Vikki Rimmer is a PR & Communications Consultant.  She won Xchangeteam’s PR Freelancer of the Year Award in 2008.  When asked why she likes freelancing, Vikki said: “I have the freedom to operate without the restraints that working in a corporation bring.  I generally work one-to-one with my clients and we try to use the freedom we have in a creative way; sailing close to the wind and being as provocative as possible in order to make the news agenda.  Working as a freelancer has meant that I've attracted some very unusual clients who wouldn't necessarily have had the budget or confidence to go to a large PR company in the first instance.

Read more...

Julie is currently working with Aviva, having started on a three month contract in May 2007, moving to the current programme in January 2008. The contract has been renewed every three months since then as Julie continues to deliver multiple phases of a programme scheduled for completion in September 2010.

Over time Julie has developed detailed understanding of Aviva’s systems and is able to integrate with the team very quickly. Clients benefit from her acquired knowledge of their products, combined with her objectivity and experience as an external provider. At a previous client she has also assumed a leadership role, for example providing cover when a client project manager and team leader took holidays simultaneously.

Read more...

Anna Cowie is a freelancer designer.

Why do you like freelancing?
There is a certain energy you get when starting a new job; it’s the excitement and the challenge. With freelancing you get the chance to experience this with every new booking. I love having the choice, freedom and the security:
Choice – being able to decide where and who to work for.
Freedom – taking Fridays of, without having to ask the boss.
And Security – never having to worry about loosing your job.

What are the biggest challenges you face?
Diving into the unknown. 
With every new brief comes a new set of deliverables.

The challenge is getting clients to understand the creative process.

Sketching ideas at the beginning can save hours when it comes to working on finished Mac files. Not all clients see this time as valuable; they just want to see the final result. I enjoy the challenge of forging a rapport of mutual respect, which keeps bringing clients back to me.

Anna won Xchangeteam’s Freelancer of the Year 2008 award.

Colin’s consultancy business, XDelta, specialises in the design and implementation of mission-critical and disaster-tolerant systems and recently helped build the largest centralised blood management system in the world.

When NHS Blood & Transplant (NHSBT), the authority responsible for tracking, testing and supplying blood to hospitals throughout England and North Wales, recently embarked on a major infrastructure upgrade to create a centralised national blood supply system, they engaged Colin to design and lead the implementation of the new platform.

Blood products must be immediately available and moved quickly to where they are needed. The new platform therefore had to be designed to survive multiple system failures in case of natural or man-made disasters.

Read more...

Why do you like freelancing?
I love the fact that I don't have to get involved in office politics, and that my days can be so varied. One day I might be testing facepaints for a parenting site, the next subbing a feature in a technology magazine, the next writing a feature on bringing up baby the organic way for www,bamboobaby.co.uk, which sells organic bamboo baby clothes. The thrill of getting a new commission or booking is somewhat addictive.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a freelancer?
The hundreds of people out there who want to do a bit of writing on the side and are happy to do it for chicken feed (and I'm not talking Boris Johnson's idea of chicken feed!) Finding the time to market yourself AND do enough work to earn a living can be a bit of a juggle at times, but when it works it's really rewarding. Oh... and having to work out how much money you'll lose if you go on holiday :)

Why do you like freelancing?
Freelancing opens up a whole world of possibilities which simply aren't there for the staffer, not least the choice to get up when you want to! I find I have much greater variety in the work I do as a freelancer, in terms of both projects and clients. And there are events going on all the time which make you feel part of a really exciting community.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a freelancer?
The main challenge for the freelancer is to remain flexible. You have to be willing to take on ill thought out commissions at the drop of a hat, changing your plans and frequently cancelling on friends and family. And there are no off days!

Andrea Kirkby gave up her job in the city last year to go freelance and has had a good first year despite the recession.

Why do you like freelancing?
Many reasons, but I think the greatest is that I like to be in charge of my own workload and when and how I do it. And I can take on a wide variety of work, which isn't always the case if you're working for a specific magazine or corporate. For instance this year I've written turnkey content for a travel company focused on Morocco, researched and written articles on corporate risk, overseas property markets and sales training, produced five e-books on different investment and business topics, contributed photos to a number of travel guides and a Turkish company's 2009 calendar, and had my first novel published. Quite a diverse workload!
And also, I can take the whole week off for Norwich Beer Festival next week! :-)

What are the biggest challenges you face as a freelancer?
Marketing, without a doubt - I hate it, and I know I don't pitch as much as I should. On the other hand I do cultivate regular clients, and I have got better at asking for referrals, which is always a great way of getting business. I also have an agent, who is an absolute marvel and helps me keep my accounts straight into the bargain.

Why do you like freelancing?
I find it really creative. I like coming up with new ideas and seeking out unusual people and stories and I never found I had the time to do it in a desk job. Now though, I can do it all - and regularly travel the world looking for stories. As an in-house journalist, it's too easy just to interview over the phone and miss out all the local colour, but as a freelancer, you have to get out and about. It's very satisfying too.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a freelancer?
Placing stories is tough right now. Even though I have a wide array of outlets, some great stories always fall by the wayside, in a way that they wouldn't if I was a staffer. And payment is tricky - I'm such small fry that I am regularly paid late and there's nothing I can do about it. It's definitely a risky situation to be in - I don't know what I'm doing next month, for example, and none of my work is secured on a monthly contract - but I thrive on risk and pressure so that's great. I do see it as a role that works into the future though - newspapers, magazines and websites always need new ideas and good writers and that's what I do.

Why do you like freelancing?
I have been freelancing in London for 5 years, specialising in Digital Production (Websites, Flash Banners, Motion Graphics etc).  Over this time I have worked with many of London's top digital agencies and had the chance to use my skills on a wide range of projects.  Regularly moving companies and taking on new projects makes freelancing very dynamic and keeps things fresh.  Freelancing has given me a lot of experience and insight into the industry.  This has made it possible for me to form my own digital production company this year with my partner (FIT digital).

What are the biggest challenges you face?
Being a freelancer is often the equivalent having your own small company.  Freelancers deal with the challenges that many fully formed companies have to deal with. These include Tax, finding work and chasing payment. Luckily there are many organisations that will provide assistance in these matters, such as accountants, recruitment agencies and bailiffs.

Another challenge is keeping up with the latest technology.  Many weekends and evening are spent learning new software updates and improving portfolio content. Having a particular skill can often mean the difference between a "yes" and a "no".

Derek Pattenson is founder and sole consultant of Small Office Solutions providing a range of Information Technology development and support services to clients in the UK and globally.

Initially, from 1997, I started working from home to avoid the wasted time, energy, costs and frustrations of commuting. My first remote clients were in London and I continued to visit them on a weekly basis. However as both technology - and my demonstrable ability to harness it - developed, I began working with clients whose premises I never visited. Soon my client list included not only London and other UK clients, but companies across the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. A marketplace that I could never have reached before was now open to me. Whilst working in different time zones can present problems, it's also a great opportunity for clients. Often they can request a task late in their working day, confident that when they return to work in the morning I will have completed it.

Read more...