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.
