what's it like being freelance

Hash landed his first freelance gig by accident while he was still a student at uni. It’s seven years later now and he’s never looked back. He got some studio space from that first client in return for the odd bit of work, and through word of mouth and meeting people, he was able to build up his contact list and bring in a steady flow of work.

Hash has learnt as he’s gone along, bouncing back from mistakes to keep pushing forward. “When it comes to freelancing,” he says, “It’s a marathon, not a race.”

He’s worked on plenty of side projects during his time freelancing, including a guide for new freelancers, and he says “You’re only as good as your portfolio. Putting stuff out there that you believe in and that you want to create is so important.”

This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.

Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. 

Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.com

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

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Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

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Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

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Matthew left uni in 2009, right after the financial crash. Ready to find a way to combine his love for music and games, he started freelancing immediately, picking up small projects and commissions, getting involved with whatever he could outside of his full-time job. 

But it wasn’t until 2016, after he was made redundant, that Matthew went freelance full-time. He had plenty of good contacts and some work in the pipeline, and things snowballed from there. As his clients grew so did he, and he began picking up referrals the more he got his name out there.

He doesn’t have plans to grow his business to be any bigger than him. He simply wants to be a good craftsman, he says, and he’s very happy that he’s able to provide for his family while doing work he loves.

This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.

Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. 

Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.com

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

This week, we’re LIVE in London at IPSE’s annual event, National Freelancers Day.

Steve chats to past IPSE award winners, Iona Bain (Freelancer of the Year 2018), and Harvey Morton (Young Freelancer of the Year 2018).

Taking part in a school enterprise competition aged only 13, Harvey was given £25 to start his own company. He launched the IT Support business that’s been his side hustle throughout GCSE’s, A-Levels, and university. He now runs Harvey Morton Digital, a marketing agency based in Sheffield.

Iona Bain is the founder of Young Money, an informative blog that helps young people understand personal finance. When a piggy bank theft left a 22-year-old Iona with no savings, she committed to getting serious about money. She launched the blog as part of a portfolio career, also taking on work as a journalist, speaker, radio presenter, and consultant.

Hear how both Harvey and Iona have got on since winning last years’ awards.

This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze.
With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax.
To claim your 1-month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!*

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be?
Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Lucas says that setting up on his own was like discovering himself again. Learning to know himself, what his goals are, and how he wants to live his life.

Right now that means trying to stay balanced in the Brazilian countryside, managing the graphic design work he does for clients alongside building his illustration portfolio.

And as for the piece of advice he’d give his younger self, it’s one we haven’t heard before: “Don’t be a bad boss to yourself,” Lucas says. That’s good advice, right? But how many of us can say we follow it?

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland