How do you begin? - Freelance UK Forums

Witch · 07-25-2007, 12:06 PM

I started working for a Defence Journal a couple of months ago but have yet to sign a contract or get paid. The boss was urging me to go freelance and this is actually something I would prefer because I have other ideas on how to expand into my own business.

The trouble is... I have absolutely no idea how or where to start

What are the legal positions?

How do you make NI/Tax contributions?

Do I need to register my own business?

or can I work as a freelance self employed until I get enough contracts to expand into my own business?

etc.

The trouble is that I know that my current work would be one of my clients but at the same time the pay is not going to be fantastic. I see my current situation as a stepping stone for other ideas but first need to get onto the first rung of the ladder.

Any advice and help would be most appreciative in getting started as a freelance writer.

lailapages · 08-07-2007, 10:17 PM

Firstly, do not enter into in a job if you expect to get paid without nailing the details down first.
That is the bad bit out of the way. I think it is great that you have the guts to go out and get this type of work but don't do work on the never never.
Always state your price, you are offering a service and your contractor would not ask you to do the work if there was nothing in it for them.
The reason why the guy wants you to go freelance is because he doesn't have to put you on the books - meaning that he doesn't have to contribute to your NI or sickness benefit. If this is ok with you, which is a good idea if you want to build your own business - then you have to act like a business. Set down payment terms, ie payment must be made for work in X amount of days. Chase your money and don't let them make you feel like a novice, you have provided good work right?
As for the business side of things, you have 3 months from starting a business to register it with the Inland Revenue, if you go outside of this it could cost you £100. They will send you a bill for your NI and you can complete a tax return in April.
As a freelancer, you are your business so make sure that you cover yourself with tax and legal issues.
In my experience, sometimes the less paid work leads onto huge jobs - listen to your heart and good luck.

Gonzo · 08-12-2007, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Witch

I started working for a Defence Journal a couple of months ago but have yet to sign a contract or get paid. The boss was urging me to go freelance and this is actually something I would prefer because I have other ideas on how to expand into my own business.

The trouble is... I have absolutely no idea how or where to start

What are the legal positions?

How do you make NI/Tax contributions?

Do I need to register my own business?

or can I work as a freelance self employed until I get enough contracts to expand into my own business?

etc.

The trouble is that I know that my current work would be one of my clients but at the same time the pay is not going to be fantastic. I see my current situation as a stepping stone for other ideas but first need to get onto the first rung of the ladder.

Any advice and help would be most appreciative in getting started as a freelance writer.

I can't help with the writing side, but on the business side I think that if you are freelance you will need the help of a good accountant. On the one hand they will make sure that you do everything properly on the taxation side, on the other hand they will be able to advise you to make sure that you do not pay more tax than you have to.

As a freelancer you wont be so much "getting paid" as invoicing for work done so you will need to start thinking like a business. It is a big transition to make but vey few regret it in my experience.

Martin · 10-27-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Witch

I started working for a Defence Journal a couple of months ago but have yet to sign a contract or get paid...

WHY?

By the way, just because you have not been issued a contract does not mean that you do not have a contract. The government automatically imposes a set minimum contract in such cases.

And why haven't you been paid yet if you are working there? What work have you done?

SharpClause · 11-05-2007, 12:53 AM

My antennae are waggling too, at your not having been paid for a couple of months.

In this situation, and in any other, whether you're registered freelance or not, it's a good idea to document everything that you're asked to do in a summary. Update it each time there's a development in the brief. That way, when you do submit your invoice (which you will very shortly I hope!) you can add on the summary of work which will show exactly what you've done and when you've done it, and you can add in the dates at which you invoice them and for how much, as you go on, so that you have an ongoing record. It's organised and helps you and them to keep a track of things.

My suggestion would be to do this summary now, and suggest to them that they make an interim payment based on the work you have done so far. Don't undersell yourself.

I'd also suggest, once you've registered yourself as self-employed, that you get in touch with your local Tax Office.They run free courses for people starting up on their own, and will go through the whole thing with you and will offer ongoing help once you've done the course. They will also help you decide whether or not you need accountancy help or whether in these early stages this is something you can manage yourself - it's ever so easy to do the tax forms once you know how. But that's a choice you can make.

As far as the writing is concerned, you say you have other ideas for expanding your business but don't know where to start .. do you mean you know what sort of writing you want to do but don't yet know how to go about doing it? Are you open to what comes or are you wanting to specialise? There are plenty of ways of finding freelance writing work - some are quick-off-the-mark bid sites like Elance to get some quick money in (the fees are generally lower than for work you source yourself, so I wouldn't throw all my energy into that) and others will take a bit longer by contacting webmasters, or magazines, or good old fashioned footslogging (or emailslogging!) to get your name out there, but the fees will be higher.

Give us an idea of what your writing plans are so we can dig up some more specific suggestions

07-25-2007, 12:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Witch New Poster Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northumberland, UK Posts: 1	How do you begin? I started working for a Defence Journal a couple of months ago but have yet to sign a contract or get paid. The boss was urging me to go freelance and this is actually something I would prefer because I have other ideas on how to expand into my own business. The trouble is... I have absolutely no idea how or where to start What are the legal positions? How do you make NI/Tax contributions? Do I need to register my own business? or can I work as a freelance self employed until I get enough contracts to expand into my own business? etc. The trouble is that I know that my current work would be one of my clients but at the same time the pay is not going to be fantastic. I see my current situation as a stepping stone for other ideas but first need to get onto the first rung of the ladder. Any advice and help would be most appreciative in getting started as a freelance writer.

08-07-2007, 10:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
lailapages New Poster Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2	Get yourself known Firstly, do not enter into in a job if you expect to get paid without nailing the details down first. That is the bad bit out of the way. I think it is great that you have the guts to go out and get this type of work but don't do work on the never never. Always state your price, you are offering a service and your contractor would not ask you to do the work if there was nothing in it for them. The reason why the guy wants you to go freelance is because he doesn't have to put you on the books - meaning that he doesn't have to contribute to your NI or sickness benefit. If this is ok with you, which is a good idea if you want to build your own business - then you have to act like a business. Set down payment terms, ie payment must be made for work in X amount of days. Chase your money and don't let them make you feel like a novice, you have provided good work right? As for the business side of things, you have 3 months from starting a business to register it with the Inland Revenue, if you go outside of this it could cost you £100. They will send you a bill for your NI and you can complete a tax return in April. As a freelancer, you are your business so make sure that you cover yourself with tax and legal issues. In my experience, sometimes the less paid work leads onto huge jobs - listen to your heart and good luck.

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11-05-2007, 12:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
SharpClause Regular Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: West Highlands of Scotland Posts: 47	My antennae are waggling too, at your not having been paid for a couple of months. In this situation, and in any other, whether you're registered freelance or not, it's a good idea to document everything that you're asked to do in a summary. Update it each time there's a development in the brief. That way, when you do submit your invoice (which you will very shortly I hope!) you can add on the summary of work which will show exactly what you've done and when you've done it, and you can add in the dates at which you invoice them and for how much, as you go on, so that you have an ongoing record. It's organised and helps you and them to keep a track of things. My suggestion would be to do this summary now, and suggest to them that they make an interim payment based on the work you have done so far. Don't undersell yourself. I'd also suggest, once you've registered yourself as self-employed, that you get in touch with your local Tax Office.They run free courses for people starting up on their own, and will go through the whole thing with you and will offer ongoing help once you've done the course. They will also help you decide whether or not you need accountancy help or whether in these early stages this is something you can manage yourself - it's ever so easy to do the tax forms once you know how. But that's a choice you can make. As far as the writing is concerned, you say you have other ideas for expanding your business but don't know where to start .. do you mean you know what sort of writing you want to do but don't yet know how to go about doing it? Are you open to what comes or are you wanting to specialise? There are plenty of ways of finding freelance writing work - some are quick-off-the-mark bid sites like Elance to get some quick money in (the fees are generally lower than for work you source yourself, so I wouldn't throw all my energy into that) and others will take a bit longer by contacting webmasters, or magazines, or good old fashioned footslogging (or emailslogging!) to get your name out there, but the fees will be higher. Give us an idea of what your writing plans are so we can dig up some more specific suggestions