Are you focused and motivated, with sufficient flexibility to respond to circumstances? Throw in self-confidence and a disciplined approach and you could have the qualities needed to survive and thrive as a freelancer. In the creative industries, freelancing is far from rare, with over 101,000 freelancers across the sector, of which 45 per cent work in the arts. But before you take that first step, there’s a whole host of things you need to be aware of.
Assess your products and markets
Freelancers frequently start off as sole traders, although other options exist (eg, partnerships, co-operatives). You need to decide at what level you’re going in and what you’re going to offer. What are your products or services? What do you want to achieve? And most importantly, what’s your market – what is the demand and who are your competitors?
