Manage and market yourself as a freelancer in the creative industries
Overview
This Standard is for you if you operate as a freelancer in the creative industries. In order to be successful you need to seek and find work, negotiate your own contract (unless you have an agent) and meet budgeting and legal requirements related to your freelance status.
This requires a good understanding of how to promote your achievements, further your reputation, and keep your skills and knowledge up-to-date.
It also involves a range of
business skills necessary to thrive as a freelancer. Most people working in the creative industries
will need to prepare for a portfolio career.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- establish, follow-up and regularly maintain business contacts within the industry
- participate within relevant networks and expert organisations to support your freelance activity
- identify and follow appropriate strategies to enhance your professional reputation and promote yourself to potential clients
- ensure that you have systems in place that help identify work opportunities at an early stage
- maximise your reputation by ensuring the circulation of current and succinct information about your experience, past work, achievements and availability
- investigate potential agents or other representatives available in your area
- make use of others as models of competence thereby enabling the identification of development and training needs
- seek constructive feedback from relevant people about your performance and evaluate feedback so as to identify development needs
- maintain your own continuous professional development to ensure you refresh, update and add to your skills and knowledge
- regularly revisit, review and set realistic objectives for training needs, performance and progress, business targets and the use of time and resources in achieving objectives
- ensure that record keeping and accounts are kept up-to-date and are accurate and relevant
- set up and use effective systems for managing budgets, tax, VAT and other paperwork
- establish and maintain effective services to support yourself as a freelancer
- plan ahead to organise and maintain a viable work and cash flow
- ensure you are flexible and prepared to adapt to the demands of others whilst maintaining personal working style, brand and reputation
- negotiate terms and conditions that meet legal requirements in terms of equal opportunities, employment law, production industry regulations and health and safety
- estimate and agree realistic fee rates, schedule and other expenses
- establish clear performance outcomes
- ensure the contract contains details regarding payment terms and time limit to payment and the obligations of all parties clearly communicated
- ensure that the details of the contract match agreements and securely store a written copy of the final signed contract
- decide if it is beneficial to your work to establish and
- maintain a professional online presence
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
1 who are the
major commissioning organisations in your field of expertise and how best to
make contact
2 how to
maintain your professional ethics and practices, and keep abreast of new
developments within the multi-media industry
3 acceptable
ways to market yourself and your services in your industry
4 creative
ways to show clients that you are worth approaching about the possibility of
work
5 what are the
best and most effective tools to use for self-promotion
6 whether an
agent, diary service or on-line talent database, would be able to help you to find work
7 how to
access work opportunities within your
industry
8 how to
estimate realistic rates for fees and,
if appropriate, resources such as accommodation and expenses
9 how to
negotiate terms and conditions in line with legal and industry requirements
10 when you
need to obtain insurance and how to do so
11 when and how
to agree staged payments
12 how to
maintain contacts and conduct negotiations with potential clients
13 how to
negotiate and agree legal contracts that include expected income, time
available and clearly established outcomes
14 the relevant
sources of advice on employment, insurance, tax regulations and other small
business legislation
15 how to keep
simple accounts (income, expenditure and cash flow) and how to invoice and
chase late payments
16 how to set
and manage personal and business budgets
17 how to
recognise the difference between creative and business decisions
18 how to carry
out contingency planning, scheduling and future planning so as to maintain a
viable work and cash flow
19 how to build
support networks to address the difficulties of working alone
20 how to
identify potential mentors and develop a productive mentoring relationship
21 how to
manage your continuous professional development to ensure your skills and knowledge are kept up-to-date
22 the
benefits of a professional online presence and the options to achieve this
including promotional websites, blogs
and use of social media