Sharpen your business skills
People often say that working in the creative media industries is often a case of ‘feast or famine' - but with a bit of forethought, you can make things easier for yourself.
Working as a freelancer or running a business demands a range of extra skills in addition to the skills, products and services you create or sell. These include:
Finance
- Agreeing a brief and a contract
- Negotiating fees and agreeing terms and conditions
- Invoicing and chasing unpaid invoices
- Making regular tax, National Insurance and VAT contributions
- Paying bills and balancing your cashflow
- Knowing how much to pay yourself
- Organising your own pension (or arranging one through your union)
Administration
- Record keeping
- Operating standard business software packages
- Responding to business communications
- Effective time management and managing your diary
- Networking and self-marketing
Most of the above is about getting organised and having good habits. Think of yourself as a business and learn about the core business skills you need to succeed by visiting the different resources we've gathered together for you in the business support links.
If you see all this as a struggle, consider honing your skills with a specialised business skills course. The skills gained on these courses will help you wise up on employment contracts, statutory contributions and financial planning, covering all the basics of freelance work. For more details contact the Film Business Academy at Cass Business School, A Skillset Screen Academy
Skillset, the broadcasters, Regional Screen Agencies, trade associations and unions run events UK-wide designed to help you stay on top of your business. Many of these informative events are free and also provide good networking opportunities.
