By day three of the pandemic most of my client list had vanished. Throughout the rest of the week, emails dripped in with a version of the same message,  ‘Due to the coronavirus we have put a hold on all projects/cancelled all events/ceased trading.’  And just like that, my freelance business ground to a halt.

We are all feeling the impact of COVID-19 and it can often seem like an endless feed of bad news. At Freelancer Club, we've joined a bunch of companies who are offering various services for free during the pandemic. All Freelancer Club members can gain access to our virtual events to help with development and support during this turbulent time. We're also giving every account £200 in Concierge Credits to spend on freelance hires. Here is a list of other companies who are helping out.

Self-isolation, social distancing, lockdown… Let’s face it, for many of us, this basically just means slowly sinking into the sofa, staring blankly at a screen (see, you’re doing it right now) and mindlessly munching on the irrational food choices that we just panic-bought in bulk. With the outside world being so unsettling and chaotic at the moment, it makes sense that we’d rather work our way through a super-bumper-multi-mega-extra large pack of biscuits than work on creative project ideas as freelancers. Although we all deserve some time out from the pressures and anxieties of this global pandemic, this doesn’t mean we have to stagnate at the expense of our creativity.

Freelancer Club is backing The Creative Industries Federation and IPSE's proposal to Government asking for support in the self-employed sector. To join over 114,000 others, click here to sign the petition and give your reason. 

It’s 2020. A highly infectious coronavirus has rapidly swept across the globe and society is in lockdown for the foreseeable future. The streets are eerily quiet, and all you can hear are the sounds of dogs barking, glass shattering and blood-curdling groans. You anxiously peer out of your bedroom window only to discover that your nightmarish suspicions were true… your next door neighbour Karen has joined the living dead and is staggering around, drenched in decaying blood, sniffing out her next victim...

January is often a time of reflection. You may be looking back at an amazing year just gone or questioning whether freelancing is right for you. It can also be a dark time for some and, although it can be difficult to admit, we could all do with a little help from time to time. Freelancing is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career paths you can take but finding stability and success doesn't come easily. So, we've compiled a few tips to get you on the right track and thinking positively for 2020. 

Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune once said "Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth." In other words, not all advice is worth taking. With over 20 years of experience in the freelance sector, we've been given a lot of 'advice' and dished out our fair share. Here are a few gems we urge you to avoid. 

How to become a freelancer? You're talented at what you do but how to turn that into a business that gives you the income, flexibility and satisfaction that comes with the freelance lifestyle? We’ve all thought about pursuing our dreams only to dismiss the idea as fantasy and end up sticking with the 'safe' option. Rent, a mortgage, kids, bills... the list of reasons not to follow your ambitions are endless. Did you know that on average freelancers earn £52,000 per year? It's how you set up your freelance business that generally dictates your success and we've 3 key tips to get you thinking.