One of my fellow freelancers, Katy at The Wheel Exists, has posted a freelance manifesto for 2018, and I thought I would do the same.
Expansion plans
Unlike Katy, I don’t want to remain a Company of One and would like to grow my business beyond just me (currently I’m operating at full capacity and have a waiting list). The biggest problem I have with doing this is that I don’t know how to find someone who has the right skillset and would be interested in working on a part-time basis to start with. In addition, I’ve never managed anyone in an employer/employee manner before, so I’m not sure how to go about it.
I’d also like to expand out into other areas where I see a gap in the market or poor performance from existing participants. For example, landlords and tenants I know grumble about how dreadful letting agents are. That poor reputation, plus the potential ban on fees charged to tenants, means there’s an opportunity for an online agent who helps landlords manage their properties whilst maintaining a good reputation with tenants.
Side projects
The downside to operating at full capacity is that I have little time for side projects – I spend four days a week on paid work and one day on voluntary work. I have a huge list of projects, ranging from writing fiction to running a website about walks and pubs, but they require some upfront investment in time and possibly money.
Business first
I try to project a corporate image online, as most of my clients are businesses. As a result you’re unlikely to see me swear online (even on personal Twitter or IRC) and I’m cautious about talking about clients, even when they’re not named. This probably makes me seem rather dull – I don’t have exciting things like Instagram – but I think that works well from a business perspective.
Time off
I enjoy most of the work I do and earn a reasonable amount from doing so. Combined with the freelance worry about whether work will be available in the future, this has resulted in me not taking a proper holiday or time off since I started freelancing more than two years ago. I need to book blocks of time off in my diary in advance and then pick something to do in them.
Other stuff
There are probably a dozen other things which I could put on my list, but I’m aware that I’m generally ambitious and have taken on too much in the past, so four resolutions is enough to be getting on with.