Going solo — prompts for taking the big leap into freelance working

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A strategist’s recipe book

4 min readFeb 6, 2018

Friends in permanent roles get all wistful and wide-eyed when we talk about working independently. Certainly, the increasing visibility of solo workers parked up in every cafe, hotel lobby and pool-side area plays up the “lifestyle” side of it by perpetuating an aspirational image of professional and personal freedom surrounded by flat whites, fresh flowers and executive lounge wear. But, the day-to-day reality is far more mundane, I’m afraid. It’s still work.

So, when a pal asked for a few thoughts on really striking out on your own, it was helpful to review my experience so far and look at what makes it work objectively. Here’s what I came up with:

No room for ego

Stepping out of a company means saying goodbye to promotions, hierarchy and status. You will no longer have a pre-established ladder to climb, or even a ladder at all. You are just you so…

Be confident in (and protective of) your sense of self

Which is both empowering and terrifying. Only you call the shots, only you decide what to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to. Only you know if you did a good job or made the right decision. Embrace the things that make you both strong and weak, and try to stay true to what you want to do.

Do it because you have to

Simply wanting to work independently or setting up your own thing is not enough. You need to have conviction that you have something fresh to offer, a new perspective, or a way of doing things that you truly believe absolutely has to be done. As Simon Sinek says, people won’t buy what you do, they’ll buy why you do it.

Start small and humble

It’s tempting to make a big song and dance on day one, but starting out needs baby steps. Tell your inner circle, and then let the word spread organically. Stay stealth until you have something to shout about and then find your voice.

Be clear on your offer

It’s important to think and act strategically. Know your target audience, understand what their needs are and be ruthless about finding a product/market fit. That said, try to position yourself in a way that encourages people to get in touch even if they aren’t sure — every contact is a good contact!

Run it like a business

Have a proper website (thanks Tom). Get a proper working space (shout out Patron). Get an accountant (holler Sampson West). Insist on contracts. Don’t do too much work for free. Invoice on time and chase them up. Establish early on what projects you can and can’t talk about or case study. Find times in the year to assess and plan.

Remember: you eat what you kill, so be a killer!

Stick to your terms

People will try always try to talk you down or get something for nothing. Be firm but clear and seek to learn how to spot a red flag early. Always go back to the statement of work and speak up if things are running over.

Have a price range (not a price)

There’s some projects you want to do, but they have no money. Make it work. There’s some projects you don’t want to do, but they have loads of money. Make them pay. Try to avoid doing projects you don’t want to do for no money. Of course, aim to land projects you want to do for loads of money!

Find your community

It’s lonely out there and you are not an island. It’s easy to feel paranoid, lost, competitive and suspicious. So find people you can turn to for help or support. Or even just reassurance that you aren’t going mad/confirmation that you are. If you can’t take on a project, recommend someone who can — they will one day return the favour.

Have a plan for the down time

Sometimes things go quiet. It may be a week, it may be several weeks. So have a list of things you want to do when those times come along. And if there’s something in there that you want to do anyway (a holiday, a course, a personal project), just do it — the work will work around it. You will need more holidays, treats and down time than you do working full-time so take it and enjoy it.

If you’re independent and reading this, what would you add to these prompts? It’s a constantly evolving state of being, so I would be fascinated to hear!

Please share and ‘clap’ if you found this piece useful :) And feel free to get in touch via my website, http://www.camillagrey.com/.