Freelance Corner

Are you wondering how you can beat the competition and use social media to grow new opportunities as a freelancer? In our final episode of the series, Orla and Ben catch up with IPSE Ambassador and seasoned social media consultant Luan Wise, to find out how you can spread the word about your freelance business online and use strategy to win a following and future work. We also find out why sustainable marketing is important in business plans as a freelancer of the future and we discover Luan’s top tips for how you can use organic and paid social strategy to promote your business.   

Do you love writing? Want to turn your passion into a freelance career but not sure where to start?     This week Orla and Ben are joined by award-winning journalist Donna Ferguson. We hear about her journey into the world of journalism, Donna shares advice for how you can start a career as a freelance journalist and we discuss the landscape of the industry including how journalists get paid. Donna Ferguson is a multiple award-winning freelance journalist, mainly for The Guardian and The Observer in the UK. She writes about education, arts, children, lifestyle, history, science, health, books, consumer trends and personal finance and was recently shortlisted for the top prize at the inaugural Freelance Writing Awards in the UK: Freelance Writer of the Year 2021.

We hear about how vital it is to find your niche a lot in the world of freelancing, but how can you find out what yours is?  This week Orla and Ben are joined by author and serial entrepreneur Alison Grade. She shares her top tips for sending the ultimate cold email pitch, actionable ways you can win clients and ultimately win work.  Alison uses her rare mix of creative, academic and business experience to help transform creative concepts into business reality. Alison spent 15 years working at senior level in many media companies – predominantly in international television and film production, rights management and strategy – but she also has formal academic training and is a Nesta-accredited Creative Enterprise Trainer.  Add to that mix that Alison is also an entrepreneur who has established her own businesses and it becomes clear why she is in such demand by many creative businesses as a consultant and non-exec. She is also the author of the Penguin bestseller, The Freelance Bible.  View Alison's work here: https://alisongrade.com/

Have you always wondered ‘what if’ you went freelance? You have a great idea, but you’re not sure what practical steps you should take to get started with going freelance? If your answer is 'yes' then this is the episode for you.  This week Orla and Ben speak with digital marketing expert Lou Nylander and we find out how she went from working the traditional 9-5 to creating her own marketing business. We also learn why finding your freelancing community is so vital when starting out and Lou shares her practical tips for you to flourish as a freelancer!  Lou has fifteen years of B2B digital marketing experience, managing global teams and shaping the course of some of the world's leading digital advertising companies, including MediaCom, AOL, The Huffington Post, Zenith and Unruly. In 2015, Lou founded 'Wildflowers of London', a social enterprise focused on empowering women. In Spring 2021, Lou launched her own marketing consultancy, dedicated to supporting founders and entrepreneurs.

This week Orla and Ben speak with entrepreneur Lizzie Penny and discuss how work patterns are changing. We explore the concept of the 9-5, dissect productivity and find out how you can make your schedule, lifestyle and ultimately - workstyle, cater to you and your wellbeing as a freelancer. Lizzie is an entrepreneur and a campaigner for ‘workstyle’ - the freedom to choose when and where you work. She is fascinated by how new working practices can fundamentally redefine inclusion at work, whilst also improving wellbeing and step-changing productivity. She has co-authored a book on Workstyle which has been published by Hachette in 2022. When she is not being a spokesperson for the Workstyle Revolution, Lizzie focuses on virtual leadership and building cohesive cultures for autonomous organisations. Her restless drive towards improvement, effectiveness and inclusion is at the heart of why she co-founded successful B-Corp, Hoxby and continues to underpin everything she does. Interested in the book? You can find more information on Workstyle here: https://www.workstylerevolution.com/book

In this week’s episode, Orla and Ben are joined by Laura Wallis, a freelance writer and speaker with expertise in women's healthcare, neurodiversity, and mental health. We find out how her passion took her from working on contracts with the NHS to setting up the organisation ‘Debating Mental Health’ which delivered speech and debate coaching to young people with mental health support needs, to improve their confidence, self-esteem and help create an accessible community.  We also discuss what neurodiversity is, why it’s vital to be aware of it, how freelancers can access supportive communities and we learn Laura's top tips for public speaking. 

Every fortnight, join hosts Orla and Ben as they quiz an expert on an issue that affects you, with the goal of answering an important question. Each episode features candid conversations with inspiring freelancers who share their story with us, insider tips and valuable advice for you in your own freelancing career. Submit a question you would like an expert to answer by emailing content@freelancecorner.co.uk 

Freelance Corner is the podcast for the UK's freelance community. Every fortnight, join hosts Orla and Ben as they quiz an expert on an issue that affects you, with the goal of answering an important question. Is there a question you would like us to answer? Email content@freelancecorner.co.uk to have your question answered. Jaime Gill is an award-winning creative, copywriter and communications consultant with over 20 years experience. He strives to make a social impact and has created campaigns for global organizations including UNICEF and NGOs.  We discover Jaime’s career journey starting in journalism, to commercial public relations, and then taking the leap to work in Cambodia with non-profit and humanitarian organizations. Our discussion explores what it takes to set up a freelancing career abroad and how overcoming the fear of self-promotion is vital as a freelancer. We also learn what significance awards can have for freelancers, how they can help create new opportunities and the power of a good idea.  Interested in Jaime’s work? Check out his website boxclevercreative.com and find him on Linkedin here.  You can find out more about the IPSE Freelancer awards here.

Every fortnight, join hosts Orla and Ben as they quiz an expert on an issue that affects you, with the goal of answering an important question. Is there a question you would like us to answer? Email content@freelancecorner.co.uk to have your question answered. This week, Orla and Ben caught up with IPSE member Katy Carlisle, otherwise known as the SQ SP Queen. Katy is a web designer who is passionate about all things website design and making her schedule work for her. Katy is also the founder of Freelance Folk, the co-host of the podcast 99 Problems (but a boss ain’t one), IPSE Member Forum leader, and judge for IPSE's 2021 Freelancer of the Year Awards.   We delve into Katy's journey so far as a freelancer, discover how she manages to balance so many different plates as a freelancer and she gives advice on how you can achieve a healthy work-life balance and establish boundaries as a freelancer. We also discuss client red flags, how best you can avoid them and practical tips for how to make your schedule work for you as a freelancer, so that you can enjoy the flexibility of freelancing - to the fullest!  Katy's website: https://www.sqspqueen.com/ Katy's social: https://twitter.com/katycarlisle Freelance Folk: https://www.freelancefolk.co.uk/ Listen to Katy's podcast 99 Problems (but a boss ain't one): https://spoti.fi/3UIWJFn IPSE's Spotify playlists for freelancers: https://spoti.fi/3TLVJ2b Katy's recommended scheduling tool: https://calendly.com/

Freelance Corner is the podcast for the UK's freelance community. Each episode, our hosts quiz an expert with the aim of answering a question sent in by our listeners. Is there a question you would like us to answer? Email content@freelancecorner.co.uk to have your question answered. An update from the team at Freelance Corner: One of our wonderful podcast hosts, Jess, has moved on to a new role at The Times. We're absolutely delighted for her and she's left big shoes to fill! The podcast will be taking a short hiatus but please stay subscribed, listen to past episodes, and keep sending us your questions and comments!

In the past year, lots of creatives have seen their work dry up, due to the coronavirus pandemic. So much so, that research by IPSE found that 1 in 3 freelancers struggled to pay their tax return in January, and over a quarter said that the tax bill had a “strong negative impact” on their finances.  It’s more important than ever that we talk about the mental health implications of the pandemic. In this episode, we have two guests, Sarah McCaffery and Rachel Murray. Sarah is from Solas Mind, a mental health support service for freelancers who work in the creative sectors. Rachel is a writer, editor, and founder of Pivot: a newsletter that helps people pivot in a new job, career path or industry. The pivot website says it is without the “BS, hyperbole or motivational quotes.” 

Author of Freelance Corner favourite book Survival Skills for Freelancers joins Jess and guest co-host Christina McLean to discuss the practical tips offered in Sarah's book. With over 20 years' experience as a freelancer, Sarah shares her top tips, busts some myths, and gives fantastic advice for freelancers. Check out Sarah's website and book here.  Sarah's new book The Little Book of Confusables is designed to help smart people avoid stupid mistakes with commonly confused words.  It’s available on Amazon, in paperback and Kindle, here: https://amzn.to/3AjqtB4

In this episode, the editor of Working Dads James Millar joins Laura Livingstone, an executive coach who helps parents and teachers build emotional resilience and confidence during times of change and challenge.  Now we near the end of homeschooling, the guests explain how things might change post-lockdown, now that more parents realise the pressures of working from home with homeschooling. They also answer questions sent in from listeners, including how to explain your freelance work to unsympathetic children.

This week, Faye and Jess welcome Victoria Prince, a marketing consultant and founder of Touchpoints Marketing. Victoria helps recent graduates, freelancers and entrepreneurs launch their businesses and use marketing to help them reach their potential. In this episode, Victoria offers timeless advice for recent graduates on how to stand out, the best way to sell your services, and when to become a freelancer. She also answers questions from listeners, such as how to politely ask for LinkedIn recommendations. For listeners, please find Freelance Corner's guide to setting rates here, which members can access for free.

Liz Johnson is a former gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer for Team GB. After retiring at 30, she has now focused her attention on helping disabled freelancers find work. Last year she launched The Ability People with her business partner, an initiative to help disabled freelancers find meaningful work. The pair launched Podium, a freelance jobs board for disabled freelancers.  Liz discusses how her career to date shaped her new venture, how freelancers can use the Podium platform, and how they can get paid. She also answers questions sent in from listeners, such as if the rates are fair, and how to disclose your disability to clients. To sign up for Podium, the jobs platform for disabled freelancers, search 'Podium, The Ability People' on Google, or click here. 

Faye and Jess are joined by CMME's head of mortgages Simon Butler, who answers questions about how to get a mortgage as a freelancer. Simon covers everything, from how to save for a deposit with a fluctuating income, Stamp Duty savings, and the documentation you need to apply for a mortgage. Simon also answered questions from listeners, including how to meet the affordability criteria as a freelancer, if it's harder to get a mortgage as a freelancer, and what to do if you currently have no savings. 

Faye and Jess are joined by Fiona Thomas, author of 'Out of Office: Ditch the 9-5 and Be Your Own Boss', to discuss how to start out as a freelancer during the coronavirus pandemic.  Spending more time at home this year might have allowed you more space to reflect — perhaps it’s even given you the opportunity to re-evaluate your way of working. Given the current economic climate and potential job instability, you might be considering going freelance for the first time. But how do you make it work in the midst of a pandemic?

Freelance Corner is the podcast for the UK's freelance community. Each week, hosts Faye and Jess enlist the help of an expert to answer a common question freelancers ask. Nothing is off limits, from how to find freelance writing jobs, how to avoid cyber crime, even how to find love as a freelancer.  Submit a question you would like an expert to answer by emailing content@freelancecorner.co.uk. Or to be our featured freelancer of the week, email us the biggest success you have had this week. 

Faye and Jess are joined by Patrick, a representative of the West Midlands Cyber Crime Unit, who gives advice on how freelancers can avoid cyber crime. In this episode, Patrick explains why our home Wi-Fi routers could actually be a gateway for cyber criminals, and how to avoid it. Patrick answers questions from you, our listeners, about topics such as how to safely store passwords.  With the number of online fraud cases rising since the start of the pandemic, Patrick gives timely advice. Listen now to make sure your business is protected. 

In this week's episode, Ella and Jess answer the question: How can freelancers deal with rejection? It's a tough one to answer - which is why we enlisted the help of Jenny Stallard, founder of Freelance Feels, an online community, podcast and blog tackling the mental health challenges faced by freelancers. Jenny also answers questions from listeners, including how to stop comparing yourself to other freelancers. Rejection isn't easy, and Freelance Corner is here to help. Head to freelancecorner.co.uk today for advice on all freelance matters.