This document provides guidance for creative professionals on setting up as self-employed. It discusses the importance of understanding yourself, your work, and the market. It also covers practical business aspects like costing, pricing, promotion, negotiation, contracts, and financial responsibilities of being self-employed. Key recommendations include researching competitors' pricing, keeping records of expenses and time, developing a professional online and print presence, and ensuring timely invoicing and payment.

1. its business time....

2. qualities and skills
To be successful in your practice as
you need to:
- know yourself
- know your work
- know your markets

3. overview - setting up

4. self-employed creative
portfolio working - roles
- freelance contracts, commissions,
part-time and full-time employment,
further study and voluntary work.
- maker, book-keeper, PR,
photographer, technician, cleaner

5. essential requirements for starting
- confidence in self and work.
- ability to critically evaluate self and
work.
- understanding your place in the
market.
- know your worth – costing and pricing.

6. essential requirements for starting
- promoting yourself and your work
effectively to the right audiences.
- negotiating successfully with
professionals and clients.
- applying creativity and problem-solving
in different contexts.

7. self-confidence
- know yourself – take stock of your
learning and achievements.
- know your work – be able to talk
about your work, your background,
your interests and yourself with
confidence.

8. critical evaluation
- keep up your contacts with fellow
artists/designers and engage critically and
reflectively in discussion about the work,
so that it can move forward.
- write about your work and yourself.
This is good preparation for compiling
promotional material and articulating
what the work is about to prospective
audiences and clients.

9. market understanding
- keep yourself informed by visiting
galleries, shops, trade shows and
exhibitions.
- talk to others, use the internet and read
widely so that you have an understanding
of the context for your work and/or its
commercial possibilities.

10. costing & pricing
- keep a record of your personal living
expenses
- note the costs of all expenses, materials,
travel, postage, stationery, etc, and keep
receipts for everything
- keep a note of time spent on
making/producing artwork
- find out about costs of buying/leasing
essential equipment

11. costing & pricing
- find out about costs of buying/leasing
essential equipment
- build your own bank of resources and
equipment and find out what you can
share with others
- know what your potential competitors
charge for their work or services
- find out how to work out costing and
pricing.

12. self-promotion
- having researched your market, decide
which are the most appropriate ways of
promoting yourself to those audiences and
potential clients.
- work to professional standards of
presentation for yourself and your work
- package yourself professionally – write
your CV, print your business card and
promotional material.

13. self-promotion
- photograph your work and/or use a
computer package to create a
promotional CD with contact details,
biographical information, statement
about your practice, images of work.
- transform and organise your portfolio –
selecting the best work and mounting it
consistently in a clean folio.

14. negotiation
- build your network of contacts,
develop support systems and
resources.
- develop a professional attitude and
show that you are well organised.
- learn about compiling and writing
briefs and contracts.

15. self-employed - responsibilities
maintaining confidence
finding work
building networks
promoting yourself
managing contracts and commissions
costing and pricing
building good relationships with
clients and other practitioners

16. self-employed - responsibilities
having high professional standards
delivering the work on time
invoicing for payment
protecting your work
maintaining your business records
running the business on a day-to-day
basis.

17. the beginning – of the end
-
pricing

18. market understanding
- understand your place in the market
- where does your work sit?
-where can it be seen?
- research your markets, know where you fit

19. practical issues

20. pricing work - starting
- do you need to keep the work?
- what other people doing the same
sort of work earn/charge
- what similarly qualified people in
different, but not entirely dissimilar,
jobs earn/charge
- your own experience and flair

21. quoting for a job
if you really want the job you might
be willing to put in more hours to get
it, or under price for it.
everyone does that sometimes, but
do remember you can’t do it all the
time.

22. pricing work - factors
actual
time how much to charge?
materials
packaging
postage
recognition
context – the market
its value to you

23. pricing work - factors
commission
the cut people take
what they undertake on your behalf
wholesale – retail
%

24. some practicalities around
selling

25. sales agreement
for every sale there must be an
agreed contract between you and
your buyer or client.

26. payment options
PAYE - tax and NI
self-employed -Schedule D or Unique
Tax Code
Cash sales
Cheques & credit cards
scrutiny - account number, name,
signature, expiry date etc

27. invoiced sales
commissions
20-40%
agree a schedule of payment
issue your invoices against these
agreed payment dates

28. credit
negotiate the payment over a few
instalments
30 days

29. invoices
invoice should:
- be clearly laid out with your name,
business address, telephone, fax number
and email
- have a number (eg 'Invoice no: 0001')
to act as a sales reference
- give a description of the products or
services sold, date of sale or completion
and quantity of goods eg number of
prints, or number of days worked

30. invoices
invoice should:
- the name of your customer
- self-employed tax reference number
- company number and registered
address if set up as a company
- include a subtotal for VAT if you are
VAT registered

31. terms & conditions
- state payment is due 30 days from
date of invoice or delivery of goods
- other terms and conditions, such as
your right to retain the copyright on
your designs or artwork, charges for
storage on late collection of large
pieces or interest on overdue
payments. whatever you decide
- keep hard copies

32. late payment
- phone
- written reminder - charge interest
and debt recovery costs if you are
not paid promptly
- compensation for administration
(local enterprise agencies)
- Legal proceedings

33. toolkits

34. http://www.business-survival-
toolkit.co.uk/

35. http://www.itool.co.uk/Interactive
/artfees/login.php

36. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/r
esources-and-
events/Designers/Guides/

37. payment support
www.payontime.co.uk
Download the Better Payment Practice Guide, advice
on charging interest and administration fees for late
payment.
www.unpaidinvoices.com
Name and shame those who don't pay!
www.courtservice.gov.uk/mcol/
Claim your money online.
www.dti.gov.uk/publications
Department of Trade and Industry
T: +44 870 150 2500
ACAS Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Public Enquiries T: +44 20 7396 5100