No one is more surprised than I am that this is the 10th version of this newsletter – thanks to all who have been supportive, who have shared and liked, and dropped me a note of appreciation. It’s always lovely to know you aren’t writing into the void!
However, I have content planned for about four more, and then it’s possible I’ll be out of ideas, so please, whether you’re new to gig work or an old hack like me, send through any ideas or questions. They will all be gratefully received!
Also, I’d love to feature some people who aren’t writers – if you’re keen, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime…
Happy gigging!
Mandy
MONEY: Tax – to outsource or DIY?
One thing that has served me very well in my self-employment journey so far, is to know when I don’t know. I’ve had turned down many a brief because I knew I wasn’t the right person for the job, and there were other people who could do the work better than I could – and without having to climb a very steep learning curve.
And this is my view when it comes to tax, too. I honestly don’t know anything about tax other than that I can claim for any expense I incur in the service of earning a living. The ins and outs? Well, I don’t have time to learn them, and I’m not really interested enough to do so either. Plus, I find most government forms incomprehensible, so it’s just an exercise in frustration.
And that’s why I have always paid someone else to do my tax for me – I really think it’s a worthwhile cost for the time and stress it saves me. Just be aware that it is still your responsibility. For instance, I know someone who handed over their taxes to their accountant to do. The accountant neglected to do the necessary, the person in question didn’t follow up, and six or seven years down the line, they were slapped with a hefty bill in penalties and back taxes.
When I started out, my financial adviser used to do my tax for me. He charged by the hour, so I saved money by adding up all my income and expenses for him, and simply sending through any tax certificates I’d received, along with those numbers. It only took me a few hours, and then he did the calculations and filled in the forms with the Reliever of Revenue.
Since I set up a company, I have an accountant who charges me a monthly fee and there’s a whole accounting system in place. My tax happens as if by magic, (well, she does do the calculation, but it seems like magic to me) and it’s honestly the best thing. I simply squirrel away a percentage of every payment I receive as the money lands, and when SARS comes calling, I have the funds I need.
WORK LIFE: How to take a brief
Some clients are great at giving a brief – you know exactly what they want, when they want it, and how they want it done. The majority, however … not so much. And if you’re dealing with anyone within spitting distance of an MBA, you’re in for a treat. They’ll bombard you with business bullshit that is beyond comprehension, and after several meetings you’ll be none the wiser.
So it’s very important – if you want to survive self-employment – that you learn to take a brief. In other words, keep asking questions until you understand what is required.
Start by making sure you understand when the work is to be delivered – don’t fall for blurry deadlines. Because if you do, they’ll suddenly decide out of the blue that whatever they’ve asked for is screamingly urgent, and then it will become your problem. Nail that deadline down.
Second, focus on the outcome. What is the final product to look, feel, sound like? How big or small is it? How detailed? How long or short?
Then ask about its purpose – how it will be used and by whom, so that you can pitch it just right.
Finally, the trick is to use the same technique that therapists use to ensure they’ve understood you correctly. At the end of discussion, sum up by saying, “So, if I understand you correctly, you want me to …” and then use your own words to describe what they have asked you to do. This can often help to clarify things, and then you can forge ahead and be sure you’re on the right track.
MARKETING: Diversifying your offering
When I started out in this game, I did one thing. I was a freelance journalist, and I wrote features for magazines. That was it.
Fast forward 25+ years and I only dabble in the thing that was once the lifeblood of my business – just to keep my hand in. Now I write, edit and proofread all kinds of documents and content, across multiple sectors, with multiple purposes, and I do some training to boot. And I think that is key to how I have managed to keep my head above water – including during Covid-19.
It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part – it was more a case of saying yes to anything I thought I could do to grow my business, but in retrospect I can see that the diversification has served me well. The fundamentals of what I do have stayed the same – I’m a wordsmith. But I’ve stepped out of the very narrow application of my skills, and found other ways to use them. And I’m so grateful that things worked out that way.
But I would urge you to be more conscious about it than I was. Because if the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s how quickly things can change. Overnight the world looked very different, and many people lost work and opportunities, and found themselves scrabbling to survive. Given the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis, for starters, I think we are in for a roller coaster ride over the next while, and we’re going to have to be agile to adapt.
So spend some time thinking about how you could diversify the kinds of clients you work for – and start building yourself a more firm foundation for the future.*
*That alliteration makes me very happy… 😄
INTERVIEW: Anna Stroud
Q. What freelance services do you offer?
A. I do copywriting for clients in the health, wellness and financial services industries. I also write for a literary website where we promote local books. But I’ll write anything for money, really.
Q. How long have you been freelancing?
A. Part-time since 2016 and full-time since 2018. So about six years now.
Q. What’s the best part of being a freelancer?
A. I love working from home, making my own hours and choosing projects that I believe in. Being a freelancer gives me time and freedom for my other passions like reading, writing fiction, running, boxing and walking my dogs.
Q. What’s the worst?
A. Money. Not getting paid in time for your debit orders to go off is the worst. I now have a safety net of savings to help with that, but in the beginning it was rough going, trying to scrounge up R5K before your medical aid debit order goes through. Also the stress and anxiety of am I good enough? Will I have work in the future? Will people still want to use me when I’m older? Freelancing doesn’t always feel stable, but then what is stability?
Q. Office hours or flexi-time? How do you organise your working day?
A. I mostly keep office hours. I’m rubbish after 3pm, so I’d rather start early and finish before the mean reds set in. Then I can spend the afternoon walking my dogs, watering my garden, feeding the dogs and reading.
Q. What’s your biggest money challenge?
A. Paying taxes. I have an accountant who helps me, but it still hurts parting with a huge chunk of your hard-earned cash when you know should you ever get unemployed again, the government won’t give a sh*t about you.
Q. How do you solve it?
A. Whatever I make, I put a percentage away and pretend it’s not there. Then when tax season rolls around I try not to think about it too hard.
Q. What services are you happy to pay for?
A. My accountant 😅 and design. I need to put together a portfolio but I never get around to it, so I’m probably going to have to pay someone to do it for me.
Q. What advice do you have for other gig workers starting out?
A. Save as much as you can. But also enjoy the downtime when you don’t have work. I wasted a lot of time feeling guilty for not working in between gigs. And rest. Rest is crucial for creativity. Take frequent breaks. Read a book or Woolies packaging. Build a puzzle. Anything to keep the creative juices flowing.
Q. Pants or no pants?
A. Pants, the fluffier the better! And I always have a soft blanket wrapped around me when I work.