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Survive & Thrive as a Creative Freelancer: A Beginner's Guide

Learn the business systems, marketing, and strategic planning skills needed for a sustainable career in creative freelancing.

750 enrolled on this course

Image shows display easels from the Kingston University degree show with light coloured wood and a variety of drawings and designs.
  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Gain vital business skills to establish yourself as a professional freelancer

One third of workers in the creative industries are freelancers. In such a competitive sector, making your freelance career sustainable takes more than just a healthy dose of creativity.

On this six-week course, you’ll learn everything you need to make managing your freelance business a success.

Discover what it takes to turn a freelancing side hustle into a viable career

When starting out, many freelancers fall foul of common pitfalls due to a poor understanding of the business processes required.

On this course, you’ll be guided through the basic principles of planning a business and how to market your skills. With this knowledge, you can source a client base that suits your skill set and deliver service excellence with every contract.

Master small business management strategies and freelance processes

Drawing on research from creative entrepreneurship, you’ll explore freelance business structures and consider how legislation in your country regulates freelance workers. You’ll also learn about financial planning for freelance work, including start-up costs nd taxes.

On this course, you’ll find out how to look after your mental health and wellbeing and build resilience as a small business owner. This vital aspect of business management will allow you to stay healthy while handling the pressures of running your own business.

Expand your self employed prospects with guidance from freelance creatives and industry experts from Kingston University

You’ll learn the techniques to grow your business from experts with first-hand experience of forging a freelance career in the creative industries.

By the end of the course you’ll be equipped with the tools to develop a well-structured creative business and marketing plan, as well as having the financial know-how to manage your money.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Getting Started as a Freelancer

    • On the left hand side of the image there is a large, black, old fashioned printing press machine. On the right side of the image there are students working at benches in the print room.

      Introduction

      Introduction to the short course.

    • Large white room with big windows covering 1 of the walls.

      Your Big 'Why'

      Understanding and articulating your reasons for freelancing.

    • An illustration workspace. There is a black and wooden table in the centre of the room, there are black draws lining the left wall, the back wall has large windows. The room has multiple large black easels on wheels lined with white paper.

      Design your life/Design your business

      Explore how you can customise your creative freelance business to suit you and your needs.

    • Two pink chairs at a black table in a photography studio. The studio has a white infinity wall and black curtains. There is a large black camera jib crane and a smaller video camera setup.

      Set-up structures

      Discussion about how you set up your freelance creative business and assemble a team to help you succeed.

    • A collection of white work surfaces covered in a variety of material and books. At the front of the image there are two black and red cameras set up. In the background there are two mannequins and several students working.

      Conclusion

      Wrapping up week one on the foundation of your creative freelance business.

  • Week 2

    Finding Clients

    • Large white room with big windows covering 2 of the walls. The room has wooden flooring and a large black mat which has 2 rows of old fashioned knit machinery.

      Introduction

      Introduction to finding clients as a creative freelancer.

    • Black lighting control board with small orange lights.

      Who do you want to serve?

      This activity is all about gaining clarity as to who your freelance creative business will serve. This will set you up for your marketing activities in the next activity.

    • An old fashioned green and black letterpress printer, there is a a white sheet of paper lay on top of the machine. In the background there are floor to ceiling windows and a black lamp.

      Talking to potential clients

      This activity gets at the heart of what marketing is all about: talking to potential clients.

    • A student photographing their printed work. There is a white pull down backdrop and black studio lights set up.

      Crafting your marketing plan

      This activity builds upon the previous two to put the pieces together to craft a marketing plan for your creative freelance business.

    • A printing workspace. There is a black drying rack which is half filled with white paper, there are several printing machines and students working in the space. The floors of the room are grey and there are windows across the whole of the back wall.

      Conclusion

      Conclusion to finding clients as a creative freelancer.

  • Week 3

    Working With Clients

    • Kingston's metal workshop room. A large room with ceiling strip lights filled with large machinery.

      Introduction

      This activity will outline key ways to think about working with clients successfully.

    • Student creating ceramic work in an outside workspace. There are wooden work benches outdoors along the side of the river, in the distance there is a bridge across the river to the other side where the water is lined with trees.

      Demystifying clients

      This week considers your clients from a broader perspective to help you understand how to work with the more effectively.

    • Illustrated blue storyboard stuck up on a white wall.

      Understanding contracts

      This activity will delve into contracts for freelance creative businesses.

    • A student in a large white room surrounded by various MDF boards which are stacked all over the room. On the right there is a big window with black window panes.

      Getting paid for your work

      This activity will discuss strategies to improve your chances of being paid for your work.

    • A textiles workshop. There are multiple tables with sewing machines and office chairs, the floor is wooden and there are large windows covering the back wall of the room. In the foreground of the image there is a blue ironing board.

      Conclusion

      This activity will wrap up the week's learning.

  • Week 4

    Managing Your Business

    • Black drying rack with holding two grey prints with flurecent illegible writing on them.

      Introduction

      Introduction to week four.

    • Filming set up. Two brown leather sofas that are facing each other have been shot through a red camera lens.

      Finder, Minder, Grinder

      In this activity we will examine some of the core activities you need to consider for your freelance business.

    • 3 white mannequins. The left mannequin has nothing on, the middle mannequin has skirt boning, the mannequin on the right has a sheer blue, tiered waterfall skirt pinned on it.

      Looking after the money

      In this activity we'll discuss financial management for small business.

    • A student using a print machine. The machine has a large black frame and a white surface. In the background there are silver work benches running down the centre of the room and there are multiple other student working.

      Reinvesting

      This activity will consider the necessary reinvestment in your freelance business in order to keep it going.

    • Seven black extendable rail track lights which are hung from the ceiling of a black photography studio.

      Conclusion

      This activity will wrap up the week's learning.

  • Week 5

    Growing Your Business

    • A white work bench that is covered in a variety of creative books. At the end of the bench there is a selection of materials, multiple mannequins, and 3 cameras setup.

      Introduction

      Introduction to the key learning for this week about growing your business.

    • Silver metal letter press blocks in a wooden storage unit.

      Taking stock of your business

      This activity will guide you to step back and consider your own business and how it might grow and evolve.

    • A silver caged storage unit holding a variety of yarn. Above the storage unit there is a fashion mood board and various materials pinned up on the wall.

      Rethink, reassess, reinvent

      This activity will guide you to consider 3 key ways you might consider growth in your creative freelance business.

    • Multi coloured crochet chain set up on a white plinth, there is a camera and some stacked chairs in the background.

      Hiring and managing staff

      This activity will delve into the subject of hiring and managing staff for your creative freelance business.

    • Kingston's clay workshop. The room has floor to ceiling windows. There are 2 work benches that have students work drying on them.

      Conclusion

      This activity concludes the week's activities framing your learning.

  • Week 6

    Thriving as a Freelancer

    • Black photography studio with white infinity walls, black curtains, and black hanging lights.

      Introduction

      This activity introduces the key topics and ideas we'll cover this week.

    • On the left side of the image there is a black wire drying rack which is open on 2 grey prints with neon illegible text. On the right side of the image there is a student using a screen printing machine and a white storage unit.

      Looking after yourself

      This activity will guide you to consider ways you can look after your mental and physical health as a creative freelancer.

    • A white undressed mannequin against a white brick wall.

      Planning for a rainy day

      This activity will consider how good financial management can help your creative freelance business to be more sustainable.

    • An old fashioned knit machine with purple yarn. In the background there are more textiles machinery, a student working and large windows covering both walls.

      Sustainability

      This activity will use the theory of the quadruple bottom line to explore ways you can guide your creative freelance practice to be more sustainable.

    • Large white table covered in books and a multicoloured crochet chain and a big black and white print, there is a red camera screen in the foreground.

      Conclusion

      This activity concludes the final week of the short course.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify the legal considerations and structures of freelance work (using the UK as an example)
  • Investigate financial planning for small businesses, including start-up costs, tax and cash flow (using the UK as an example)
  • Develop a comprehensive business plan for your freelance business
  • Identify tools to manage yourself as a freelancer
  • Build confidence in finding and working with clients as a freelancer

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for freelancers who want to work within the creative industries or those thinking of a career change and are considering freelance work.

This course would also benefit current creative freelancers wanting to strengthen their freelance practice.

Who will you learn with?

Steven Sparling

Dr Steven Sparling is the Head of Department, Creative Industries in the Kingston School of Art, Kingston University. He holds a PhD in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship.

Who developed the course?

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Kingston University

At Kingston University, we are passionate about enhancing our students’ life chances by helping them make the most of their learning opportunity while equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed in the 21st Century’s demanding workplace.

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