Digital accessibility: strategy and content delivery (TCUK 2013)
TCUK 2013 - Managing as a freelance technical communicator
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Transcript of TCUK 2013 - Managing as a freelance technical communicator
Managing as a freelance technical communicator
Alison Peck
TAKING THE PLUNGE
When it all started…
Summer 2004 – spate of redundancies October 2004 – relocation not an option
BUT Children had left home – space in house No mortgage – so less financial pressure Already had basic equipment
November 2004 – Clearly Stated was born… the start of an adventure!
Did I do a business plan?
A very basic one, yes No borrowing required Minimal capital outlay Free marketing (existing network)
Calculated: Average earnings required to maintain
standard of living How long till first job before panicking
Was that enough?
Emergency fund
What happens if you don’t find work?
The client goes bust?
You’re ill?
Where do you want to be…
… next year? … in 5 years? … in 10 years?
There will be detours along the way…but don’t get lost!
GETTING WORK
First contact
I’ve had an enquiry! Do I have the skill-set? Do I have the capacity? Do I have the software?
And also… Is it interesting work? Have I worked with them before? How did they hear of me?
What do they want?
High-level stuff: Are they looking for another pair of hands? Some suggestions? A fully managed project (consultancy)?
And does everyone know!
Low-level stuff: What are they going to get? What am I going to have to do to produce it?
Legal issues…
Legal status: Sole trader or limited company?
Terms and conditions… yours or theirs? If you don’t like something, say so
Insurance: Professional indemnity Public liability Business insurance
Estimating/quoting
Be precise in your quote! Who pays for re-work? Under what circumstances? What about expenses?
Costing options: Daily/hourly rate Fixed price – my ‘internal’ hourly rate Range with a cap – security for both sides
Big issues for me…
What is this going to cost me… Equipment Training Time with my family Reputation Stress
Do I want this work?
Big issues for the client…
Are they ready for me? Are they giving me ‘make work’ tasks? Do they know what their priorities are?
How realistic are the timescales?
Would they be better with a contractor? More expensive – paid when not needed Readily available – not doing anything else
What are the implications?
I have: Many concurrent clients More than one project/product per client Numerous deadlines…
Can work flexibly, switching between projects – usually more economical
Changes and delays cause clashes not on the client’s project plan!
The plan…
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 40
25
50
75
100
125
150
Project 3Project 2Project 1
The reality…
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 40
25
50
75
100
125
150
Project 3Project 2Project 1
Can we minimise the risk?
Have incremental deadlines (drip-feed) Share when something is time-critical Don’t assume that people are doing
nothing else Co-ordinate/collate review comments
when possible Ask what would help if deadlines are tight
Who’s in charge?
Named point of contact Responsibility can be delegated
… but not too far down the chain
If it’s obviously ‘wrong’, question it
Why use freelances?
Advantages
Fill short-term need (skill-gap, capacity)
Wide range of experience
Fresh pair of eyes, new ideas
Enthusiastic – not jaded
Disadvantages May not be aware of
history with project
Initially not aware of corporate culture
Unsure of boundaries or status within project
Out-of-sight can equal out-of-mind
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Everyday issues
Work–life balance
Delegate when it makes sense
Cash flow
Motivation
Learning curve can be steep
Getting bigger
Became an employer on 9 July 2012
This has changed a lot: Type of projects we can undertake Capacity (not doubled, but increased) Complementary business skills Future of the business
What would I do differently?
Set a more realistic rate for my services (need to keep working on this one!)
Have a clear direction for my business from the beginning
Always find out who has decision-making authority for my client
Say “no” more often
Any questions…?
Contact [email protected] www.clearly-stated.co.uk