Get a connection to the outside
There are many benefits to being outside, include memory improvements and lowering your blood pressure. If you're not able to position your desk in front of a window, think about how to bring nature in to your office for example with plants and wall photography.
Recognise that you need a quality workspace
We spend a considerable proportion of our daily lives working, so your office should really look as beautiful as other areas of your home.
Recognise that a home office needs to make you feel comfortable as this will aid work flow, so don't be shy to splash out with colour or invest in a good quality chair!
Create an engaging environment
Your working environment has a real impact on productivity and morale. Mood boards are fantastic ways to get your creative juices flowing and help you work towards your business goals.
Images are more impactful than words, so ensure your board includes lots of visual aids to reflect where you want to take your business.
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