freelance marketing
So, what happens now?
(Disclaimer. For the accomplished freelancer the following braindump is probably laughable.)
Given the lack of office space and storage, and not wanting to lollop and/or destroy a handbag, I purchased a backpack. Whilst it isn’t Mulberry it is padded and serves a purpose by carrying my laptop, chargers, water bottle, lunch, snacks, purse, coffee mug, notebook, pens and makeup bag. Not a great weight when you have a slipped disc and sciatica but my Dad’s constant badgering from 15 years ago means I use both shoulder straps [cue sarcastic smirky face].
I don’t always have an allocated toilet. That said, I do have an abundance of 20p coins for Brighton station’s facilities and am on first-name terms with the cleaning attendant.
I miss my food drawer. Seriously. For over 13 years (yes I counted) my middle desk drawer was dedicated to crackers, crisps and custard creams with Ikea clips at hand so nothing went stale (that was my mum’s constant badgering).
I have more receipts than a typical Saturday shopping spree. They keep coming every day and I keep batching them in date order. (I must up the admin.)
I drink a lot of coffee and have more loyalty reward cards than I actually need. I have also made it my mission to memorise the whereabouts of café plug points, especially cafes that offer reliable wifi...
I walk. A lot. To and from train stations, on to co-working spaces and cafes; more than when I had a dedicated desk and office. My Fitbit doesn’t know what’s going on.
What else?
I continue to work with amazing people! Ex-managers are now colleagues, previous suppliers are clients, and new acquaintances are collaborators.
I enjoy the continuous learning and development I gain from my personal network. This is growing by the day from meeting new people in co-working spaces and Twitter/LinkedIn conversations. I’ve been invited to marketing focus groups, networking events and subject matter meetups; it’s good having the flexibility to be able to attend these and broaden my knowledge.
I strive to maintain an even work/life balance - and one of the reasons I chose to be self-employed. Friends of mine who freelance work all hours. I appreciate this may be par for the course when you work for yourself, but I am doing my best to retain a healthy approach to the hours I work, especially when working from home. No doubt this may vary dependent on projects I take on but not to the extent of my student Pro Plus all-nighters...
Over the last few weeks, I have worked with a handful of clients - from agencies to small businesses and startups. Some have sought strategic direction whereas others, by contrast, have needed ad hoc support with their marketing activity - social media engagement, copywriting and email marketing. I am starting to see real variety in my work, now and in the near future, which really excites me.