Lots of businesses are feeling the pinch at the moment. Unfortunately, this can have a knock-on effect on the freelancers that work for them too. Freelancers might have projects cancelled or postponed, or might find that they’re being asked to accept lower rates than usual. Finding freelance clients in this kind of market might seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be this way. 

Below we’ve set out a few things that you should think about to ensure you don’t need to compromise your own worth (and the amount you’re being paid) in these potentially tough times. 

• Make sure your digital channels are up to scratch 
• Finding freelance clients via online networking  
• Set your terms early on 
• Finding freelance clients via recruiters 
• Working for free 

Make sure your digital channels are up to scratch 

You probably don’t need us to tell you this, but it’s vital that your website, online portfolios and social media channels are up-to-date and include all your recent work if you’re going to attract the kind of clients that you want. Here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself: 

• Have I included my most recent projects on my LinkedIn profile, on my website, and in my online portfolios? 
• Could I ask for more recommendations or testimonials from colleagues or friends? 
• Do my social channels still display the message that I want to portray? 
• If I have a business or a limited company, is everything up to date with my current branding?

If you’ve got some down time between jobs and whilst you’re waiting for work to come in or for people to get back to you, this can be a perfect time to get these essential aspects of your marketing up-to-date. 

Finding freelance clients via online networking  

Even though networking takes time (and sometimes money), it’s the most valuable marketing you can do. Here are a few ways that you can keep your foot in the door and make sure your name and services stay in people’s minds:

• Be part of the conversation online: make sure you have an opinion on current debates within your industry, and that you’re available to offer interesting points of view on trending topics. A viral retweet is worth a lot in our incredibly social economy!
• Join virtual networking events: these might be for freelancers in your local area, or within your specific industry. Search online, and make sure you contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way once you’re there. You’ll find that there are more virtual industry events than you’d expect!
• Reach out to old clients: this might be as simple as a quick email to see what they’re working on, how their business is going, and whether they need any extra help. If they haven’t got business for you, they’ll appreciate your efforts to stay in touch. They might, though – and if they do you’ve just scored yourself some extra work!

If you’ve got a decent audience, why not host your own virtual networking event? Set a theme and a date, and invite those that you know within your industry to get involved. This can be a great way to get to know new people and potential clients, and position yourself as a leader in your field at the same time. 

Set your terms early on

You need confidence in yourself and your offering if you’re going to pull in clients that pay you the right amount of money even when the economy improves. One way to do this (a very important way) is to be clear on your prices. 

To do this, you should set a day rate based on what you would be earning if you were employed by a company. From this, you can work out your hourly rate. You can then weigh up whether the work that comes your way will be worth your time. 

For example, if your hourly rate is £20 per hour, your day rate (based on a standard eight-hour day) should be £160. If you know a project will take you two full working days, you should charge £320. 

If the client believes that this is too much for their budget, you’re very much within your rights to stand firm. Use the following to politely remind them of your fees: 

“Thank you for coming back to me on this. As a freelancer my day rate is set at £160 per day, hence the pricing I’ve set on this project. Do you have any flexibility within your budget? I’d be very happy to discuss this further.” 

If they come back with a compromise or with a price that’s close to your day rate, it’s up to you to decide whether these terms are going to work for you. If they aren’t, you should walk away (and never accept a job that’s far below your day rate – it won’t be worth your time). 

Consider asking for other benefits

Sometimes, you’ll find a client you really want to work with who just doesn’t have the right budget. This happens a lot with charities and startups in particular. Here, it’s a good idea to consider asking for other ways to receive benefit in return for a reduced fee. For example, if it’s a charity, ask if you can have an article about your work for them put on their website. Or, if it’s a startup offering software, request free access to it. Perhaps there is a direct skill-swap possibility too. If you’re a graphic designer, for example, perhaps you could work with an accountancy firm for a reduced fee in return for your tax return being completed pro bono!

Finding freelance clients via recruiters 

It’s always a good idea to have someone else on your side, especially if you’re looking to find new freelance clients in budget-conscious times. Contacting recruiters and getting on their books can provide you with long-term project and contract work, which you can work on at the same time as any other freelance projects that you have on the go. 

There are lots of benefits to finding work through recruiters, including that potential clients are very unlikely to try and underpay you when they have to go through someone whose job it is to ensure that that doesn’t happen. Once you’ve found work through a recruiter they are more likely to put you forward for other projects in the future, too. 

The main downside of working via an agency is that, typically, they set your rates. You may have to accept a lower daily rate in return for guaranteed regular work. Alternatively, some agencies take a percentage from your fee when they place you – if this is the case, raise your rate! Agencies are, however, most often paid by the client – so they’ll be charging the client more than your day rate to make a profit themselves.

Working for free 

Working for free is something that many people will tell you never to do. It’s something that we wouldn’t encourage in general, either. However, there can be some occasions where it might be helpful to you. These are very specific though, so don’t let anyone take you for a ride! 

You might consider working for free if: 

• You’ve never worked in the industry before and need to build a portfolio to prove yourself 
• You need to make edits or changes to work that you previously completed, as per the terms of your freelance contract (although always try to negotiate an edit fee in this case – it can’t hurt to ask!) 
• You’re in a secure financial position, and you have the time and resources to offer your services either pro bono or to charities for a specific purpose 

Do not work for free if: 

• The client has promised you paid work “later” (this is unlikely to ever materialise)
• You have a lot of experience and proven work in the area in question, unless you’ve made a conscious choice to give your time to a charity or non-profit (as mentioned above) 
• You are promised “exposure” or “contacts”, or told that this would be a “great opportunity” for you. This might be the case, but it’ll still be true if they pay you (and exposure, of course, doesn’t pay the rent) 
• You’re working for a corporate company that makes a profit, e.g. a bank  

Chat to other freelancers for more ideas!

One of the common misconceptions about freelancing is that everyone is super-competitive with each other. You may be surprised to learn there are lots of supportive online communities for freelancers! Many will share referrals from clients, or share larger projects with the freelancers they know.

The post Finding freelance clients in a budget-conscious market appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

If you’re the sort of person who likes to take some reading material into the bathroom with you, then why not try to make money on the toilet instead?

Here are 10 things you can try:

1. Do an online survey – or three
2. Check Free Postcode Lottery for a chance to win money every day
3. Slogan competitions
4. Save money by switching your gas and electricity
5. Earn while you surf
6. Save money by switching your car insurance
7. Save money by your home insurance
8. Come up with a killer business idea
9. Come up with a new TV game show format
10. Sell your toilet roll tubes
11. Play Games

Do an online survey – or three

Online surveys are a quick and easy way to make money on the toilet. They can be quick or long, depending on which one you do.

We like Inbox Pounds. It’s easy to sign up simple to use wherever you are. Including the bathroom.

In fact they give you £1 just for signing up, so you’ll be making money even If it’s a very quick visit.

Take a look at our article on how to make money with online surveys to see even more survey sites that will can be used to make money on the toilet!

Check the Postcode Lottery for a chance to win money every day

Now this really is a quick and easy one.

Check the Free Postcode Lottery for an opportunity to win money every day. On some days they have over two thousand pounds to give away if it’s been a roll-over.

All you need to do is sign up with your email address and postcode. Then you check the site each day to see if your postcode is the winning one. It’s that easy. Read our article about it here.

They also have other ways to win such as an Emoji Lottery and a Video Lottery. So if you happen to be someone who takes a little while on the toilet, then this may be worth a try.

Check it out and sign up for free here.

Come up with slogans for competitions

We love competitions at MoneyMagpie. In fact, we often tell you about upcoming contests in our newsletter (sign up here to get them sent to your inbox).

As you can see in our article on how to get money and freebies through competitions, some companies run slogan competitions, here you have to come up with a clever little phrase about their product to win the prize.

Save money switching gas and electricity

If you’re reading this on your smartphone right now, you could be saving yourself a tidy sum just by switching your gas and electricity provider. You don’t even need your bills to see how much you could save. Just put your postcode into the box here and see which companies are offering you a cheaper deal.

It’s likely that it will be one of the smaller suppliers. They are doing their best to get into the market and compete with the larger providers who dominating it.

Check it out now and make some money!

Earn while you surf

You could win up to £250 a month just for surfing the net with this competition site called Neilsen.

They have been known to give up to £30,000 away every year.

 Save money switching your car insurance

Again, while you have your mobile phone on you consider switching your car insurance. Your car insurance premium may have gone up since you last checked, but you can save yourself money by switching to a cheaper deal than you have now.

Take this time do explore the different options that are available.

Switch to a better car insurance deal here.

 Save Money switching your home insurance

According to Which? Magazine you should be able to save money by switching your home insurance. While sitting on the throne you may have some time to kill. Why not try this?

Do it here. Switch to a better home insurance deal.

Come up with a killer business idea

Is visiting the loo the only time you get some peace and quiet and time to think? It is for some people, if so then spend a bit of extra time to ponder a killer business idea.

You probably already have one rattling around your mind. Use this time to work out how to do it, what you will need to start and how to make a profit.

We have plenty of ideas for you, as well as lots of help and advice to hey you started here on our small business section. For example, take a look at this article with twenty tips for setting up your own business.

Come up with a new TV game show format

Feeling creative? Being on the toilet can be a good time to come up with story ideas for a novel or other creative pursuit.

But have you ever considered creating a TV game show idea?

Game shows can be hugely lucrative if you can come up with an original concept it right. People make hundreds of thousands from a successful idea they came up with which was then sold to production companies all over the world.

See our article here on how to come up with a winning TV game show format.

Sell your toilet roll tubes

It’s possible to sell the cardboard insides of your toilet rolls on eBay. There really are people who need them for craft projects and will buy them off you. Sell them for about £7 per 50. If you have a family you will probably get through a lot and will be able to gather 50 rather quickly.

It’s not a major income by any means, but it’s simple enough to do.

Play Games

For all the gamers, help to improve game development by getting paid for testing games. Find out how here.

Sign Up – Newsletter

The post Ten ways to make money, while on the toilet! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

• Start small and keep overheads low
• Cashflow
• Make a plan
• Network
• Sales, sales, sales
• Avoid borrowing if possible
• Set up passive income streams, where possible
• Get online
• Don’t buy advertising because you’re offered a deal
• Have an exit strategy
• Give people what they want
• Keep your finances in order
• Outsource, where possible
• Use targeted marketing
• Get into a niche
• Get mentors
• Take time off
• Be Selective about who you spend your time with
• Get what you can for free
• Have fun!

1. Running your own business – Start small and keep overheads low

Don’t spend any more than you have to on your start-up. Loads of big businesses start small: Laura Ashley began on her kitchen table, M&S started out as a market stall and Tesco was just a couple of local grocer’s shops in the beginning.

So, before you fork out, unnecessarily, consider:

• Your office can be a laptop computer at your kitchen table
• Don’t forget insurance, as your household insurance may no longer be valid if you’re working from home. This is something you’ll need to check with your current broker, as you may need to upgrade your insurance. Take a look at our comparison tool to find the right home insurance for you
• Set up a separate bank account for your business. (If you mix up your personal account with your business account you’re asking for trouble – it’s confusing, extra hassle and no benefit to you at all when it comes to planning your business and life in general.) It doesn’t need to be an expensive ‘business’ account, it can be an ordinary current account – either with your current bank or with a different provider. Look for one with integrated finance software like FreeAgent or Xero, to prepare your business for the changeover to Making Tax Digital soon
• If you need to send any parcels, you could try Parcel Compare – a fab website that could save you a fortune on package delivery. Its special comparison tool means you can find the cheapest shipping company for your needs.
• Consider other costs such as electric and gas. If you do decide to rent or buy an office, take the time to do an energy comparison to make sure you’re not overpaying for your energy consumption.
• Packaging and labels are essential for shipping products. Make sure to invest in quality packaging to protect your items and professional labels to maintain a good brand image. You can find cost-effective options by comparing different suppliers.

2.Cashflow

Don’t assume that people will pay on time as they normally don’t. Instead:

• Cut down your waiting time by getting them to agree payment terms at the start
• Be clear in your invoices that you will charge 8% over base rate for any invoices that aren’t paid within 30 days
• Get in the habit of invoicing in milestones – a deposit, commencement, and delivery fee
• Don’t spend money now on an assumption that you’ll receive payment from your clients straight away. Plan your business expenditure so that you are not creating debt and are not dependent on anyone paying on time
• Have more than one income stream – even if that means doing a part-time job or taking in ironing
• If you’re having consistent problems with unpaid bills, then consider joining the Federation of Small Businesses (£195 for the first year), so  you can use their legal assistance to chase your debtors.
• Forecast your revenues and calculate your run rate to understand your business health and future earnings

3. Make a plan

As the saying goes: ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’.

Therefore, even if you’re just setting up as a freelancer for a side hustle, you need to give yourself a clear idea of your monthly costs and how much profit (or other income) you must generate to keep yourself afloat.

Work out what your monthly income needs to be. Make yourself a chart for the next 12 months showing the growth in revenue that you can realistically generate and be clear on how you’ll generate those new clients.

It’s a tough thing to guess, but just the action of thinking it through will provide you with earnings goals and points to consider as you run your business. The Prince’s Trust and the Start Up Loans websites both host business plan templates that can be downloaded for free at the touch of a button.

4. Network

A business without a strong online presence is missing a great opportunity. Set a strong online presence from the start, since everything is going digital and people are always on the internet searching for goods and services they need.

Consider creating a professional website with a catchy name. And make sure to use the popular .com extension so it’s easy to remember.

The more you’re ‘out there’ touting for work the more likely you are to get the work. With the internet it’s possible to meet people without leaving your desk.

Join online networking groups and forums and start giving useful advice on areas directly relevant to your business. This raises your profile in a positive way. But don’t spend too much time on it – allocate a certain amount of time each week and stick to that.

Get business cards printed, get out to networking events in your area and make sure you take your business cards wherever you go – you can meet interesting and potentially useful people anywhere.

Have something beneficial that you can offer people when you meet them – make reference to it on your business card or on the website that your business card should refer new contacts to. This is called a lead magnet: something that makes someone get in touch with you after you’ve met. It could be downloading a free guide, booking a free consultation call with you, or something else that is easy for you to do at little cost, but builds trust and starts the client relationship.

Don’t go out and try to ‘sell’ your business or your service. Networking is usually a two-way street, where you create support by being useful to people who then go elsewhere and talk about you in a positive light. Don’t thrust your business card at other people – ask them for theirs and don’t give them yours until it’s asked for. Once you’ve met someone send them an email within 48 hours providing something useful, or the place where they can find that useful thing (e.g. on your website). They now have your contact details and a positive association with you.

5. Sales, sales, sales

Don’t shy away from the sales and marketing aspect of the business. Learn how to do it. Study it and practice it. You will probably find it nerve wracking at first but get through it! Question everything you do in the business, asking ‘how is this going to make money?’ If it won’t lead to a profit, then don’t waste your time doing it.

YouTube is a fantastic resource for all things startup, whether that’s Canva tutorials to make your marketing materials or how-to guides on creating sales funnels or best marketing strategies for your industry and business type.

6. Avoid borrowing if possible

While it’s tempting to borrow money to get started, try to avoid it as you could end up in a debt you can’t afford to repay. Instead:

• Try to grow your business organically. Use your own savings, or earnings from another business or income stream to fund it
• Barter services rather than paying for them – offer up your skills in one area in exchange for someone else’s in another
• If you want to go big time straight away and feel you need external funding to do it then put together a professional business plan and discuss it with your suppliers, customers, prospective customers and other ‘known’ potential investors before stepping into the shark-infested waters where venture capitalists and ‘angel’ investors roam.

7. Set up passive income streams, where possible

This is money that comes in when you’re not working.

• Consider incorporating Google Adsense on your website (these are adverts generated by Google that are relevant to the content on your website)
• Think about writing an eBook on different elements of your business subject and selling it on your website, eBay, and elsewhere on the net.
• Automate as much of the selling process as possible by installing PayPal payment on your site and having non-physical products that don’t require any human fulfilment such as delivery or packaging etc – PDF zines, comics and documents for sale are ideal for this
• Affiliate marketing with Amazon Associates is ideal if you discuss products on your website. If readers choose to buy a product that you’ve mentioned through a link on your site, then you get a small percentage from that purchase

8. Get online

If you haven’t already, get online. Use online services such as WordPress and Wix to build a website that is totally free.

You should always shop around to find the best possible deal for your web host.

Once your website’s up and running, here’s how you can keep visitors returning to your site:

• Create a community of people by providing a genuinely useful, free, newsletter that’s sent out regularly
• Provide useful content on your site that gives your potential clients the first couple of steps in addressing a problem that they might have
• Include audio and video on your site and use that content on YouTube and similar sites to promote your site
• Provide an easy response mechanism (e.g. blog comments or an email address) so you can find out what your community thinks and wants
• Ensure your business is secure to prevent unforeseen losses with software such as antivirus or VPN.
• Optimize your website for search engines (aka SEO). This is especially important for small local businesses.

9. Don’t buy advertising just because you’re offered a deal

If you need to advertise (and it’s better to promote yourself for free to start with) make sure your advertising is targeted, specific and within an advertising budget. Before exploring online marketing packages, think about the following:

• Work out who your customers are, where they are, where they live, what they read, what worries them and what excites them.
• Work out what the message is that you want to communicate so the right people will take action right away.
• Decide what is the best medium to use to communicate this message to your market.
• Take no notice of calls from advertising salespeople from publications you don’t know, even if they’re offering serious discounts and start telling you about all your competitors who are advertising with them.

10. Have an exit strategy

Serious business owners set up with an exit strategy in mind from the start as this allows them to plan the business and know why they’re doing it – only then can they effectively plan how they’re going to achieve what they want.

Acknowledge why you’re in business – what’s the lifestyle that you want to achieve? Is this business going to help you achieve this? And at what point will you know that this has been achieved?

What kind of profit level do you need to reach to command a decent fee, and what will you have to do to create that profit? At what point will you want to sell the business or hand it over to your kids to run?

11. Give people what they want

Don’t make the mistake of being blinkered about what you want to produce/sell. You have to be very aware of what your potential and existing customers want – not just what you think they want.

Do speak to potential customers – before you start up your business and as an ongoing habit. Take them to lunch, pick their brains, ask them what they want and need, what they hate and what they’d pay extra for. Keep a realistic perspective of what’s selling as your business develops. Is there a sideline product or service that’s very popular and takes less effort than the main offering? If so, focus more effort on it. Do be honest with yourself about what works, what doesn’t and why you’re in business. If you have to make enough to pay the rent, you need to be brutally honest about the success or failure of products pretty quickly.

12. Keep your finances in order

Admin is a drag, everyone hates it – but it must be done.

Make sure you:

• Put money aside for your forthcoming tax bill (at least 30% of every invoice)
• If you can, speak up front to an accountant (recommended to you by someone you know) about how much you should put aside for tax and other similar issues
• However if you’re just starting up, you probably won’t have to pay VAT as you’re allowed a £85,000 turnover before you have to pay it. If you’re planning on going over that then you’ll have to contact HMRC to register for VAT. You can use VAT software to help you.
• Keep good records of your incoming and outgoing revenues, your receipts and other related information. Again if you speak to an accountant they will give you guidance on what files to keep, how to organise them and what to do to keep your accountancy bills down
• Accountants too expensive? Though a good accountant is invaluable, you don’t necessarily need one when you’re first starting out. Plenty of people do their own accounts on paper or using an Excel spreadsheet. However, it is smart to hire an accountant for an expanding business or if you can’t handle your accounts on paper. A great accountant can provide audit and assurance services to ensure your company’s compliance, detect and prevent fraud, increase your chances of accessing credit, and ensure better resource utilisation.
• Furthermore, taxes are a nightmare for many business owners due to their complex forms and hefty late fines. This is going to be even more important as Making Tax Digital is rolled out to all businesses earning over £20,000 by 2027 – HMRC will be looking for people making mistakes in the new system, so going via an accountant can be beneficial to prevent costly errors.
• Remember that accountants and bookkeeper fees can be written off as an expense on your tax return as it is a legitimate business cost.

13. Outsource, where possible

Now that we have entered the virtual world, it’s getting cheaper and more efficient to outsource large chunks of a business to UK and Asian-based  services.

A Virtual Assistant can do everything from responding to calls and emails through to bookkeeping, serious business research, and web development for around £12 an hour. Search the internet for Virtual Assistants  and test three at the same time with small, but very similar tasks. Rate them in terms of value for money, accuracy, responsiveness and common sense (this is very important).

14. Use targeted marketing

This is an extension of tip number nine (don’t buy advertising).

Work out a detailed profile of your target market: where they live, what they read/watch/listen to, if they have children, if they drive a car or own a home, whether they’re professionals, in a particular business sector or part of the country. Work out an interesting and relevant letter or email blast to send to these people offering them something genuinely useful up front. Put a time limit on the special offer so that they have to take action.

15. Get into a niche

As the American industrialist Andrew Carnegie said: “The men who have succeeded are the men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.”

Don’t try to enter a competitive market that requires a great deal of capital and experience. If you’re reading this then you probably don’t have the capital and experience combination that’ll be required! Stick to something that you either know a lot about already or something that really interests you so that you’ll want to find out a great deal about it. If you carve out a niche and personalise it (e.g. be friendly and talkative on your website or in your correspondence), this will differentiate you from everyone else in your market. Combine this ‘difference’ with your market knowledge and the fact that you’re in a relatively small market and your chances of success will be increased.

16. Get mentors

You become like the people you associate with so associate with people who are like minded. Join appropriate industry associations – these will also give you the lowdown on relevant industry threats, opportunities legislation and the like. Meet or converse with other entrepreneurs who have nothing to do with your market sector. They’ll be happy to share solutions and encouragement with you in a way that your current friends cannot because they don’t really understand what you are going through or why.

17. Take time off

Setting up a new business can be a 24/7 activity and it’s very tempting to spend all your waking hours in the office. But to make sure you’re not overstretching yourself, re-charge your batteries every so often.

Book time off for yourself in your diary (including evenings off to do a sport or socialise). Set hours that match with your most productive times and allow yourself to spend time with your loved ones – they’ll need to know when you’re not going to be working! Revisit your tasks and see what you can outsource cheaply (see tip eleven). Prioritise tasks and see what you could ditch – temporarily or permanently. Be brutal and honest about this – don’t do certain tasks because you enjoy them, do what brings in a profit.

18. Be selective about who you spend your time with

Don’t undo your good work by spending time with people who are dismissive of what you’re trying to achieve. Don’t spend too much time with people who make you question your goals and ambitions. People will always criticise what they don’t understand; find someone who you can teach and help. That’s when you really learn AND it’s one of the most rewarding elements of being in business.

19. Get what you can for free

Make a habit of looking for a free (or at least cheaper) way of doing what you need to do. Contact colleges and universities to find people who want to build their CV or portfolio and will do free or cheap work on websites, photo shoots, design etc. Put an advert out to schools and colleges, as well as social media networks, for work placements and internships if you feel there are jobs that can be learnt fairly quickly and that will benefit the person doing them even if only through the experience of the real world.

Keep talking to other entrepreneurs, government agencies and business organisations to find out about free things you could get your hands on. See if you can get hold of office equipment through community pages like Freecycle.

20. Have fun!

Running a business should be creative, satisfying and enjoyable. It’s a chance to express yourself, meet interesting and creative people, potentially make a lot of money and create a whole new life for yourself.

So do everything you can to enjoy the process of being in business. And make the most of the good times – when you get a big contract or when you complete a difficult task – because the challenging times will come around soon enough.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Top 20 tips for running your own business appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

What Is Sensitivity Reading?

Who Can Do It?

Create a Sensitivity Reading CV

Sensitivity Reading for Authors

Story Consulting for TV and Film Companies

Setting Boundaries

What is Sensitivity Reading?

We’re living in a far more connected, more aware world these days. And people want to see that diversity reflected in the content they consume. More than that, many writers will create storylines outside of their lived experience – so they want to make sure they are representing people fairly and accurately, without leaning into dangerous tropes.

A sensitivity reader comes on board a project to read the manuscript, pitch document, or other documents to ensure that areas within their speciality are fairly represented. They may have input into challenging dangerous representations or tropey stereotypes, to make sure a character or storyline portrayal is realistic.

The reader will look over documents or manuscripts in detail, and outline where the storyline or character representation is either accurate or could use improvement. This means you will need to have an analytical mind and be able to present the information in a clear and concise way in your report.

Who Can Do It?

Almost anyone can be a sensitivity reader if they have critical thinking skills and are good at communicating. They need to be able to explain why something is an unfair representation, too – so they need to be aware of cultural and political nuances, and be able to discuss how one person might seek offence at a portrayal where another of the same community would not.

Sensitivity readers are there to ensure characters and storylines are three-dimensional representations of people, rather than ones that focus on the trope or stereotype. They recognise that some stereotypes exist for a reason – and that using them as a basis can be useful, if done with awareness.

Lived experience is the key term when it comes to what makes you a sensitivity reader. This could be living as a person of colour in a predominantly white environment, or living with a disability or as a carer to a disabled person, or being in the LGBTQIA+ community. Sensitivity readers are also sometimes called authenticity readers.

Being Freelance

Sensitivity readers are freelance. This makes it an ideal side hustle to run alongside your day job, especially when you’re starting out. Just make sure you’re realistic about how long it will take you to read and write up a report on each project.

Being freelance isn’t for everyone, but it is ideal for flexible hours that you set yourself, and sensitivity reading is done from home so it’s a great remote option. It is not likely to bring you a full-time income for a while as you get started and build up a regular client base, so make sure you factor that into your finances and career decisions.

Create a Sensitivity Reading CV

This is an unusual document compared to a normal CV, as your other work experience might not be relevant to the role. What you should do is look for examples of sensitivity reading reports online to get an idea of how they are written, and pick a few books, films and/or TV shows to write up a sample report on. This will form your portfolio.

For your CV, your work experience is relevant if it is related to either the subject matter of your area of expertise, or within communication skills. For example, if you studied an English degree, that is useful to list. Or, if you work with underrepresented voices in your day job industry, list that. Make sure you think about more than your work experience, too.

Your personal lived experience is what is important when it comes to sensitivity reading. Describe the areas you would be a reader for – such as LGBTQIA+ topics, disability representation (even better if you can be specific about the type), being working class (both publishing and the screen industries have a class issue), being a parent, living in different countries or cultures, or being neurodivergent.

Understanding the nuances of these topics is really important. While your personal experience is very relevant as a sensitivity reader, it’s important to understand and represent alternative viewpoints of others in similar experiences. For example, a common phrase when it comes to autism inclusion is ‘when you’ve met an autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person’ – meaning, every autistic person’s experiences are different, so they cannot all be painted with the same brush.

Sensitivity Reading in Publishing

Publishers are the most common companies that hire sensitivity readers. This is because books are often filled with many characters and it could be impossible for the author to have a realistic understanding of every single background of each of them. It’s particularly important if a main character is not the same as the author’s lived experience.

Reach out to publishers to offer your services. There are tons of small presses who would be a good place to start, as the Big Five publishers will opt for established and experienced readers. Gain your experience with small publishers first.

You can also reach out to independent authors who are self publishing their book. In fact, this is a big and growing market, and it can be easier to connect directly with authors on platforms like Threads and Instagram to find clients. Indie authors won’t have a huge budget, but they are a solid community who will provide regular work through word of mouth for those who prove themselves to be great sensitivity readers.

It can help to have a website if you can afford one. If not, make your social media profiles public and update your bio to include your lived experiences, as well as post regularly about being a sensitivity reader. Create a profile on platforms such as Fiverr to help publishing companies and indie authors find you, too.

Story Consulting for TV and Film

Production companies use sensitivity readers – also called story consultants – in a similar way to publishers. They are often brought in fairly early into the development process, to ensure a pitch is fairly representing all communities and characters. They may also be brought in on long-running dramas like soaps such as Emmerdale, Eastenders, and Coronation Street, when a character has a storyline related to a particular subject. With this in mind, they will often reach out to charities to support the development of a storyline, so having a good relationship with charities linked to your area of expertise can help open these doors for you.

Approach production companies with a short email detailing your experience and interest in supporting their work. You might not hear back from anyone for months on end, but when a relevant project comes up they will get in touch. This can pay very well, into the thousands per script, but it’s hard work to come by so you need to be persistent.

Keeping Sensitivity Reading and Your Personal Life Separate

When you’re a sensitivity reader, it can be easy to overshare. You want to explain why you’ve made certain comments about a character or storyline because of how it relates to your personal experience.

While this might seem useful, it can be a huge emotional labour on yourself. You will need to set boundaries, and that includes being able to recognise that you have the right to not share your personal, specific, experiences with anybody you don’t want to.

In addition, sharing some more personal experiences that are not directly related to the manuscript can cause difficulty for the other person you share with. You may accidentally trigger someone’s fears, worries, or own experiences in a way that can cause harm. This is why it’s important to stick to the provided material (which they are expecting to discuss) and provide your report based on the broader knowledge you have about your communities and experiences, rather than your own specific details.

The post Make Money as a Sensitivity Reader appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Going it alone as a freelancer is a brilliant feeling… until the work seems to dry up or get repetitive. Staying motivated as a freelancer is essential for your business success – but it can take a bit of tough love and discipline to keep going!

Use these strategies to stay motivated and keep pushing your business forward, even when you’re in a bit of a slump. You’ll feel productive even on days without client work AND you’ll get out of the doldrums, too!

• Join a Virtual Networking Group
• Diarise Your Day
• Set Goals
• Change Your Workspace
• Exercise Daily
• Get Dressed
• Make an Appointment Every Day
• Take Regular Breaks
• Use Apps to Improve Your Focus
• Arrange Social Engagements
• More Freelance Tips

Join a Virtual Networking Group

One of the most effective ways to find work is through your network. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been freelancing for years or you’re just starting out! Finding an industry group to join will make a difference to your work.

Not only will you earn referrals and hear of job opportunities through your group, but you’ll benefit from ‘shop talk’ with a wide range of people. Freelancers aren’t as competitive with each other as you may initially believe. In fact, they’re a supportive group of people who champion others who’ve taken the freelance leap!

Look for Slack communities, Facebook groups, or LinkedIn groups to start with. Look at your local Chamber of Commerce to find out what they’re doing in terms of virtual meetings. They’re a great way to meet other local business people AND promote your work without being too salesy.

Some groups run webinars, others like a Zoom meeting. Some are continuous chat channels like Slack, that you can dip in and out of depending on how much time you’ve got. Keep regular contact and answer questions as well as asking them. Giving back to the community makes others more receptive to helping you out, too.

When you go to industry events and start to see familiar faces, it’s also worth asking if there are any word-of-mouth freelance groups you could join. A great example of how this can be successful is with The Messy Collective, a community that started out as a small group for women, non-binary and trans writers – and is currently over 3000-people strong. The Whatsapp community is full of group chats dedicated to elements of being a writer, while the Substack provides regular information, and the monthly networking events (known as parties!) help real-life connections.

Diarise Your Day

Even if your books are bare and there’s no work coming in, spend time planning your day or week in a diary. Stick to your appointments!

Block out times for research, cold pitching, or training webinars. Use the time you’ve got spare to learn more about your industry or how to run your business. These skills come in handy later on, so it all counts as business-related activity even if you feel it’s not earning you money right this moment.

When you’ve got a lot of clients on your plate and you’re juggling tasks, a diary plan helps to break your workload into manageable chunks. Set out blocks of time – say every 60 minutes – and write a schedule for your work. Include time for social media and emails, too! Often, block-checking emails then ignoring them for an hour or two is a great way to improve focus and productivity.

Set Goals

As part of your diary planning, or a larger project, make a list of goals. These could be short-term business goals for the week or month, or longer goals such as what you want to achieve by the end of your first year freelancing.

Having something to focus on and work towards keeps you focused on work and reminds you why you went freelance in the first place. When work is slow, these goals help you decide what you need to do next to get where you want to be – such as taking extra training courses or increasing the number of cold pitches you do each week.

Change Your Workspace

Working as a freelancer at home means you can go a little la-la from staring at the same four walls.

If you’re stuck in a rut, change your workspace. This could mean any number of things: rearrange the furniture in your home office, or move from the sofa to the kitchen table. Perhaps you can take your laptop to the local park for an afternoon of work in the sunshine, or maybe you can visit a friend to work together at their place.

Regular freelancers who don’t have a home office, or like the differentiation of work/home space, find co-working spaces revive their motivation. You get the benefits of going to an office, but for your own business. Look for local workspaces in your area – you can often rent a hotdesk space by the day or week, and some offer free trials to get you started.

And remember one of the best, free, places to work: your local library. Many now have cafes too, and lots of useful resources – even things like business networking events sometimes – so make sure you check out your local library. It’s warm and dry, friendly, quiet, and FREE. Sounds perfect to us!

Exercise Daily

There’ll be days when you feel like you’re too busy to get some exercise, and other days when your motivation for doing anything except watch Netflix is nil. Don’t let it get to you!

Take time for at least 15 minutes of exercise – even on the days you don’t feel like it. Not only does it get you away from your desk/bed/sofa, but exercise also stimulates mental ability and can help you find inspiration. It also staves off depression – and is something you can do with a friend, to boost your social interactions, too.

Try the NHS quick workouts, pop to the gym to lift some weights, or get out for a brisk walk around the block. Alternatively, start your day with a yoga routine to feel invigorated, or arrange to meet a friend for some tennis or a kickabout in the evening after work.

Exercise doesn’t have to cost you a penny, but it’s essential for keeping you motivated as a freelancer. It helps you find mental clarity, boosts your health so you’re not at risk of taking (unpaid) sick days, and helps relieve strains from poor posture sat at a desk all day.

Get Dressed

Your pyjamas might be the comfiest clothes you own – but it’s not going to put you in a work state of mind!

Every day, get up and get dressed. Even if you’re changing from ‘sleeping PJs’ into what’s officially known as ‘lounge wear’, that act of getting changed into something different helps change your mindset into work mode.

Some people find the simple act of putting shoes on is all it takes to give them confidence for that all-important client call! It can help you feel like you’re a professional at the office (which you are, just at home), and resets your thinking into a business-like attitude.

At the end of the working day, change back into your PJs! This helps signify the end of your work time and start of your wind down evening time.

Make an Appointment Every Day

Treat your working week as if you’re going to the office. Even if you’re a part-time freelancer, use your working days as efficiently as possible.

Avoid losing focus by making sure each work day has at least one appointment in it. This might be calling a potential new client, catching up with an existing one, or attending a training webinar. Just pick something that forces you to get your business head on!

It’s also a good way of making sure you’re moving towards the goals you set. An appointment doesn’t have to be with a client or potential customer. It can be an appointment with yourself! Promise yourself you’ll spend one hour reading about a topic, or that you’ll spend two hours developing your business plan. It puts your business at the forefront of your daily routine – and helps you stay motivated as a freelancer.

Take Regular Breaks

On the flip side, don’t stuff your day with back-to-back calls if you can avoid it! The likelihood is, you chose freelancing to get away from the 9-5 grind and find a flexible way of working that suits you.

The trouble with that – plus the knowledge that you’re responsible for every penny that goes into (or out of) your pocket – it it’s easy to get carried away. You’ll realise you’ve been sat in the same position for hours on end, trying to finish your latest project or sending off ‘just one more pitch’.

Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour. Get up, stretch, make a cup of tea. Spend at least five minutes away from screens in each hour and revive yourself! Take a lunch break, too. Going full force all day long is the guaranteed route to burnout – and no freelancer stayed motivated when that happens!

Use Apps to Improve Your Focus

Sometimes, you can do everything right and yet still find it hard to stay motivated as a freelancer. The world in 2020 is a particularly big challenge: there are many, MANY distractions going on around us and it’s easy to get sucked into a mental wormhole about it all.

If you struggle to stay focused on your work during the day, consider using apps to help. For example, if you know that social media drains your time AND energy, use a blocking app on your computer. Apps like AppBlock let you set the times you are – and aren’t – allowed to access other apps on your phone or desktop.

It means that, even if you’re tempted to check Facebook instead of write that proposal, you physically can’t! You can go one step further with similar apps for things like writing, too: Cold Turkey Writer blocks EVERYTHING until you reach a set goal!

Many freelancers struggle with their focus overall. Staying motivated as a freelancer involves an ability to cut out the distractions – which are often caused by a busy mind and that leads to a lack of sleep! Try apps like Flipd or Calm to help you learn techniques for coping with a busy head. Meditation strategies and even the sound of a crackling fire to lull you to sleep at night can all help you manage your mental focus.

Arrange Social Engagements

Don’t forget to have a life, too! Staying motivated as a freelancer is nigh on impossible if you’re all work and no play. It’s so easy to keep cancelling plans because you want to work on your next pitch, or you’ve got client work you really want to get finished (even if the deadline isn’t until later in the week).

Taking time for yourself to have social interaction is vital to maintaining your motivation during your working day. Set time aside to spend time with your family, and make sure you have at least one full day off every week to do things with your friends, family, or even just some ‘me-time’ that’s away from your desk.

Social interaction is important for your mental health and maintaining your relationships. However, it can also boost your enthusiasm for your freelance work. Taking time away from your computer to do something entirely different gives your brain time to percolate ideas in the background. You’ll return to work revived! Going out to do things, like taking a walk with your family or watching a film with friends, also brings inspiration from other places that you can introduce to your work.

The post 10 Ways to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Did you know there’s support for the newly self-employed? Even at this difficult time, there are still many resources of financial and business support you can access.

You might be stuck in a dead-end office job and desperate to get away from the nine-to-five. Or, you might be in an industry where people are losing their jobs at a rapid pace and want to set up a business to have something to do on the side and expand if you lose your main job. Some people want to be self-employed because they prefer the flexibility of the hours and control of the work, too. However, setting up can require funding – especially as most businesses don’t turn a profit in their first few months (or even years). The good news is that there is help out there.

So, what help is available for the newly self-employed?

Trading Allowance

• Universal Credit
• Help to Save
• Access to Work
• Personal Independence Payment
• Business mentorship
• Prince of Wales Trust
• Startup funding
• Peer-to-peer lending and ‘angel investors’
• Crowdfunding
• Local authority funding
• Social enterprise funding
• Training grants
• Apprenticeship funding

There’s a lot to get through, so let’s get started!

Trading Allowance

This is a brilliant tax incentive for new businesses, ideal for those starting up a side hustle to test out their business or keep a small side income on top of their main job.

Currently, the Trading Allowance means you can earn £1000 gross before you need to register with HMRC and declare your income. But on 11th March 2025, it was revealed that this allowance is set to increase to £3000 in the 2027/8 tax year.

If you need to spend money to start up your business, like buying materials or products for resale, it is often better to register with HMRC anyway. That’s because you can’t offset expenses from the Trading Allowance – it’s your gross earnings, not less expenses. So if you think your costs will be significant, registering as a sole trader means you can offset some of your business expenses against profit to reduce your tax bill.

Universal Credit and Self Employment

Universal Credit is a flexible benefit. You don’t have to be out of work to access it. When you’re self-employed, you’ll submit a monthly assessment of your income and expenses.

When your net profit is below a certain amount (depending on your circumstances), you’ll receive some or all your Universal Credit payment. The months you earn more, you’ll receive less or no Universal Credit.

This means you can continue to be a UC recipient until your business returns a solid income every month. Unlike Job Seeker’s Allowance, which stops as soon as you find work, UC is an ongoing safety net.

You will need to prove that you are ‘gainfully self employed’. This means that:

1. Your job is your only or main income
2. You have regular work
3. You can show business activity, such as client invoices

There is something called the Minimum Income Floor. This varies from person to person, and is based upon what someone on PAYE in a similar role to yours would earn at National Minimum Wage. If you earn over this amount, your Universal Credit is worked out based on what you’ve earned over this floor (so deductions are made from your earnings to the level of the MIF). If you don’t meet the MIF, your Universal Credit deductions are based on what the MIF would be. The MIF only applies if you are not in a start-up period (see below) or you are gainfully self employed. If you are not gainfully self employed (for example, you have a main PAYE job and a small self-employed job on the side), the MIF won’t apply.

If you’re just starting out, you have one year during the launch of your business to get Universal Credit support without a MIF applied. You don’t have to look for other work, though you will meet with your work coach regularly. Your Universal Credit is based on your monthly income – and losses (such as a month where your expenses outweigh your income) are rolled to the following month. You will report your monthly income and expenses, so bear in mind that your income could reduce how much UC you’ll get that month.

Universal Credit eligibility

There are some limits to accessing UC.

You must:

1. Have less than £16,000 in capital or assets
2. Not own a second property
3. Apply jointly with your partner if you live together.

This means if your partner earns above a certain amount, you won’t be eligible for Universal Credit. You don’t have to be married – if you live with your partner, their income is taken into account.

Universal Credit, Self Employment, and Disability

Self employed people who claim Universal Credit but have a mental or physical disability which affects their ability to work full-time will be able to apply for a Work Capability Assessment. You will be assessed to decide if your health impacts your self employment opportunities, and could be placed in one of two groups for extra financial support if it is deemed your health puts you at a disadvantage to finding work. You will either be in the Limited Capability to Work group or the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity group – the former has some additional financial support, the latter has more (how much depends on your circumstances).

If you are found to be in these groups, other exceptions may apply – such as removing the requirement to meet the Minimum Income Floor after a start-up period.

Help to Save

If you do qualify for Universal Credit, you can plan to open a Help to Save account, too. The great news is that the rules are changing in April 2025 – previously, you had to earn a minimum of £793.17 in one month to qualify to open one. However, from April, you only need to earn £1 in one month as earnings to be eligible.

Help to Save is a useful savings account with a hefty government bonus. Save between £1 and £50 each month, and the government pays you a bonus worth 50% of the highest balance you’ve saved.

The account lasts for four years, and the bonus is paid to you in year 2 and year 4. The maximum bonus you can receive is £1,200 (£600 in both year 2 and year 4). After the fourth year, it automatically closes and you can’t open another one.

This extra money – and savings habit – is a great way to make sure you’re setting aside some money for your tax bills. Things like Payments on Account can take newly self-employed people by surprise, so an emergency buffer like this helps.

Read our in-depth Help to Save article to find out more.

Access to Work

A little-known resource, Access to Work helps people with mental or physical disabilities get the right equipment or help to do their job well.

Employers can access the scheme to receive a portion of costs for special equipment. Self-employed people, however, can use the scheme to have most or all of the cost covered.

The grant covers things like desk equipment or speech-to-text software. It can also cover things like assisted travel to and from a workplace, or support worker services. You can also get help with work support such as ADHD counselling and work coaches, to help improve your productivity and find ways to cope in work environments.

Access to Work is not taxed and doesn’t have to be paid back. If you are receiving a one-off grant, such as to pay for a standing desk, you may be required to pay this and claim it back from Access to Work.

How to apply

To be eligible, you must have a disability (a chronic physical or mental condition that affects your day-to-day tasks and will last a minimum of nine months). You don’t have to receive disability benefits to qualify. You’ll also need to be in paid work (including self-employment) or due to start paid work imminently.

First, apply online for an Access to Work grant. There’s a slightly different scheme to apply for if you live in Northern Ireland.

You’ll be asked about your health condition, how it affects your ability to work, and what equipment you need to help.

Next, someone will come to assess your needs either at your office or home (if you’re working from home). If, for example, you need a special desk chair, they’ll measure you for this at the same time. You may not require an assessment to receive your grant – or your grant could be delayed until assessments are available again.

If your grant is accepted, you’ll receive the report along with information about the equipment and supplier. You can then order that equipment from the supplier – and either pay direct and be reimbursed, or have Access to Work pay the supplier direct.

If you work from home, you may have to pay a portion of the cost if the equipment could be used for personal use, such as if you have received a grant for a computer or adapted equipment that is useful both for your job and day-to-day activities.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Personal Independence Payment is not means tested, which means you can apply whether you’re in work or not and regardless of how much you (or your partner) earn. It is designed to help people cope with the extra costs that come with having a disability. This might be hiring support workers, getting taxis if you can’t drive or walk with ease, or even things like getting a cleaner once a week so you can focus your energy on work-related activity instead.

You can spend your PIP on whatever you need to, in order to make your life a bit easier living and working with a disability.

There are two parts to PIP, and a lower and higher rate for each. You might qualify for one or both, at whichever rate an assessor deems suitable. The Daily Living component is £72.65 for the lower rate or £108.55 for the higher rate each week in the 2024/5 tax year. The Mobility component is £28.70 lower rate or £75.75 for the higher. Qualifying for one component does not necessarily qualify you for the other.

Find out more and how to apply here.

Business Mentorship

Not strictly a funding opportunity or a benefit, but business mentorship programmes are a great place to start when you set up your business.

Your local Job Centre and your Citizens Advice Bureau will have plenty of advice about accessing local business mentorship schemes.

Getting a local business mentor means you’ll have access to important networking opportunities. They’ll also know where you may be able to access grants and funding on a local level, too.

Some local authorities run a business mentorship programme with lots of free workshops to educate new business owners on everything from marketing to managing taxes. You may also be able to access free (or very cheap) co-working office space, equipment, or storage units for inventory.

Prince of Wales Trust

The Prince of Wales Trust offers business mentorship and funding support to entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30, inclusive – so if you’re already 30 you can apply.

The Trust has an excellent reputation for helping young people launch their careers. Its team offers mentorship and support, from business planning through to funding applications and beyond. You can also access the Development Awards for some training grants, too.

Take a look around the website to see if they can help.

Startup Funding

If you can start your business without borrowing, that’s a great position to be in. However, most new business owners will need to borrow some capital to get their business off the ground.

Startup loans offer a low-cost way to fund your new business plans. You don’t need the same established business requirements of a typical business loan, either. For example, you don’t have to have several years’ accounts to be approved for a loan.

Shop around for your startup loan. Like any other loan, some deals are better than others. Borrow only what you need – not the maximum amount available. This helps keeps costs down in the long-term without impacting your short-term cash flow.

Try the Startup Loans Company or Funding Circle as a first stop.

Peer-to-peer Lending and ‘Angel Investors’

A so-called ‘angel investor’ is like a dragon from the Dragons’ Den. They’ll fund part of your business venture in return for a percentage of the profits. You’ll often receive business mentorship as part of the deal, too.

There are lots of angel investor platforms available. Try to meet with (or, these days, video-call) potential investors before signing anything. Always read the small print and make sure you speak to several possible investors before choosing your partner.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a bit more anonymous. You don’t get the business mentorship but you can access a larger fund.

Investors pay into a P2P fund in return for a percentage on their money. The P2P platform takes a percentage, too. Think of it like a loan – but without the need to satisfy high lending requirements of a high street bank.

If you’ve got good credit history, you may want to consider online lending platforms such as personal loans by plenti

Crowdfunding

We’ve all seen the success of Kickstarter and Crowdfunder. But how do they work?

You create an online pitch for anyone to see. This includes details about the products you want to develop, what it does, and what the crowdfunded money pays for. You can entice investors by giving them something in return for their cash. For example, they can buy the product early and at a reduced price, or you can offer them a listing on a sponsors page – anything you think will entice investors.

You have to set a target. Check the details of each fundraising platform and type – some will stipulate that if you don’t hit the target you won’t get any of the pledged cash, while others will let you receive whatever is raised.

If you do reach your funding target, on the other hand, you will get your money. You’ll need to keep accurate accounts to show that you have done with the money what you said you would, and make sure you honour any pledges (such as receiving a product in return for being an early supporter of your new product).

Local Authority Funding

Check your local council’s business pages to see what assistance it offers. You might be surprised!

Many local authorities offer funding or mentorship programmes for new business owners. These schemes are often more prevalent in deprived areas, to encourage new companies to set up in that region.

The funding available could be anything from a one-off grant to ongoing business support in the form of a rent-free office or shop space. Many grants need to be matched – so if you need £1,000, you’ll need to put £500 up yourself and ask for a further £500 in the grant.

You can also check out Turn2Us Grant Finder which takes you through a questionnaire to help you locate grants for your personal circumstances (rather than to support your business), which can help alleviate some of the financial stress of going self-employed.

Social Enterprise Funding

If you want your new business to be a social enterprise, this opens you up to many more funding opportunities.

A social enterprise puts surplus profits back into the business to aid the community. You can still earn a profit and wage, but your overall work needs to have a social or environmental mission that benefits your local community and surrounding areas.

Running a business like this is similar to any other business model. However, instead of sharing profits in the form of dividends to shareholders, you put that money back into your business efforts to maximise your impact on the community.

Social enterprises qualify for all sorts of grants, including those offered by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Loans are available as a funding option, often with a percentage grant. This means you won’t have to pay back everything that’s borrowed, only the loan element. For example, the First Steps Enterprise Fund offers loans up to £30,000 – with 90% of that as a loan and 10% a grant.

Training Grants

If you need to achieve a qualification before you can open your business, you may receive training funding to help.

For example, people on Universal Credit may apply to have some or all fees paid for, if they enrol on a short professional development course. The course needs to be an essential item – for example, your Gas Safe certification if you want to start a boiler engineer business. It could also include things like health and safety training for mobile beauty therapists, licence courses for security staff, or a PTTLS adult teaching qualification for tutors and workshop leaders.

The National Careers Service has some funding opportunities for courses, too.

If you’re on a low income, it’s also worth looking at your local adult education centres and courses. They’ll often offer free or discounted places to people on benefits or who can prove a low income.

Look at charities centred around your industry of choice, too. Screenskills, for example, offers bursaries and training opportunities for all kinds of people wanting to work behind the scenes in television and film.

Apprenticeship Funding

Do you want to set up a business with staff? If you’re not planning to go it solo as a freelancer or contractor, staffing costs will make up a huge overhead as you set up your company.

Apprenticeships offer a way to staff your company while training the new generation. New businesses have to fund 5% of apprenticeship costs, with the rest covered by a Government scheme.

You’ll need to follow the rules about working hours, and time off for study and exams, and assist with mentoring your apprentice.

Your apprentices could become full-time staff once they pass their course a few years down the line, too!

The post Benefits and funding for the newly self-employed appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

The Influencer Marketing Hub is a very useful tool for anyone who monetises their social media. Their 2025 Benchmark Report proved just how big social media marketing is. According to the report, the influencer marketing industry is projected to reach a value of over $33bn by the end of the year. More than 60% of companies use influencers as part of their marketing strategy, and that number is set to rise. So, now is a great time to learn how to make the most of becoming an online influencer.

• Sell your own products and services
• Make money from affiliate links
• Use promo codes
• How to approach brands
• Tips on building a following (and selling to them)
• Rules for making money on social media

Sell your own products and services

A recent survey revealed that online shopping has risen – with 32% more sales through social media than in 2022. That’s across all age demographics, with social media users buying an average of four times each month through a platform.

There are plenty of helpful tools out there, like Hootsuite, to help manage selling on social channels. Through their service you can track, manage, and schedule your social channels all in one place. They help you see what type of content, and on which platforms, your audience engage with most. The more you know about your audience demographic and their tastes, the easier it becomes to sell to them.

Bear in mind that most of these tools are paid-for services, although you can usually get a 30-day free trial to test them out first.

If you’re thinking about setting up an online shop, check out our article here for tips on getting started.

Key considerations for selling online

• Matching your social strategy to your audience. Who is your main customer? A teenager or working professional? Who your demographic is will largely determine how you market and sell your products and services.
• Create the right content, at the right time. Statistics show that across all social media platforms, posts that include visuals consistently perform better and see more engagement than those without. However, posting too frequently, or even not enough, is damaging and will drive customers away.
• Connect everything back to your business. A relationship with your audience is essential – sales rarely occur on first contact, but normally several times later. Your audience need to trust you and you need to listen to them. When you do this, you’ll be in a better position to provide your audience with what they need, and when they need it.

Make money from affiliate links

Affiliate links are a popular way to make a bit of passive income. They’re cheap and easy too, as you don’t need to create and sell a product yourself. You just need to establish a connection between the buyer and seller, and then take a commission when a sale is made.

There are a few different ways you can set up affiliate links – one is through the Amazon Associate Programme. With this, you can earn up to 15% of all purchases made during the buyer’s shopping session. So even if someone clicks on your link, doesn’t buy that specific item, but ends up purchasing something else during that same ‘session’, then you’re still entitled to 15% of that.

ClickBank is another site with it’s own affiliate marketplace. They allow you to promote already best-selling products and earn commissions as high as 90% on some products. You have the option to pair with brands in various areas including arts and entertainment, e-business, and parenting and families.

How to promote affiliate links

Any promoting and selling on social media should come across as natural. No audience wants to feel like they’re constantly being sold to.

Reviewing a product is a legitimate way to link it into a post or blog. Summarise the pros and cons, giving a balanced opinion of it. You want your audience to trust you and selling them naff products is only going to damage your credentials.

Choose your affiliate links carefully and post them sparingly. Inundating your followers with affiliate links is counter-productive, they’ll more likely be put off and unfollow you instead. Promote a select few that you genuinely believe are worthwhile purchases and fit with your brand image, whether that’s fashion and beauty, or the latest gadgets.

Use promo codes

Plenty of influencers use discount and promo codes to make money. They work similarly to affiliate links where a commission is earned on the number of sales made with their code.

Almost anyone can get promo codes for brands, although you’ll probably have more luck the larger your following. When appealing for promo codes, make sure the brand is relevant to you, your content and your audience. Chances are they’ll be happy to offer you a code, as it comes at no cost to them. Put simply, if they don’t make any sales from you, they don’t have to pay you any commission and they haven’t lost out.

How to approach brands

Brands are a big source of social media income and anyone with a following of 2,000+ is considered a micro-influencer. Plenty of brands want to work with influencers now as it’s much more effective and cost-efficient for them than traditional forms of marketing, like magazines and TV ads.

However, knowing how to approach brands is key.

Steps on how to approach a brand

• Do your research. Thoroughly research the brand, their mission statement, and any products you’re interested in. It comes across very poorly if you’re asking a brand for sponsorship but don’t know anything about them.
• Check your social media. If you really want to be able to monetise your social channels, make sure you keep it on-brand and professional. Posts in the public eye need to be free of anything incriminating or potentially offensive. If brands spot any risky content they’ll be sure to steer clear.
• Pitch yourself. You need to be able to offer the brand something in return. Think about what your USPs are. What’s different about your content, or your audience, that makes this a worthwhile opportunity for them that they won’t find elsewhere?
• Illustrate affiliation with the brand. Don’t send out a blanket email to every brand you get in touch with but demonstrate your knowledge and create a unique pitch every time.

Questions to answer when you pitch to brands

• How relevant is your blog or social channels to the campaign subject matter?
• How big is your following? What is the size of the potential audience the content will reach?
• How regularly do you post on social media?
• How engaged is your audience?

Another consideration for reaching out to brands is through agencies. There are actually several UK influencer marketing agencies that you can sign up for including Disrupt, Goat Agency, and Socially Powerful.

Tips on building a following (and selling to them)

Unfortunately, there’s no quick way to instantly increase your following. There are plenty of false advertisements for this and whilst your follower count will increase, it’ll be made up of bots who won’t actually engage with your content or brand, completely defeating the purpose.

One way to build your network is to create daily, weekly, and monthly goals so from the outset you’re committed to a pace of engagement that will steadily grow.

TikTok

TikTok has been the latest social media trend and is rapidly growing with over one billion logins every month. TikTok users can generate money either through direct sales, TikTok shop (in the US), or posting affiliate links.

Users can also receive gifts from their audiences via TikTok Live videos. Hootsuite also has a super helpful guide on all the ways you can make money through TikTok. You can read it here.

Instagram

Instagram is a huge contributor to people making money on social media, with over 90% of influencer marketing campaigns involving the app.

Business profile

Instagram has the ability to change your personal page into a business profile. When you do this you get to view insights into engagement with your posts and stories, and also get the ability to set up an Instagram shop.

Instagram’s shoppable features allow businesses to tag products that are available for sale and allows customers to purchase them directly within the app.

On an Instagram business profile you need to include:

• A photo or brand logo that’s recognisable and consistent across all your social platforms.
• A well-thought-out bio. This is a chance to give customers a brief insight into you, your brand, and your business.
• Link to your website. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t allow direct links in posts so the URL section of the bio is the only clickable link in your profile. Use Linktree to set up lots of different links, such as to your Amazon Shop and Affiliate Links to specific products.

Run ads

The easiest way to run ads is by promoting posts you’ve already shared on Instagram. Simply select the post you want to boost and hit ‘promote’.

You have the option to create the audience you want the post to be shown to (choose across genders, age range, etc.) or you can leave it to Instagram who will automatically share it with a similar audience.

Ads also don’t have to cost a lot – they can start from as little as a couple of pounds. Initially, you can just run an ad for a few days to test how well it performs. However, keep in mind that it takes a little work to get it right so if your first attempt doesn’t bring in tons of business, keep trying. Ideally, having a simple call-to-action button like ‘Shop Now’ makes it easy for someone to make a purchase. Overcomplicating it will put people off.

Rules for making money on social media

New legislation states that if you’re making money, you need to declare it on the post.

1. Disclose any and all affiliate relationships. All you need to do is include a simple sentence along the lines of: “Disclosure: The link below is an affiliate link. Which means that, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through that link I’ll earn a commission.”
2. If you’re working directly with a brand who’s paid you to post something, then include a simple hashtag or comment along the lines of #sponsored #ad.
3. If a brand or PR company requests that you don’t tag something as ‘sponsored’ or ‘ad’ it’s actually illegal and you need to refuse to do so.
4. You need to make it clear when you’re posting about your own products and services, too.

What counts as an ad?

• Paid-for space
• Own advertising
• Affiliate marketing
• Advertorial
• Paid reviews of products
• Paid product placement in your content

Gifted content can cause confusion, but basically if the brand asks for something in return – for you to post it on social media, or provide some form of editorial content – then it’s an ad and should be tagged as such.

The post How to make money on social media appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Don’t worry – we’re here to help. 

Whether you want to sell homemade greetings cards, large scale artwork, homemade jewellery or something completely different, it’s never been easier to kick off your own online shop. You never know – invest your time well and be clear on your goals and it could become a lucrative side business. 

The timing is right to kick off your new venture, too. As social distancing is likely to be around for a while, this could be a great opportunity to use your extra time to invest in that e-commerce idea that’s been bubbling away for months (or years). Here’s how to get started. 

• Choosing your products 
• Securing a niche 
• Deciding on the branding
• Finding customers
• Working out shipping costs
• Choosing a hosting website
• Deciding on your payment platform 
• Getting extra help 

Choosing your products

If you’ve got an idea for an online shop already, that probably means you know (or at least have a rough outline) of what you’re going to sell on it. This could of course be anything – it entirely depends on your interests. Vintage fashion, arts and crafts, floristry services, second hand books… the list is, quite literally, endless. 

If you’ve got an idea, it’s time to look into how selling your product might work. Here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself… 

• Is my product solving a problem – and if not, can I make slight alterations so that it is? 
• What are other online shops doing – especially the ones that sell a similar product to me? 
• Is my product broad enough to attract a lot of people, or should I be very specific in order to try and tap into a niche? 

The thing that you need to be most clear about is exactly what you want your shop to do. If you’re clear about the value of your product, that means the messaging on your site and your overall passion is much more likely to shine through. And if it does, you have a much greater chance of potential customers hitting that “buy now” button.

Securing a niche 

One term that you’re likely to hear a lot as you build your online shop is “unique selling point”, aka USP. This is the one thing that sets your offering out from the crowd, allowing it to tap into a unique need or market that other online shop owners might be overlooking. 

It might seem strange at first, but having a clear niche that no one else is covering is much more likely to find you sales than if you’re selling a familiar product in a crowded market. After all, if you can cut out the competition people are more likely to find their way to you and go on to buy. 

In order to establish what your USP is, try to sum up your product in one catchy sentence. Make sure it encapsulates exactly what it is and why it’s unique. Think of this as your elevator pitch to new customers, and use it whenever people ask you to describe what it is that you do. And make it as easy to understand as possible! No one likes to be confused, but if you’ve got a compelling topline for your online shop people are much more likely to understand and – crucially – visit it. 

Deciding on the branding for your online shop

Your branding needs to be reflected in every aspect of messaging on your site. This means that your design, logo and copy (aka the words on your site) need to be eye-catching and clear enough so that the user immediately understands what your offering is. You need to ensure that these key aspects of your online shop compliment each other as well as getting your key message across. 

Of course, this might not be the easiest thing to do – especially if you’re solely focused on the product and not used to crafting sales copy or designing a compelling user journey. Unless you have a background in user-focused design, SEO and/or content marketing, you might need to get some extra help here. More on that below… 

Finding customers through marketing your online shop

An important one! You might have the best website in the world and a useful, beautiful and/or compelling product, but if no one can find your site you’re not going to make any sales. 

There are lots of ways that you can market your online shop and increase your likelihood of getting customers through the (virtual) door. You’ll need to pay attention to all of the following: 

Social media

Create pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok where you can start to build a following by posting images and videos of your product and making sure you interact with similar brands. Social media can be one of the best ways that you can get in touch with customers, and lets them contact you easily too. Make sure you respond quickly and clearly, so they know that you’re a trustworthy site! 

SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the web strategy that determines how high you place within search engines such as Google. SEO is a constantly evolving medium, which means it can be hard to stay on top of its ever-changing nuances. The basics, though, include ensuring that the keywords that potential customers are searching for are included on your site.

With the help of a professional SEO Agency you can improve your business profile within an online search engine, allowing you to be found a lot easier by customers. Essentially the higher up the list you are on pages like Google the more likely a potential consumer will click on your website. It’s important that, as you build your online shop, you pay attention to this. 

PR

PR might be something to think about further down the line, but when you do have the time to consider it it can be an incredibly useful tool. Successfully built your shop and want to advise others on doing the same? Got a niche that other people might be interested in learning about? Want to talk about launching your online shop during social distancing, and how the context helped your business? Make sure your profile is uploaded on places where journalists might be looking for comments for their pieces (like Cision) and ensure you’re always available for comment in news and feature stories. If people start seeing your business’ name in the press, and journalists start linking to your site in their stories, you’re onto a winner. 

Working out shipping costs

With a clear idea of what product or products you’re going to sell, you should be able to work out the rough weight of the package or packages that you’ll need to post out when you do start making sales. Once you know this, you can list domestic and international shipping prices or your website. 

Of course, if it’s going to cost a huge amount of money to ship to the USA (for example) you might decide that it isn’t worth it and that you’re going to only sell within the UK. That’s totally OK – it’s your shop, after all! 

Choosing a hosting website

Do you want to build your own site, thus giving yourself complete creative control? If so, a hosting site like WordPress or Squarespace or Shopify might be a good idea. These giants of the industry have e-commerce plug-ins that you have total control over. They also have themes that you can select that will be specifically geared towards online shops, making the building and maintenance of your site fairly straightforward. 

Of course, this might all seem like a bit of a hassle – especially if you’re not used to working with websites or designing things yourself. If that’s the case, look at sites like Etsy that can host your shop for you. The craft platform has millions of users, so hosting your shop here increases the likelihood of them finding you via a site they’re already using. 

Deciding on your payment platform

As you’re planning on selling items to the public through your online shop, you need to make sure the user experience (aka UX) is as seamless as possible. This is part of web design, and one aspect of your online shop that will need to pay close attention to it is the stage where people pay. 

Luckily, there are various plug-ins and platforms that you can use to help create a seamless payment experience. Options include Stripe and Paypal, which are systems designed for easier e-commerce payments. If you’re planning on using a website for your online shop, you should look into whether these platforms will work for you.

Of course, you don’t have to use a website that you’ve built yourself. If you think building a site to host your online shop might be too much work or that you won’t have time to maintain, try an e-commerce option like Shopify instead. Shopify is a subscription service that lets you use its selling platform, so you don’t have to pay for web hosting yourself. Over a million businesses worldwide use it, so you can be reassured that it’s trustworthy and (equally as important) really works.

Getting extra help 

Remember, you don’t have to do everything yourself. You should definitely think about designers, copywriters, SEO specialists and web developers who you can employ to help you out, especially in the beginning. Think about people you know within your wider network, but also look on sites like Fiverr for creatives in search of projects. Getting professionals on board will make your life easier and contribute towards making your online shop a success, even if there is an initial investment in the work that’s needed. We promise that it’s the easiest way to9 make your hard work pay off! 

The post How to Set Up an Online Shop appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Setting up a freelance business might seem daunting – but you could be finding your first clients within the next week! In these unstable times, having a side hustle or going full-time freelance is an appealing career option for many of us.

A freelance business can cover all sorts of things, from writing and graphic design, to cleaning, to trades like woodwork and plumbing. Some may take longer to really get going – but there’s nothing stopping you from setting up your freelance business in one week flat! Once it’s created, you’ve got a solid grounding to start building your business on and start finding those all-important clients. Here’s how to do it on limited funds AND in a short period of time.

• Decide on Your Business Type
• Research Your Competitors
• Choose Your Business Name
• Register with HMRC
• Create a Website
• Draw Up a Business Plan
• Set Up a Business Bank Account
• Seek Funding and Mentorship
• Identify Your Marketing Channels
• More Freelance Tips

Day One: Decide on Your Business Type

So, you want to run a freelance business. Doing what? Perhaps you want to take the knowledge and skills from your day job to start out on your own. Great! Many freelance businesses, such as marketing agencies, virtual assistants, graphic designers, and even customer service consultants start out in that way.

Perhaps you want to do something totally different. Tired of answering complaints calls every day, but have a knack for baking? A freelance business as a special occasion baker is something you can run alongside your main job – or turn into a fully-fledged job altogether!

Think about your skills, interests, hobbies, and passions. Consider the things you love about your current or previous jobs – and what you’d avoid doing ever again. Use this to help you shape your business idea.

Research Your Competitors

When you know what type of business you want to run, look at the competition. Consider the competition on a local and national level, too. Even take a look at international competitors – especially if they can’t encroach on your patch (such as if you’re a dog walker!) – as they could have some cool marketing ideas or strategies you could use.  If you’re thinking of starting a business abroad, there are companies that will help you with set-up, tax and bookkeeping services.

Spend a day (yes, a whole day of your precious week-long setup target!) to look at competitors. Branch out a bit, too: look at related companies that would target the same customers as you. It might give you inspiration for a niche opportunity to bridge the gap, or help you develop ideas for extra services to offer clients.

Make a list of the pros and cons of each competitor. What do they offer? What’s lacking? How could you challenge their place in the market? This will help you decide your specific business angle, and that helps with the next steps of a business plan and marketing.

Day Two: Register with HMRC

Even if you’re setting up your freelance business as a side earner, you need to register with HMRC as a sole trader. You could become a Ltd company, too – but that takes a little extra time and cost. You can always switch over to being a Ltd company when you’re more established. When you’re starting out, it’s usually beneficial to stay a sole trader.

Even if you’re not expecting to earn enough this tax year to pay anything, you’re still going to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions if your profits are above £6725 in the 2024/5 tax year. So, it’s really important to register as self-employed with HMRC as soon as you start creating your business.

Choose your business name before you register. It makes the whole process much easier – and helps you when it’s time to start your marketing, too. Use a business name generator tool if you’re stuck for ideas – and check Companies House to make sure no one else has the same business name, too.

Draw Up a Business Plan

Your business plan helps you work out how to get started – and then how to maintain growth in your first year. For example, you’ll need to decide what products or services you’re going to offer customers from the outset. How much will they cost to provide? What profit margin do you need on them?

Work out the cost of your overheads, too. This gives you a financial target to aim for in your first year – and helps price your services or products. You’ll need to think about rent, bills, business rates (if you’re renting a premises), insurance, inventory, and so on. Remember, too, that your first year means investing in assets like computers or other equipment.

Use a business plan template to make sure you’ve got everything covered. This will help you to decide if your freelance business will be viable as a profit maker. Your first year (or two) may not turn profit if you need to invest in a lot of equipment or inventory, so don’t be disheartened! However, the plan will help you see the costs you need to cover (including your own living costs) – and this helps you to know where to turn for funding.

Day Three: Create a Website

You don’t need to be an internet whizz to set up a website. These days, it’s really easy to create one! Most of the popular website hosts, like Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace, have drag-and-drop editors and simple to use admin panels. It’s really important, however, that you have even a basic site so that potential customers can find you.

Your website doesn’t need to be expensive or fancy when you start out, either. Remember: you can always expand your functionality and services as your business grows. You need to include basic information, such as:

• What product or service you offer
• How the product or service benefits your client
• A price list
• Contact information
• An ‘about you’ page – people like to know who they’re buying from!

You should also claim your social media handles, too. It’s often best to focus on just one or two platforms (especially at first) – but it’s a good idea to claim the handle on each one. This stops people impersonating you online – and also means you can keep the same name across all platforms if you want to expand. A really good site to try is Namecheckr – it’ll tell you which platforms have your chosen handle available. Try to choose one that reflects your website and business name, that you can claim on as many platforms as possible.

Day Four: Set Up a Business Bank Account

As a sole trader, you don’t legally need a separate business bank account. However, it’s always a good idea to set one up to keep your own finances separate from that of the business.

Starting out, you don’t need to pay for a proper business bank account, either. You can set up a basic current account in your own name – just keep it for business income and expenses only. This really helps when it comes to doing your annual tax return, too!

There are specialist business accounts such as at Tide and Starling Bank which are designed for small business sole traders, while most high street banks will offer a business current account. Check the fees as these are different than a consumer current account – for example, you might need to pay every time you transfer or receive money.

Many business bank accounts come with a membership or access to accounting software. In the past, it wasn’t an essential part of setting up a business – but as Making Tax Digital seeks to roll out fully in the next few years, it’s important to be ready for it. This will be a shakeup in tax reporting for all self employed businesses (eventually), where you submit quarterly tax through the accounting software instead of your annual return – it’s supposed to make it easier to do your accounting and avoid falling into tax debt.

Seek Funding and Mentorship

There is a TON of help out there for new business owners – you just need to know where to look.

If you’re currently unemployed and receiving Universal Credit, ask your job coach about the removal of the Minimum Income Floor for your first startup year. This can help keep your full UC entitlement without penalty while you build your business. The MIF works out what you ought to bring home minimum each month, so is the amount you have to earn before claiming UC when you’re a claimant in work – so removing it gives you a year of breathing space.

For those not in receipt of benefits, there are still lots of ways to fund your new startup. First, speak to your local library, council, and job centre. They may all have different schemes or be able to recommend local services that offer free business advice or help for new freelancers.

And remember, we’ve got some articles covering funding and benefits for the self-employed, as well as sources to find funding for your startup.

Why look for mentorship?

Your local job centre or council is likely to run schemes for new business owners. It’s important to seek advice from experienced business professionals, and if you can get free advice, that’s even better! Without guidance from a business mentor, you could fall into the common traps new freelancers make – such as not budgeting for no-income months – and end up without any profit.

Talk to your local Chamber of Commerce or the Federation of Small Businesses, and look for ‘digital hubs’ in your area, too. There are often free workshops and sometimes even reduced-fee or free workspaces for new businesses if you do some research. Wrexham Enterprise Hub, for example, is free – and gives you somewhere to work, have meetings, and also runs free training workshops.

Day Five: Identify Your Marketing Channels

When you’re starting out, you’re on a tight budget. So, marketing to all and sundry isn’t the most cost-effective way to spend your pennies!

You DO, however, have to spend SOME money on marketing to draw those first clients in. Once you’ve got them, they’ll offer reviews or word-of-mouth recommendations, which is free marketing that generates much stronger customer relationships, too.

Think about who you want as an ideal customer. What do they read? Which websites do they visit? Where do they go in your local community? Mix some online and offline marketing to get the best results. Try flyers in your local area, and digital adverts on social media platforms that are targeted at your ideal demographic.

The post How to Set Up Your Freelance Business in Under One Week appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

But how do you find your freelance niche? Fear not – we’ve put together this guide to help you make a decision on whether you should niche, and if so, which one is right for you.

• • Should I Niche?
  • The Pros of a Freelance Niche
  • Cons to Consider
  • The Middle Ground
  • How to Decide on Your Freelance Niche

Should I Niche?

Especially if you are new to the world of freelance work, you may be wondering if carving out a niche immediately is the best choice. It’s not always a clear-cut decision! Sometimes, it can be better to cast a wide net first in order to find your true niche.

You should also consider what you enjoy doing. Some niches may not mean you can earn more cash than being a broad-scope freelancer, but if you enjoy the subject matter it’s a worthy work-life balance to think about taking on.

The Pros of a Freelance Niche

Firstly, marketing your niche is very cost-effective. Because you’re providing a specific service, it’s easier to target your marketing towards prospective clients, and you’ll reach a larger percentage of people who are likely to require your services. This means that your marketing budget will go a lot further!

Once you find your freelance niche, there will also be less competition, as you’ll be operating in a smaller market.

You’ll also likely be able to charge more for your services. Freelance marketers, for example, can charge twice as much if they specialise in SEO or Pay Per Click advertising, as these are particularly skilled areas of digital marketing. Also, the longer you spend in your niche, the more specialist skills and knowledge you’ll develop, meaning you’ll be able to raise your prices over time.

Cons to Consider

However, committing to a niche is not always easy.

You may find yourself entering into a competitive, saturated market, which may be difficult to break into and you’ll need to go above and beyond to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t already have expertise in your niche, this may be a challenge you face.

Additionally, if you specialise too intensively in a single niche, there is a risk that your work dries up if demand for your service goes down.

Starting Broad and Then Specialising

For many, especially those who are just starting out, there is a sensible middle ground.

Rather than devoting all your energy to a single niche, it’s often advisable to start with a broader scope, in order to build up a loyal client base and to get a feel for which niche is right for you. If you’re a web developer, you could start out with three niches, such as HMTL, CSS and JavaScript, and narrow your focus over time. Having this first-hand experience in multiple different niches is a great way to help you make a decision on which suits you best.

You may also begin to see patterns in the demographic of your clientele, which will be crucial in deciding on your niche. Similarities between your existing clients can offer a great insight into specialist areas where you can shine!

Deciding On Your Niche

If you’ve decided you want to specialise, you’ll need to commit to a specific niche in your chosen industry. This can seem like a daunting prospect, but it’s a simple decision if you break it down. Deciding on your niche can be seen as a balancing act between the following three key factors.

1. Follow Your Passions

While this point may seem obvious, it’s arguably the most important thing to get right! It’s crucial that you have a genuine passion for your niche: working on projects will be more enjoyable, and this is guaranteed to have a positive effect on the work that you do.

Have a think about your biggest hobbies and interests, and then try and incorporate these into your niche. Perhaps you’re interested in fashion – you can use this as a source of inspiration! Try channelling your energy into logo design, fashion journalism, or be a consultant for a clothing retailer. It’ll make freelancing that much more fulfilling!

2. Use Your Expertise

Conveniently, this tends to go hand-in-hand with step 1. If you are particularly knowledgeable about your niche, and have developed skills that the average person doesn’t have, it’ll make you a much more attractive candidate for potential clients.

Expertise in your chosen niche will be particularly important in creating a unique selling proposition (USP), which will critically help you stand out against the competition.

Your specialist knowledge will also allow you to charge more for your services. This is why a handyman typically earns £20-30 per hour, whereas a plumber earns £40-60. Emphasise what makes you unique: you’ll earn more, and outshine your competitors!

3. Play the Market Right

Finally, it’s vitally important that your niche is a profitable one. A great way to understand more about which niches are in-demand is to assess your chosen industry on popular freelancing platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork. Even if you don’t intend to sell your services on these platforms, they’re really useful to get an idea of the wide range of niches you could enter into, and how popular and profitable those services are. Generally, the more results you get when you search for a certain niche, the more viable it is.

It’s also a good idea to look at the typical income for different niches. For example, if you’re looking to become a freelance writer, it’s worth knowing that the most profitable sectors include finance, travel and long-form content. At the end of the day, the niche that you choose needs to pay the bills!

The post How to Find Your Freelance Niche appeared first on MoneyMagpie.