Last year I shared the lessons I’d learnt from my first year in self-employment. See this post for some of the more fundamental information about becoming self-employed.
It’s now two years since I left full-time work, so here are some further life lessons I thought it might be helpful to share.
I should qualify this by saying I was in a position of privilege; financially, I was able to leave full-time work. I work part-time and flexibly. I appreciate that’s not necessarily a position everyone looking to move into self-employment is in.
My connections
Be intentional about maintaining your connections. I’ve developed some invaluable contacts through LinkedIn – and through my existing contacts who have introduced me to others through their networks. This has led to offers of work or recommendations. In turn, I have recommended others for their services to my connections.
One of my connections invited a group of us who are coaches working with HE professionals to a Christmas lunch. This was a great opportunity to meet existing and new connections in person. Relationships were forged, and we intend to meet up again.
I spend a good deal of time on LinkedIn and have found it’s been very fruitful, both in terms of raising my profile and establishing myself and my niche. The advice to narrow down, rather than broaden my focus, has paid dividends. It’s easier for potential clients to understand what I do, and how this can benefit them. In my case, not just a career coach, but a career change coach working with Higher Education professionals. These are now the clients I am attracting.
It’s important to keep reminding people what you do and don’t simply assume they know. People are busy; they may forget or not see your posts, so regular reminders should be part of your marketing strategy.
There is much written about the (often changing) LinkedIn algorithm, with plenty of advice from those who use the platform regularly. My advice? Don’t be a slave to the algorithm.
My key LinkedIn tips
- Make your content useful and relevant to those you want to engage with
- Post regularly
- Comment frequently on others’ posts. This helps boost your visibility as well as building your connections
- When people engage with your content, always reply. Once LinkedIn can see that your post is creating interest, the algorithm will share it with your wider network
- The more opinionated you are, the greater the level of engagement is likely to be. When I shared my (strong) views on one particular news article, the post went viral
- Request testimonials so that your feed shows recent examples of the work you’re keen to promote
- Don’t compare the number of followers you have with others. There will always be those with many more. Ask yourself who you want to attract to your content and focus on inviting them to connect. These are the people likely to engage with you/offer you work. They’re also the people most likely to reshare your posts with others who will be interested in it.
Sometimes there appears to be no logic to LinkedIn. I can create what I think is an insightful, useful post- and get very little engagement. Yet at other times, posts can soar. However, by engaging routinely and by creating posts that are useful to others, I’ve received several offers of work, opportunities to promote what I do and speaker invitations.
AI
I’ve found AI to be surprisingly helpful at improving my LinkedIn profile. By sharing the links to both my website and LinkedIn profile, ChatGPT came up with several suggested improvements. I was specifically interested to know how best to present myself in my ‘About’ section, but ChatGPT came up with several additional improvements that I was able to apply to other sections of my profile.
Work offers can feel boom and bust
Universities continue to go through tough financial times, so less money is available. However, it’s cheaper to hire a freelancer than to employ a staff member, so don’t assume all your work will dry up. Keep reviewing your offer. Remind people what you do and check you’re offering services people are willing to pay for.
Each summer I find myself thinking “I’ll never work again.” Some organisations may be happy with your work, but don’t have a budget for repeat business, so next year may not mirror the previous year’s work pattern.
Sometimes, just as you think the summer is coming and that work will slow down, an institution will seek to spend some of their end-of-year budget before the July deadline.
At other times, something seemingly random may turn up. I was invited to be a speaker at an international conference last autumn, as a result of someone having read some of my blog posts. While I wasn’t paid, the conference organisers were willing to cover travel, meals and accommodation. As the event was in Italy, I used this as an opportunity to visit a friend who lived near the conference location.
Be selective about the work you do
Early on, I was reluctant to turn work down. However, the impact of taking on work you really don’t want to do- whether because it’s not that interesting or because it’s not financially viable, is not worth it. This year I was bold enough to say “no” to a couple of offers of work that fell into these categories.
However, if you know others who may be interested in work you’re lukewarm about, do pass on their details.
Keep learning
This year I completed a Career Change Coaching course online, which was a great investment. Remember, training is tax-deductible.
Accounts
I have found out (the hard way) that keeping on top of your accounts will save you time. I now capture income and expenditure each week. That way, you won’t spend hours wondering why your accounts don’t reconcile when you’re adrift by 14p at the end of the month. My husband, who is skilled in accounts, will assist- but it costs me in liquorice consignments when I need to ask him for help.
Outsourcing
I continue to outsource the things I’m not good at, which I can heartily recommend. I don’t have enough work to require a Virtual Assistant, but I do outsource my website and IT support. I have also had very useful sessions with a copywriter/marketeer to explore how best to improve my reach and engagement through social media and newsletters. Lisa Slater | LinkedIn
In summary
Two years on, I have zero regrets about making the shift into self-employment. I spent a very happy 18 ½ years in Higher Education. However, having control over my time and the work I choose to do and when I do it has been liberating.