How to become a successful freelancer

Being a successful freelancer can be hard work.  I moved to Auckland, New Zealand two years ago when my partner transferred with his job and thought I would get a design job straight away. A few months down the line, I was sadly no where near to finding a job. 

Having a background in sportswear design and having worked with companies Adidas & Puma , I felt I had enough experience that I could take on jobs online and be able to design for people with the knowledge I had. 

I started working on websites such as 'Freelancer', 'Upwork' and 'People Per Hour'  and at first took on really small projects so I would get reviews, and eventually more jobs. It helped to have a good portfolio to show the work that I could do and as most of it was sportswear apparel, it gave me a speciality area. One thing I wish I had done straight away is to create a website. Once I had made a website on square space, jobs came through my email and I gained work without needing the online platforms! 

Becoming a freelance designer is the first brave step, but the next step is to be a sustainable & successful freelance designer.  The ideal client is someone who is professional and who is creating a brand with long term goals. You want to work with clients on a regular basis where you can build a good relationship with them and be able to make a living without having to search for new jobs on a daily basis.

Here are some of my main tips which I hope will help you (hopefully...) : 

• Create your own portfolio website which shows off the quality of your work. Make sure there is a contact page where people can contact you.

• When people contact you, make sure you have a set rate which you stick to. This should reflect your skill set, experience and by looking at fellow freelancers around the area you are in.

• Find out exactly what your clients needs are. There is nothing worse than starting the job, and realising you cant meet some of their needs. How many garments do they need designed, do they need graphics, do they want technical specs....do they need your help to fit the clothes....etc. Be open and honest with what job you can provide and send examples of your work so they know what to expect.

• Keep a log book of all the jobs you are doing, do you are on the ball with all your clients. Know deadlines, when you should be sending work, invoices...etc.

• Use a professional finance App which allows you to send and track your invoices. (I use Quickbooks)

• When it comes to payment, be totally clear how much the quote is. I usually ask for 50% of the full amount to be paid upfront, and then send that half of the work. I then send a second invoice for the rest of the payment. There have been jobs where I have sent all of the work before being paid... and then not been paid, so now I manage the invoicing differently.

• Always keep communication open and constant with your clients. If you are running behind on a job, then let your client know. If they are not happy with your work, then make sure you stay on a professional level and do the work until they are happy.

• At the beginning of your freelance journey, I would say always be looking and applying for the work that you can do. Always be one step ahead so you have work coming in constantly and are not left in limbo once one project has ended.

Most of all enjoy the freedom that freelancing gives you! Stay ahead of the game, learn new skills, take on a variety of projects and have fun! 

You can sign up here FREELANCER.COM - https://www.freelancer.com/get/jessw18

Designing for Russell Athletics & freelance tips!

I had an old Puma colleague contact me recently in regards to doing some freelance work for a sub brand of Fila. It would be to design a women's collection for Russell Athletics for Urban Outfitters. This was the best news! In terms of a freelance contract & the reason it was so exciting was a) I knew the person who asked me & she was really nice,  b) it meant I could go into London to do some of the work and c) it was at my day rate. I absolutely loved going into London and working next to my old colleague, and I ended up doing about 3 weeks work for the company. The project was about 20 garments for women, for Russell Athletics which would be sold in Urban Outfitters. I would have loved to keep designing for the company and felt really comfortable in their office plus having the flexibility to still do some work from home. Unfortunately the contract they offered me didn't work out,  but it made me think that if you are struggling to find any freelance work in your industry, it can be worth reaching out to old work colleagues or finding work through people you might know. I had never gone down this route when I first started doing freelance but after my old colleague got in touch, it would have been so good if I had reached out to various people I had worked with from the beginning! 

*TOPTIP* - If you are looking for contract or freelance work, try getting in touch with old colleagues. You never know if they are looking for an extra designer to help them! 

*TOP TIP 2* - When bigger companies make you a contract offer, take into consideration that you are taking on all the risks as a freelancer, the company is not paying any workers insurance, tax, or holiday pay - this is why your day rate is higher than a fully employed person. Always know your worth and don't accept seriously low offers. Of course it can depend on your current situation in terms of how much work you have coming in, but remember not to settle.

Design project - yoga wear, Chak 7 Apparel

I am currently designing for Chak 7 apparel which is a New York based brand focusing on yoga apparel. I really love the style and aesthetic of the direction they give me. We have played around with a couple of mesh options but went for a sleek striped mesh which works so nicely up the thigh. It not only looks cool but is really breathable and the fabric is super form fitting. 

At the moment the collection is purely leggings and a long sleeve top with the plan to branch out.  Sometimes it can be hard to come up with original and great looking legging designs. The Ath-leisure market is becoming seriously over crowded with every client wanting the same thing. As a brand you really do need a special USP....you need something unique to stand out. So it does become harder as a designer to think of the next great look. Stepping out of your office to walk around a city is really beneficial if you want to stay motivated and keep updated with what people are wearing on the streets. It is really important to do this as a freelancer and not become stale within your surroundings!

Exciting project for Instagram fitness sensation

I think for me , one of the best things about being a freelancer is the variety of projects you get to work on. Each day is completely different and tends to bring a new and exciting project. Well not every day, but more often than it used to be working for a big sports brand. One project included helping a guy who was successful on Instagram as a health and fitness 'guru'. I hate that word but I guess thats what you could call him. He currently has more than a million followers.

Although his team did not want a massive collection, the aim was to design 5 pieces of gym-wear which would appeal to his audience without being too similar and boring. The process is still on going which can be the case with some projects that you take on. 

*TOPTIP* -  As a freelancer, it really is important that you are always looking at the next month ahead, some projects and clients do become regulars which is great but it really is an on going game where you have to always be applying and finding the next contract. 

Lets see how this project goes....I do hope that this one works out.

First client - Ups & Downs

After moving to Auckland in 2015, I really struggled to find a full time job in fashion design. I went to New Zealand feeling really confident that after working as a designer for Puma, I would easily find a job in Auckland!...I was so wrong. After months of trawling the internet and applying for any kind of 'fashion' based job, I thought it might be best to move back to London. Thats until I stumbled onto a website called Freelancer. Websites such as freelancer, upwork and people per hour are a great way for brands/ companies to find freelancers for website design, graphic design and like me ; fashion design. After taking on lots of small to medium sized projects, I started to gain momentum and realised that I could earn a living doing this full time!

One of my first long term projects was with an exciting cycle brand called Anti-natural. The brand idea was great, the style direction was cool and the Director seemed really enthusiastic about making it a success. As a freelancer, you have to make sure you understand the amount of work you are taking on and cover all the details at the start of a project. As it was one of my first projects, I did not do this and I ended up creating quite a large collection, but I was only charging a fraction of what I should have. I took on an apparel job and didn't realise how many graphics I was going to be designing. Its fine to undercharge slightly at the beginning, and to get good reviews but I was going private with this job and I should have set a more clear guide from the beginning. Never undersell yourself! If you have the experience and you know you are a good designer, don't undersell your talent. In hindsight, what I should have done is tell the client that the job is now a lot bigger than I originally thought and although I am happy to continue- there will now be a new cost going forward.

When you are talking about costs and quotes, make sue you find out how many garments your client is looking for, details about the garments, how many colours, do they need graphics...etc. You can then set up a fixed quote. You then need to talk about revisions, and how much time after you submit the work you can spend on updates. You also need to be clear with your client that design time is separate from technical spec time. This question comes up a lot, so at the beginning of your job make sure you outline the technical specs are a second job. 

You can find the freelance jobs I started off in here:

https://www.freelancer.com/

https://www.peopleperhour.com/

https://www.upwork.com/ab/account-security/login?redir=/