self employment

10 tips for happy self-employment – part 4 of 4

June 16, 2020 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Self employment is on the rise. This is a 4 part article series sharing 40 tips for happy self-employment.

Read part 1 https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/10-tips-for-happy-self-employment-part-1-of-4/

Read part 2 https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/10-tips-for-happy-self-employment-part-2-of-4/

Read part 3 https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/10-tips-for-happy-self-employment-part-3-of-4/

Design and print high quality business cards – they speak volumes about you
Networking selectively for your own specialism

3. Have a superb support system e.g. bookkeeper, proactive accountant, IT, virtual PA

4. Develop and hone efficient expedient systems, e.g. physical paper and computer file folders from the outset

5. Back date purchases before you set up your business

6. Be adaptable and open to new avenues and opportunities – learn as you go along, learn then teach to embed new learning

7. Create your own personal image – be authentic

8. Have a plan but be agile – see what clients/projects you attract

9. Set continual professional and personal development S.M.A.R.T. goals

10. Diarise time for the opposite of what you naturally are drawn to do. E.g. if you are naturally positive and think about what you HAVE done, make time to think about what you HAVEN’T done

Get in touch https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

10 tips for happy self-employment – part 3 of 4

June 16, 2020 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Self employment is on the rise. This is a 4 part article series sharing 40 tips for happy self-employment.

Read part 1 https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/10-tips-for-happy-self-employment-part-1-of-4/

Read part 2 https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/10-tips-for-happy-self-employment-part-2-of-4/

1. Follow up is key – don’t waste effort going for the ‘new shiny thing’

2. Be clear on your attitude to risk

3. Adopt smart tech to work expediently and plan IT reviews and updates

4. Create a financial ‘cushion’ for quiet times

5. Design your business and working environment around your personality type e.g. extrovert or introvert

6. Make the most of the quiet months (August/December/January) to think and plan, don’t worry that it is quiet – it is a gift!

7. Utilise the support of a Virtual PA – play to your strengths

8. Be honest with yourself – what do you really want, rather than what you think you should do?

9. Know the key words for your specialism – use Google Keyword planner

10. Define your personal brand and personal brand assets, e.g. avatar – this is increasingly important in the digital age

Get in touch https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

10 tips for happy self-employment – part 2 of 4

June 16, 2020 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Self employment is on the rise. This is a 4 part article series sharing 40 tips for happy self-employment.

Read part 1.

10 tips for happy self-employment – part 1 of 4

1. Utilise social media to create awareness free – be focused

2. Build your skills – gives you options to develop a portfolio career over time

3. Co-opetition vs collaboration – there can be a fine dividing line between people who do similar work to you being an opportunity to collaborate and being competitive

4. Protect yourself with legal docs e.g. web site terms and conditions, associate agreements etc.

5. Create case studies to demonstrate how you can help clients

6. Gain and share client testimonials

7. Design your business around your personal values – what is really important to you

8. Create a compelling verbal business card – what you answer when asked ‘what do you do?’

9. Support your clients in their roles/careers and they will support you

10. Timing is everything – monitor business and seasonal cycles which influence and affect decisions

Get in touch

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

10 tips for happy self-employment – part 1 of 4

June 16, 2020 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Self employment is on the rise. This is a 4 part article series sharing 40 tips for happy self-employment.

1. A key decision is whether you want to have your own business or be an associate of someone else’s business, or a mixture – time, money, control and self-marketing considerations of these choices

2. Use your career heritage as a springboard/foundation for change

3. Research thoroughly to ensure a robust decision

4. Have a coach, mentor and/or personal Board

5. Do things ‘just in time’ in response to client interest/trends, rather than having everything in place – let go of perfectionism

6. Make time to plan, reflect and review regularly

7. Pre-network before becoming self-employed

8. Have a clear niche/specialism that you love

9. Choose the right not wrong associates – do due diligence re referrers – many have established referrer relationships already – don’t waste your time with the wrong ones

10. Think ‘out of the box’ with your marketing and networking. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money

How can we help you? Get in touch:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Simon Strong’s portfolio career #3

May 4, 2015 By // by DigitalJenIPC

This is the third in a series of 6 blog posts by Simon Strong about his portfolio career. Reading how people have created their own portfolio career can be useful to inspire you to create one yourself.

In case you missed them, here is part 1:

https://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2015/04/11/simon-strongs-portfolio-career-1/

Here is part 2:

https://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/simon-strongs-portfolio-career-2/

The rest of this blog is in Simon’s own words.

How did your portfolio career come about?

It certainly wasn’t intentional. In part it came about because I find it hard to say no. In part because I’m always having daft ideas (my outdoor cinema for the football world cup was an unmitigated disaster!). And partly because I started to give myself permission to do things if I thought they were interesting.

How has your portfolio career changed over time?

It started with a business focus underpinned by the arts. I left advertising and got involved in using improvisational comedy as a tool to facilitate creativity, professional development, culture change, and branding workshops. I discovered there was this world of amazing people who did extraordinary business work: horse whisperers who did leadership development, a poker player who taught risk assessment and decision making, a Tai Chi master who taught negotiation skills etc.

For a short time I drifted away from a business focus to a more arts based interest with a business underpinning, partly due to the impact of the recession when the budgets dried up and companies found it difficult to justify working with someone like me!

I have now come back towards the business world and seem to be finding a way to combine my interests in really productive ways. I feel creatively potent and productive at the moment.

When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ – what do you reply?

Ummmmm…

My mum is really happy about the coffee shop – it means that she actually has an answer! But it is something that I have struggled with and angst over. Probably unnecessarily. It has been especially difficult at networking events when I think I should have something smart and concise to say.

Really, it depends who asks. Sometimes I say I am a barista or that I run a coffee shop or cafe. Other times I say I run a creative consultancy. Mostly I laugh and say I do stuff, for people, for reasons!

Part 4 of Simon’s 6 part guest blog series coming soon.

View Simon Strong’s LinkedIn profile:
http://https//uk.linkedin.com/in/simonstrong

View the Human Zoo web site:
http://www.humanzoo.biz/

What could your portfolio career be made up of? Find out what your transferable skills are by downloading our free report:
http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

The joy of freelance – a personal story

March 11, 2015 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I can still remember the heady excitement of becoming self-employed over 17 years ago. I had planned it for 6 months, the market was ripe and I was ready.

I have always been independent, the no 2 child of 4, my Dad was self-employed, my Mum worked from home most of the time, so it felt like she was self-employed. I detested politics and ‘playing the game’. I didn’t and wouldn’t, it felt fake and realness and authenticity are important to me.

My career heritage is in marketing and brand strategy and communication, useful in marketing myself, and something I now help my clients with. I had researched the market thoroughly and knew that there was a shortage of strategic planners due to a combination of lack of training and recruitment in the late 80s/early 90s downturn and more communication agencies wanting to get bigger higher value strategic projects from clients.

I has also set up a database of contacts in Excel, my Mum created my first logo on her computer, I had saved a financial cushion of 6 months’ money to cover bills and I had low outgoings as I rented a room in my sister’s flat.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” I told myself. “You can always go back into full time employment.”

I especially enjoyed thinking through the strategic options for my business and what to call it, something I ended up doing a lot for clients as a freelancer. All the company names I liked and wanted were taken and I felt like I was going down a cul de sac with this important issue to sort.

Then one day, I was reading a document and this word jumped out at me: ‘Energise’. That was it. I then did an exercise with a career coach which helped me identify what motivated me and then distilled this down to ‘energising connector’. This later evolved into my personal brand ‘Talent Liberator’. I use this exercise with my clients today.

I crafted a letter and posted it to my database. I can still remember the joy, the relief, coming back home 2 days after mailing the letters to see my answer phone red light flashing. Not flashing a little, but flashing a lot; 18 red flashes in fact. I had not even done any follow up calls to the letter, and they were chasing me, wanting to speak and meet! It was going to be alright. Woo hoo! That moment, sending out my first invoice and being paid for being me and what I offered were wonderful moments that made all the hard work worthwhile.

The only thing I missed about being employed was my company car and the IT help line! Life as an independent contractor and being self-employed isn’t for everyone, but it does give you freedom, choice and the opportunity to control and influence your own future. That, for me, an independent spirit, is priceless.

3 ways we help our clients.

• Defining your personal brand – this is vital with more competition and a growing trend
• Crafting a compelling CV which helps you stand out and be noticed – we have 35 years’ experience doing this
• Self-awareness to maximise the fulfilment from your work

Read our client testimonials:
http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/energise-client-testimonials/

View our LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/energiseliberateyourtalent

Discover your transferable skills with our free report:
http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

10 tips for happy self-employment: part 3

September 28, 2012 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Here is part 3 – tips for self-employment based on our fourteen years of self-employment.

Have a distinctive niche/personal brand
Make time for sales
Structure your diary
Believe in yourself
Be flexible – have a plan A, B and C
Plan ahead but be present
Take your ‘work head’ off at the end of each day
Make time for holidays
Plan tasks to match your energy
Have a financial cushion

What would you add? If you are thinking about self-employment, let us know if we can help.

Are you completely unemployable?

May 1, 2012 By // by DigitalJenIPC

I am completely unemployable. I have been self employed for over 14 years. When I left employment, the only thing I missed was the IT helpline, my company car and the salary. I still remember the excitement of getting my first invoice paid! My Mum designed my first logo, my office was my bedroom and I didn’t have any business cards for the first 2 years, just a freelance-focused CV.

Are you considering self employment or do you know someone who is? Perhaps you are finding the current jobs market frustrating and challenging.

Employment no longer provides the security or certainty it once did. The world of work is never going to return to what it was, pre-credit crunch, and many mature workers will need/want to earn for longer before retiring. Many people have misperceptions about self employment, so don’t consider it as an option. In the UK, over million people are now self employed (Source ONS).

Self employment isn’t for everyone, and if structure, hierarchy, belonging, financial security and teamwork are important to you, it may be your idea of hell! For many, redundancy provides a push and financial cushion to try self employment.

What are the pros & cons?

Pros: what you put in you get out; design to suit you; freedom, choice & flexibility; no politics; tailor to your values, needs, wants and strengths.

Cons: less certainty of income; need to market yourself which many hate; multi tasking – being cleaner, project manager, new business person all yourself; funding your own training, holidays, sickness and pension; long hours especially at the beginning.

What types are there?

There are lots of different types with varying degrees of security/need to market yourself, including; freelance; contracting; interim; creating a business & building a brand by yourself or with others; buying a franchise; a home based internet business; part of a portfolio career; information marketing and being an associate for someone else’s business.

We have made sure we have updated our skills, experience and knowledge to be useful to help our clients in the fast changing world of work. In the self employment sector, we help our clients:

Set up a business for the first time
Reposition an existing business
Existing business owner changing direction
Become a freelance/contractor, define a personal brand and market themselves

We LOVE helping people become self employed because it utilises all of our skills. It is really satisfying helping people to believe in their talents, increase in confidence and overcome blocks they have about marketing themselves, especially in a downturn.

5 Common mistakes

Mistake 1): You don’t check whether it fits your values, needs and wants and make a hasty decision e.g. setting up a business with the wrong people for you. Solution: evaluate your options with a career coach and ensure your decision fits you and will give you what you want/need.

Mistake 2): You try to do everything yourself rather than playing to your strengths. Solution: Be realistic; get good support – people you trust e.g. a virtual PA; do skill swaps to save money.

Mistake 3): You focus too much on earning rather than creating and evolving your strategy and plan. Solution; block out time in your diary and do planning away from your usual work base and get a business mentor as a sounding board to help you get your niche right and stay on track.

Mistake 4): You dislike marketing yourself and don’t continually evolve your strategy, so sabotage your own success. Solution: Get a marketing mentor and explore your blocks about marketing. This is one of our specialisms – we do talks and articles about ‘blowing your own trumpet’ as well as coaching.

Mistake 5): You focus on the short term instead of longer term to create a sustainable success. Solution: Save a fixed amount of your income to fund training, holidays, pensions, sickness and quiet periods; get a coach/mentor and block out time regularly to review, reflect, plan and refocus.

If you are considering self employment or know someone who is, you might like to read about some of the clients we have helped to change career and become self employed. Click on this link:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786138562.html

If you are pondering self employment, why not get in touch? Rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

Pondering Becoming Self-Employed? Part 2.

January 11, 2012 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Here is part 2 – more top tips to help you from members of The Chartered Institute of Marketing. (CIM)

“I would focus on the vision and proposition of your business first and then optimize your network, and use your contacts to get referrals/introductions, generate word of mouth and help create awareness and interest in your business. You should never underestimate the power of networking as a marketing tool.”

“Do not venture out on your own if you don’t have active customers/clients in hand and then build from there. For a small start up, word of mouth marketing is probably the soundest way to go.”

“Work out what knowledge you have that a group of people (your potential customers) are willing to pay for, collate contact data on the group so you can reach them, and then ask them how they would like to hear about what you have to offer. The above is much harder than it sounds. Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets has excellent advice on how to do this http://clientmagnets.com/ She has helped me enormously over the last couple of years.”

“Develop a thick skin too. That need not be as painful as it sounds. Also, obtain testimonials – be direct and ask for them if necessary – particularly if you’re offering a service and if that service is yourself!”

“Very few people get the success right first time but if you do a bit of research into what you think are your segments, talk to key stakeholders in those markets, create a ‘niche’ for yourself and do a 2-3 year marketing plan as identified above covering – external environment P.E.S.T.E.L., the specific market you are going to be trading in, your products/services, S.W.O.T. analysis, are you going to have the capital to sustain the business given the difficult economic challenges you face and a contingency plan if things start to go pear-shape? It’s not easy to go out there and crack it but you really need to ‘market’ yourself and your products well. Get out and talk to people, network, fish around in the small ponds to get known and established. Most of all, believe in yourself and your products – even when things don’t seem to be going right!”

“Be creative, follow your instincts and have fun with it. You are allowed. Everything else is a process and sensible.”

“You can sub-contract much of the marketing – even get people to help you with strategy.”

“The one thing you MUST DO yourself is take total responsibility for SALES.
It doesn’t matter if you employ a sales manager (or even director) get good at sales.”

“The hardest thing is to employ yourself, anticipate the staff you will need and start setting out the culture of your organisation drawing up job & people specifications as you are actually doing the job.“

“BRAND the business. Plan it based on future expectations.”

Source = Chartered Institute of Marketing LinkedIn group January 2012

Here are some client examples of people who we have helped become self- employed.

Becoming self-employed as a working mum:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106769308248.html

Evolving a business with changing market conditions:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106770475879.html

Turning a passion into a business:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106787631322.html

Self-employment in your 50s:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106768912605.html

Why are we useful to help people become self-employed?

Background in marketing, brand strategy and communication; design, innovation and advertising
Helping people to ‘blow their own trumpet’ is a specality – we have published articles and done events on this topic
Good at coming up with insights and ideas to help you achieve results fast
We have been self employed for 14 years including doing contracts, freelance and marketing a service
Certified coach so help you focus and overcome actual and perceived blocks
Lots of practical tools and tips giving you more for your investment; 60 articles, 40 career guides and Energise bulletins on Self Promotion, Career Strategies and Smart living and working topics
Great connector of people and resources to save you time
Energise ‘Marketing what I do’ on-line prgramme, e mail us for details:

rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

Click here for details of our service setting up your own business:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=37

Thanks!

Rachel