How To Rule at Creative Freelancing: 34 Hard-Earned Tips

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How to Rule at Creative Freelancing: 34 Hard-earned Tips

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May 11, 2015
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To hell with clickbait. This, right here, is an old-school, comprehensive, in-depth feature article, based on a whole
bunch of hard-earned experience. SEO be damned. This is actually intended to benefit mankind.
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High-carb/Low-fat vs Banting: a Man Who

Lost 67kg (147lb)s Experience
January 07, 2014
Going solo in the Creative Industries (advertising, editorial, TV production, web

design, video editing, whatever) is a dream for many of us creatives*. Freedom
from office hours, status meetings, meetings about meetings and, of course,
traffic**! The freedom to work when you want, to manage your own time and to
pursue those fulfilling creative projects of your own Bliss!
Materialism and Time (or Why I Dont

Want a New Car) by Gord Laws
July 27, 2014
Six Simple Tips for Unblocking Writers

Block (From a Guy a Who Writes a Lot)
Or, you could face the other side of the freelance

coin, which involves uncertainty as to whether the
next months bills will be paid, no paid sick days,
working your arse off trying to get work, and having to chase down every cent youre
owed, sometimes for months.
April 25, 2014
Be this bird
This is not clickbait. Or I would have divided it into a series of 5 articles, with each tip
as a separate page. And, I would have made the ideas insultingly simple, practically
not this bird
useless and as pseudo-motivational as possible. Ive been happily consulting for more
than a year now. My second foray into freelancing. This time has been awesome. The first time (in 2011) sucked, big
time. Here are the lessons I have learned
http://gordlaws.co.za/tips-freelancing/
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Page 1 of 15
Gord Laws | Words | Voice | Doodles | Weight-loss | Emcee How to Rued Tips - Gord Laws | Words | Voice | Doodles | Weight-loss | Emcee
1. Have agency experience
18/05/2015 22:52
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
January 2014
December 2013
October 2013
September 2013
March 2013
February 2013
Monday-morning Status Meetings: always a jol.

Whether its on a news desk, in a production company, as a photographers assistant or (especially) in advertising, its
important to have worked inside the industry for a year or two at least, before you can serve that industry from the
outside. Not only because you need to get to know good people (see the next point) but also to learn industry jargon,
internal processes and understand the everyday stresses that you will be called upon to face and/or solve.
Probably the main difference between this time around and my first attempt at freelancing, is having worked in an ad
agency. It allows me to work in the ad industry, in TV and radio production, and not just the editorial world, which was
my original background.
2. and make friends.

Before you can go solo, you need to build up a network of allies. As a habit, always stay in touch with good people, even
if theyre a lighting-guy you used once for a shoot in another country, a client of a previous agency, or a talented
colleague you worked alongside, back in the day. Even if freelance is just something youd maybe like to try one day in
the future, start building a list of contacts who can give you work, refer you, or just keep you on their radar for the
future.
In short: Be cool. Make friends.
3. Prepare before you leap
Prepare thine self

Unless you have a large windfall of cash set aside and youre prepared to spend it do not go freelance as a result
of suddenly resigning in a knee-jerk hissy fit. Firstly, because its a lifestyle-change that really benefits from being
approached with positive energy and an optimistic outlook. Secondly, because that final pay-cheque will run out just as
quickly as those good ol debits arrive, bang on time.
Plan the plunge for several months, at least. Start saving. Buy equipment. Chat to potential clients. And, importantly
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18/05/2015 22:52
4. Talk to those whove done it

If you know people who work for themselves even in industries completely
different than yours pick their brains. Ask for advice, learnings, useful tricks, and
stories of triumph and failure. Youll be surprised how many people are willing to
share their story. Ive told mine in detail to two former colleagues whove since gone
solo, and some of their questions surprised me in that Id learned to take the answers
for granted. Tax, for example, often features as an intimidating and bewildering
perceived obstacle.
That Sam is dodgy, Frodo
Like everything in this world, though; once you understand it, its fairly easy.
5. Open a second bank account

Before your colleagues even throw you that bittersweet, boozy, Friday-afternoon send-off, open a
second bank account. You will use this to receive
payments, to pay yourself a salary, pay work-related
expenses and to keep perspective on how much money
you actually have in the pipeline. Not using the new
account for day-to-day life transactions will also make
any forensic book-keeping a lot easier if, down the line,
if you need to go and figure out who paid you for
something (or didnt), and when. Most importantly, this
is the account from which you will
Dont put all your metaphors in one wheelbarrow.
6. Pay yourself a salary

Strict discipline is required here, especially in the beginning. Once
youre established, this needs to have become a non-negotiable
habit.
Work out the minimum amount you will initially need every month
in order to survive with some level of dignity and a semblance of
security. Be realistic, but not greedy. Pay this amount on payday
and not a day sooner into your regular, good ol transitional
account (the one your old salary used to land in every month) and do
not dip into your business accounts surplus (when indeed you get to
the point of having one) no matter how tempting it may seem.
Mark my words: If you try to receive payments from clients, pay
your debits, indulge in extras, buy groceries, pay for a night out, pay
for a sudden car repair or doctors visit (or whatever unexpected
Never put all the nuts in your mouth at once.
costs arise) all from one account, your life will descend into chaos.
You will lose track of who owes you and whom you owe. And,
suddenly a miscalculation will result in overwhelming stress about how youre gonna pay rent and medical aid this
month. Then you fall behind, and the Cycle of Chaos begins.
7. Start two months ahead
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18/05/2015 22:52
When you find the future, stay in it. And make some calls.
As Ive mentioned already, you need to properly plan for this lifestyle change. One of the first things you should do is
to start squirrelling away money, until you have two months of your newly calculated salary-need (see above) set
aside. Save this money separately from whatever existing savings, nest-eggs or or investments you may already have.
It is its own, separate-entity buffer to start you off. An investment in yourself. If you dont have the discipline and
means to set this aside over time, its not a good indicator for managing yourself as a business going forward.
It will, in all likelihood, take at least two months for your client-base to grow sufficiently to meet your initial
salary targets (possibly longer), and for the first of your invoices at the end of Month One to start landing in your
business account. Some will take longer as a matter of process. Others, because people are often very slow to pay. Be
prepared for this or it will ruin your life. Or, less dramatically, just make it stressful and angry all the time. If youre
not at least getting near to your salary targets after two full months, it may be time to re-evaluate your lifestyle
decision. At least you wont have starved in the meantime.
8. Stay two months ahead
This ones a little personal challenge I set myself. I treat it

like an ongoing video game. In trying times, its a selfpreservation mechanism. In times of plenty, its kind of
fun. Make it your determined mission to get and keep
your cashflow two months ahead of your the next payday.
In other words, if youre paying yourself your salary
tomorrow, have all of next months salary and most (if
not, all) of the following months arriving, or invoiced out
and due.
Its tricky to get right, it seldom lasts more than a week
or two, but it prevents cashflow panic, gives you a feeling of achievement when youre in the green and (heres the fun
bit) lets you know when you can go and splurge guilt free on a pair of Nike Airmax Ones, a bicycle, a unicorn, or
if youre very responsible make a nice cash deposit into your unit trust or boob-job/lasik-surgery savings fund. Or
whatever. Conversely, when youve fallen to only one month ahead (or even less) you know its time to knuckle down,
tighten the belt and start urgently following up your outstanding invoices.
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18/05/2015 22:52
This one sounds like a big ask, but its actually not asking the world. The pay-off is terrific peace of mind
and a real barometer for how well youre doing as a business.
Its tempting to spend the extra cash, but if you can just get yourself two months ahead, and then spend (or invest)
anything above that, your life becomes an exciting, secure place, rich with prospects. All it takes is two months worth
of discipline and extra-hard work.
9. Live in the green
Ryan Reynolds is green. Live in Ryan Reynolds

A quick addendum to the above point: stay away from credit. Well, at least in as much as you presently do, anyways.
Its not my place or business to pontificate about how to manage your credit card/s. Just treat it as you probably
presently should as a buffer against your regular, on-the-25th, monthly salary. Dont use it to bankroll clients who
are late for paying you, to pay your fixed life expenses because youve fallen behind the salary buffer or worst of all
to live off permanently with your incoming payments merely servicing a permanent, negative cashflow.
I tend to use my credit card to occasionally make up a four or five-day cash shortfall at the end of each month, when
my day-to-day account hits zero. I then pay it back on payday, from my salary. I could just use my business account to
lend myself money when I fall short, I suppose. My way works much better for me psychologically, though. See, Im
not some super-responsible, financial Bhuddist or anything. Ive just done it the wrong way before and suffered the
endless cycle of misery and worry. This approach makes my life suck less. A lot less. Plus, this way, your emergency
credit is actually there in the event of a real emergency.
Freelancers should, the vast majority of the time, rely on less on credit than employed people. Not more.
10. Have a routine

So far, Ive focused a lot on preparing for the change.
Then I shared my methods of managing the financial
differences. Now, Ill look at some of the lifestyle
leanings that have benefited me. Or bitten me in the
ass, as the case may be
Yes, working for yourself should mean having a bit
more flexibility, time-wise. You wanna work until 3am
and then sleep in until 11 the next morning? More
power to you. But it really helps if you find a ritual you
can stick to nine working days out of ten. It keeps you
in sync with the rest of the world and the rest of your
Bill Murray has a routine. Be like Bill Murray.
industry. It gives you a sense of organisation, purpose,
and direction. Descending into what feels like a permanent holiday quickly leads to self-loathing, inertia and
financial panic.
Even if it involves catching the morning sports highlights on Blitz every day, checking through 9Gag and then reading
the news headlines online before sending out emails, have a more-or-less consistent expectation as to what
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18/05/2015 22:52
tomorrows flow will be like. Remember; your job is to be executing work. Or, looking for it. Its fine for a day or two
after a series of intense (and ideally, lucrative) deadlines, to park off and feel good about your life.
But, generally speaking, having nothing to do is the last reason you should have for doing nothing.
11. (Physically) Go somewhere
Floki: Hes going places.

This one really helps me. Staying cooped up inside the home office can do your head in. You end up spending days in
your pyjamas, living in a very small, isolated world. My work sometimes has me in my home office at length. Usually,
Im fortunate enough to regularly revolve around a few other clients premises with people I know that work there.
But, whatever happens, I get up, go to gym, dress for facing the public (as I would have done at my old job) and then
come home or head out into the world.
Maybe going to the nearby coffee shop for an orange juice and a toasted sandwich is more your speed. Great. Just add
to your day, a place where someone will notice if you dont arrive for a while. Even if you just leave for half an hour and
then go back home again to work.
12. Dont be a slob

A follow-on to the point above Grooming and general
upkeep is not just about impressing others, its also for
the benefit of your own self-esteem. Plus, freelancing
means clients, who will often require meetings in
person or on Skype. Be presentable. If you like me
are not the typical corporate-looking professional,
thats fine. I have a million tattoos (many of them of
skulls with stuff carved into their heads) and I dress a
bit like a white rapper with a sneaker fetish. Im not
rocking ties and chinos. But, my clothes are always
clean and pressed, my hair is always neat and my
sneakers usually match my shirt. Helps me walk into a
room (even if its my own home office) with my head
held high. And thats half of any battle won, right there.
This supremely hot man: not a slob.
Dont look like a stoner student unless
youre happy to be treated like one.
13. Get the best Internet you can afford
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The more of this high-speed, magic blue stuff your internet-connection has, the better.
You should be able to run a relatively lean shop as a freelancer. Whatever equipment you need (more for
photographers than art directors, more for art directors than copywriters, and so on) will require a capital outlay.
Obviously you need a premises. After that, though, your overheads should be low and you should try to keep them that
way.
With that in mind, dont skimp on your internet. Get the best damn internet you can afford. For the sake of your
sanity, your quality of life outside of work (needing good Internet is a perk unto itself) and, especially, Skyping and
sharing large files. The difference between a 4mb line and a 10mb is a few hundred bucks. And, a great deal of
happiness. Plus, if that expense the difference between sink or swim, you have bigger problems than download speeds.
PS, also try have a back up. A dongle and a small data bundle is super-useful if you work on the road or you
ADSL goes down.
14. Do not fear learning

The more you widen your skill-set, the more employable you become. Working in and
around different offices with different staff members will mean exposure to
different methods and talents. If youre asked to join for a presentation, go. Watch
how different seniors handle presentations. Pay attention to how different clients
brief you. Who does it well and who doesnt. Keep an eye on the parts of jobs
youre not executing. Pick things up and make mental (or actual) notes of them.
Your boss is probably clever.
Learn from him/her.
Youre probably going to see a lot more people do their jobs than you would in an
agency. Learn from the good ones and the weak ones alike.
15. Dont be enslaved by your specialisation.

In big agencies, people are often placed at a desk, set to a task, and shielded from
other aspects of the process. The logic is something along the lines of, You just sit
there and focus on what youre good at, and dont bother with all that other
business stuff Well take care of that. The other way to look at it is, You just sit
there on your conveyor belt, and get better at that one thing, churning it out until
you hate it, but become dependent on it as the only thing you can do.
Youre creative. Good at it. But you also exist in a business context. A
suit cannot learn creativity. But anyone can learn basic billing, client
service and traffic. I mean, literally anyone.
Im, like really good at this

one thing.
The difference between those creatives that become all-powerful bosses and designers (etc) who just design forever?
Learning to understand the other junk.
16. Be a solution
Youre there to solve a clients problem, not to add new ones by pointing out all the problems with their situation and
the turn-around. They wouldnt have called on you if they could handle it in-house or the job was simple. If the job is
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18/05/2015 22:52
too big (or the pay too small), say no. Otherwise, get them what they need, when
they need it, and do it well. Take the job in your stride, or make it look like you
did. That way, the client will mark you as the solution to their problem and
continue to call upon you in future. Problem solved!
As my friend and former CD Mike Cook (now co-owner of Workbench check
them out, theyre awesome) once taught me, Understand their stress. All
a client wants from you is something they no longer have to worry about. Dont
be difficult Be a solution.
A solution.
17. Be available
Be as available as Dylan.
When I started out, a very clever dude called Brad Dessington (head honcho at Rogue Agency and, incidentally, husband
of my awesome former work partner and current Art Director of preference, Beth Dessington) took the time to give
me some advice from the perspective of a person who frequently hires freelancers. One thing in particular stood out to
me. Be available.
What he meant was, either take a job and say thank you, or if you really cant manage it politely decline. Dont
accept it, but then go on about what a nightmare turnaround it is for you, how busy you are, and how helping them
out is a huge ball-ache. Thats why theyre calling on you; to relieve their pressure, usually in a hurry. Plus, they really
dont care. If you can do it, just do it. That way, after eleven jobs, when you do eventually have to explain that you
legitimately cant meet their deadline this time, they might find the extra two days you need because
(A) you dont bitch for nothing, and
(B) youre their go-to guy and theyve come to depend on you.
18. Clients = good

Heres something that will blow your mind if youve
done time in a big agency clients are good! They mean
income, relationships, new leads and if you make
them happy more work! In an agency, you have to do
whatever comes your way and you get paid the same
every month. Of course youre going to hate the
committee of accountants that want you to make the
logo bigger.
Youre no longer going to be fed work that more or less
suits your skillset on a steady basis. Now, you must
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18/05/2015 22:52
Make the logo bigger.
seek work out. When you find it, present as much value
as you can. If you hear your client mention a challenge
or a need that you can help with, say so. If you spot a place where the campaign can be better, politely suggest some
ideas. If clients like you, you get work. If they dont, you dont.
Plus, when you go in with a smile, youll find theyre usually just pleasant-enough people. Looking for
someone to smooth something over for them. Be that guy.
19. Retainer up!

The principle behind finding a good retainer is a little like dating
someone with whom you have really good electricity, but without
having to live together, nor commit to any of that pesky monogamy
business. If you find that one specific client keeps you nicely busy,
treats you well and has come to depend on your because you do a good
job, strike up a retainer. They commit to a set amount of pay each
month, you commit to a certain amount of work. If they dont have
quite enough for you in a given month goodie for you! If its slightly
more work now and then, take it on the chin (erm, Im no longer
referring to the dating metaphor, btw) and do them a solid. When its
considerably more work, you agree on a pro-rata rate that benefits
everyone.
In an ideal world, a good retainer client should bring you at least half
your required income in one third of your available time, or less. Then, A tenuous link was reason enough to include
you can roll the dice with the rest of your time, knowing that the rent,
this cute-ass hamster in my article.
medical aid and cat food will at least be covered each month. For
freelancers who prefer security, two or three manageable retainers can mean a greater income than full-time
employment, with a similar workload, minus the 8am status meetings.
20. Market yourself (I): be a brand
My CI. Designed by Indent Design Studio. Im pretty chuffed with it.

Build a website. Design (or commission) a decent CI. Make up an impressive-sounding title and get some business cards
professionally printed on decent paper. Write articles and blogs on your field of expertise. Post your work online. Make
a fancy-looking email signature for your non-schmoe email address.
Its a mission once. Then you look legit forever. Be your first client. Take the brief seriously.
Then, mail your network of friends, former colleagues and clients and let them know youre available and, critically,
what it is exactly that you do. Include a call to action asking when it would be convenient to meet or Skype. Then follow
up. A face-to-face is so much more effective than a lone mail. My CI was designed by Denton Pretorius at Indent.
Hint: when you do talk to your client, ask them all about what theyre working on. Theyll talk. Youll learn. Boom! A
relationship!
21. Market yourself (II): reach out daily
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Thoar upon golden wingth, little fellath

Felix Kessel is a very clever man. He once told me, No matter how much or how little time you have, do something to
market yourself every single day. If youve got some time, put together a presentation or create new content for your
website. If youve got no time, send out one introductory email to one potential client.
Spread the word far and wide. If no one knows youre out there, no one will hire you. Simple as that.
22. Try to agree on per-project fees
Now, how long exactly will this take you to do?
Per-hour billing is the industry norm. And, while you

can take every measure possible to be as ethical and
accurate as possible, someones always going to lose
out. You, or the client. If you have to stare at a wall
stressing your tits off because you cant crack a brief,
only to crack it ten minutes before you present, why
should that cost the client more? If you crack it with
the best idea youve ever had within minutes of taking
the brief, why should that pay you less?
Try to agree on a project fee upfront for the work to be delivered. Base this fee on an hourly-rate estimate, if that
makes the client happy. Give yourself a little wriggle room without ripping the client off. Then, if you work extra-fast,
good for you. If you end up pulling a week of all-nighters, not the clients problem. You have a deadline, you know what
needs to be done by that time, and you know what youre going to earn. Easy peasy.
23. Learn tax
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Get the bastards or they will get you. Simple.

Tax, like everything else in this life, is only complicated until you understand it. Then its simple. Anyone capable of
doing any kind of quality freelance work is, by default, competent enough to handle the fundamentals of income tax. I
used to be terrified of it. then I had to learn it. Now I wonder what the fuss was about.
Get a good tax person to do your returns each year (should cost you less than ZAR1000 each year) after you hand over
all your expenses. Its simple. Basically, you pay income tax on whatever you earn, minus whatever it cost you to make.
As a freelancer, there are loads of things you can claim as an expense to lower the amount of income you pay tax on.
Restaurants, computer stuff, travel heck, even rent if you work at home.
Do it. Its money you dont pay the government. How can that not be awesome?
24. Hook your homies up

Throughout your career, youll meet and get to know
people who are rad and talented. When you need a
contributor or collaborator, or one of your clients is
looking for a good person to do something that isnt
your territory, youre too busy, or its dog work that
you dont want (but a promising junior you know could
really use) hook them up. It builds networks, makes you
a valuable source of resources to your clients and,
importantly, comes back to you eventually.
Aint no fun if the homies cant have none.
People remember your vibe far longer than
their (or your) jobs last.
25. Skype
It just needs to be really edgy. You know, out of the box and dynamic.
Have a decent internet connection and get on Skype. It makes long-distance meetings far more personal than the
phone, and enables you to work with clients far away. Use it, get your clients onto it, make it part of your life. Its also
great for combatting work-at-home cabin fever.
26. Follow up
Such a simple thing that makes such a difference. When a job is done, mail your client a week later and ask how it
went. Ask how their other accounts are doing, how theyre doing, and send them a useful link to an online story you
saw that made you think of them. Think of it like dating; dont just get what you want and disappear. Between
delivering work and chasing up your money, check in with your clients. Being top-of-mind and building relationships is
worth the effort.
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27. Charge what youre worth

Too many freelancers make the mistake of trying to build up a client base by taking
work on risk, undercutting their fees or agreeing on whatever is offered, no matter
how insulting.
You sell time and expertise. And no amount of the latter creates more of the former.
Its worth millions,because I

said its worth millions.
Youre worth what you say youre worth. Clients will never pay you more
tomorrow because you worked for less today. Dont make the mistake of charging the
minimum amount per hour that you need in order to just scrape by if youre working
14 paying hours a day, 31 days a month. Because you wont be. And even if you do, it
will kill you.
Being cheap doesnt make you desirable. It makes you cheap.
28. Never work for free
And you shall even be paid!

An add-on to the point above: Doing work because it will lead to more work later is not a good strategy. Its
insulting. Its exploitation. Its even theft. Its why theres so much garbage work out there and so many garbage
creatives undercutting everyone elses prices.
If you want to work for free so you can grow, do yourself, the Industry and the world a favour and go get
an internship somewhere that will teach you a great deal.
29. Reverts
Agree upfront on a number of reverts with your client.
My brilliant friend and long-time collaborator Beth
Dessington (check out her magnificent Art Direction
stuff here) taught me this one. We offer clients a tworevert system, which we stipulate in the brief. It goes
like this
When you present your idea and plan to your client,
they must sign the plan off. Then, you start on it, mock
it all up and show them your direction. They can make
changes in direction at this stage (thats Revert One).
Then, when its done, they get to look at it and make
Page 12 of 15
changes (as long as its not stuff they previously signed

off no changing their minds) again (thats Revert
Two). Then you hand the work over.
18/05/2015 22:52
On second thought, I think I might prefer a panda,

instead
Any additional changes beyond these reverts (or mind changing) are requoted and treated as a new job, with new
fees.
30. Be a team player

Going solo does not necessarily mean working solo. Of course, there will be long
hours of solitude. But, you might find yourself working with more people than
before, as you move between and touch base with a greater number of businesses
and their internal teams. Be helpful, be friendly, be social. Dont sweat the small
stuff or count the minutes when it comes to your regular clients. They dont own
you like they would a salaried staff member. That doesnt mean, though, that you
shouldnt go the extra mile or take the odd one for the team.
Drummers: lonely.
31. Invoice. Hard.
Thou owest me loot

Im crap at this, still. But Ive devised a system. You need to invoice for the work youve done quickly and
systematically. It feels a little needy to invoice the second you hand over your work. Put a reminder in your calendar to
invoice for a job one week after its done, and then do it. Otherwise, youll put it off until you badly need the money for
the work youve done, at which point youll send the invoice and immediately become needy and irritating about trying
to expedite payment.
Companies usually 4 8 weeks to pay. Sometimes longer. Deal with it.
32. Timesheets
The very mention of the word draws the kind of hatred and seething disgust from a
creative that is usually reserved for kiddy-fiddlers and bank managers only. Im not
saying you should install Chase onto your computer and spend hours a month trying
to account for all the hours you spend working, but keep a list.
Timesheets: they give

everyone that feeling.
Write down what you did, for how long, for whom, and when. Otherwise, when you
get behind on your invoicing (which you will) trying to forensically figure out what
you were doing a month ago will not only be pain in the arse, itll also jeopardise
your ability to be honest and fair and, with that, potentially ruin relationships.
33. Lists win wars
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There is nothing more powerful in the freelancers life than a regularly updated (and
then mercilessly whittled-down) list.
There is great joy in being free of nagging account managers and soulless traffic
drones, but there is also a great potential for chaos.
Do whats important, and what might feel like it isnt. Set a to-do list. Allocate time
periods to the things in it. Do them on time. Work late if you dont. Then have a good
think before making another list. Lists win wars. Its that simple.
34. Have background projects
List of Things that Meatloaf

Would Not Do For Love: 1.
That.
Whats the point of struggling for your freedom if

youre not going to have time to do some things that
you love? Agencies will always tell their creatives to
enrich themselves creatively with outside projects,
then keep the same people chained to their desks until
whatever-o-clock every day.
Allocate time to yourself. Create. Make stuff. Have fun.
Go to galleries. Sing songs. Spray-paint trains.
Whatever. Doing what you love is the whole point. Give
yourself the occasional brief and then see it through.
I for example, like writing really long, overly detailed
articles
Draw your cock, if thats what makes you happy.
[THE END]
*I HATE THE TERM BECAUSE IT USES AN ADJECTIVE AS A NOUN AND IS INHERENTLY PONCY, BUT I HAVE CONCEDED THAT ITS A BATTLE I
SHALL NOT WIN. SIGH.
**THOSE READERS IN ADVERTISING WILL SHUDDER AT THE MENTION OF THE WORD. FOR THE REST OF YOU, SUFFICE IT TO SAY, ITS AN
AGENCY THING; EVEN WORSE THAN THE KIND YOU GET ON THE N1 JOHANNESBURG BETWEEN 7 AND 9AM.
A little bit about my experience with this subject

(I tucked this bit away at the end, in case no one cares)
Ive taken the freelance plunge. Twice. The first time
was when I left FHM at the end of 2010, after 8 years
there. My first and only job from my varsity internship
until I was 29. For all intents and purposes; a lifetime.
Going freelance was essentially an experiment to see
how slowly I could whittle away all my meagre savings,
while working harder than Id ever worked. Most of the
time, in a gruelling, ironic effort, trying to
earn paying work. It lasted about 14 months and was,
in retrospect, the most stressed Ive ever been in my
life, even if my friend Dale Imerman and I did make
some work Im pretty proud of on our website,
Mojodojo. Check it out here. When I was offered an outof-the-blue job at an ad agency called Owen Kessel, I
took it.
Look upon my website, friends. It lies to thine left
There, I was a senior copywriter. Soon, a Creative Group Head and, ultimately, a Creative Director. A rich but
punishing experience, packed with learning and some wonderful people. But I never quite got used to having my diary
Page 14 of 15
18/05/2015 22:52
managed (and not always efficiently) by someone else. I just dont like office hours especially the advertising
variety.
Early in 2014 I quit my job and became a Creative Consultant. A fancy way of saying, I went freelance. And its
been great.
The article above is about some of the things Ive learned along the way, that have made all the difference between
2011s nightmare and 2014/15s far more successful incarnation.
advertising
advice
creativity
freelance
cape town
freelancing
copy writer
gord laws
copywriter
rules
Creative Director
success
tips
About the Author

Gord Laws is an independent Creative Consultant, advising on brand strategy, positioning, content
conceptualisation, creative direction and copywriting. Gord's won some awards in advertising and
journalism. He's also a professional voice-over artist,co-owner of Hailstorm Radio-Advertising
Agency, a tattoo collector, and in 2009/10, he lost 67kg.
Twitter - Facebook
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COPYRIGHT 2014 - GORD LAWS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THEME MOD BY METAIMAGO
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How To Rule at Creative Freelancing: 34 Hard-Earned Tips

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ABOUT GORD LAWS

How to Rule at Creative Freelancing: 34 Hard-earned Tips

May 11, 2015

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1. Have agency experience

Monday-morning Status Meetings: always a jol.

2. and make friends.

3. Prepare before you leap

Prepare thine self

4. Talk to those whove done it

5. Open a second bank account

Dont put all your metaphors in one wheelbarrow.

6. Pay yourself a salary

7. Start two months ahead

8. Stay two months ahead

This ones a little personal challenge I set myself. I treat it

9. Live in the green

Ryan Reynolds is green. Live in Ryan Reynolds

10. Have a routine

11. (Physically) Go somewhere

Floki: Hes going places.

12. Dont be a slob

13. Get the best Internet you can afford

14. Do not fear learning

15. Dont be enslaved by your specialisation.

Im, like really good at this

18. Clients = good

Make the logo bigger.

19. Retainer up!

20. Market yourself (I): be a brand

My CI. Designed by Indent Design Studio. Im pretty chuffed with it.

21. Market yourself (II): reach out daily

Thoar upon golden wingth, little fellath

22. Try to agree on per-project fees

Now, how long exactly will this take you to do?

Per-hour billing is the industry norm. And, while you

23. Learn tax

Get the bastards or they will get you. Simple.

24. Hook your homies up

27. Charge what youre worth

Its worth millions,because I

28. Never work for free

And you shall even be paid!

changes (as long as its not stuff they previously signed

On second thought, I think I might prefer a panda,

30. Be a team player

31. Invoice. Hard.

Thou owest me loot

Timesheets: they give

33. Lists win wars

34. Have background projects

List of Things that Meatloaf

Whats the point of struggling for your freedom if

A little bit about my experience with this subject