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You’ve got the perfect name for your freelance consulting business. You may have even gone and registered your freelance domain name in a fit of excitement. You may even be lucky enough to have won your first client. It’s time to register your freelance consulting business. If you’re like me, you may find the idea…

Unless you’re a freelancer who has a long-term client relationship, you’re likely going to be managing multiple clients as a freelance consultant. Working with many different businesses has its plus points, from spreading the risk of losing clients to building up a body of work and knowledge that can be adapted and shared between your separate…

This is the tenth in a series of interviews with freelancers, telling us their stories on how they went freelance. The aim is to help others who are thinking of becoming freelance learn more about what it takes, as well as get advice and inspiration so they can get the confidence and understanding to find out…

Today is my 30th birthday. Yes, I’ve reached the big three-oh. I can already see wrinkles appearing by the minute… To celebrate, I’ve been whisked away for a surprise trip and I’m writing this from the cosy bedroom aboard a boat. One of the advantages of freelancing is that you can take a trip whenever…

Hello there! Now that you’ve completed the guide to going freelance, you can use this handy page to reference these emails anytime you like. If you learned from this series and want to share what you learned with a friend, that’s awesome (and clearly you’re a good friend). Make sure they get the latest series…

  I’ve teamed up with the lovely guys at Crunch accounting to give away 5 copies of my book, Freelance in 30 Days. And the book giveaway is easy to enter! Just leave your email address in the box below and I’ll draw 5 winners at random, after the draw closes on 31st January. Everyone…

Ben Matthews, Experienced Freelance PR Consultant I am a freelance PR consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my PR career in financial PR, before moving from Technology PR to Digital PR, before finally working as a freelance PR consultant. I offer…

Ben Matthews, Experienced Freelance Social Media Consultant Freelance social media consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my social career in the financial sector, moving to technology, government and charity social media agencies, before finally working as a freelance social media consultant.…

Experienced Freelance Digital Marketing Consultant I am a freelance digital marketing consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my digital marketing career in the financial sector, before moving from the Technology, Government and Charity sectors, before finally working as a freelance digital marketing…

Havana, Cuba’s capital city, was amazing, We spent the whole week in Havana in the end, with a few day trips here and there. We went in March 2015, just before the first direct flights from the US started flying to Cuba. Cuba is very tourist friendly, but there is also plenty to do to…

The good people at Time Doctor have given me access to an account, so I can try out their time tracking software for Freelancers. This is a sponsored post, but the Time Doctor team have given me complete editorial freedom, so I can write what I like. Just to add to the fun, I’ve used Time Doctor…

  One of the things I’ve been struggling with as a freelancer lately is focussing in on a sector that matches my own values and who the clients I work with give me work that I enjoy doing. Often when your values and your clients’ are aligned, your work will be better as a result. This…

How much experience do you need to go freelance? And if you want more or feel like you need more, how do you get more experience as a freelancer? When I first went freelance, I had 4 years experience of working in the industry. That might not seem a lot, but I felt that in order…

Last week’s post on Tech For Good got a good reception, both from those already working in the area and those who hadn’t heard of it, but maybe only needed a small nudge to start to join the pieces together and see them as the start of a movement. There’s been a few more happenings…

It can be scary making the leap from full-time job to being a freelancer. I remember how daunting it was to leave my job and start out on my own. I was lucky enough to have jobs at great places to work, with decent pay, good colleagues, and interesting work. By going freelance, I was risking all of…

Buy my product   Looking for templates for your freelance proposals, contracts and invoices? There are plenty of examples of freelance document templates out there, but I’ve pulled the best of the bunch together – as well as added a few of my own templates – to give you a shortcut to all the freelance…

London coworking spaces are popping up everywhere, as shown by this map from coworkinglondon.com. But the nature of coworking itself is changing, as shown by rising prices, the "niche-ing" of spaces, the increase in established companies opting for coworking spaces, and the bigger office retail companies opening up coworking spaces – either under a sub-brand or…

Finding freelance clients is one of the big challenges in freelance life. You may think it’s tough at the beginning, but the ebb and flow of freelance work never stops and carries on right on through your more experienced years. But any effort you put into finding and testing reliable places to find new freelance clients…

Calin from Freelance Business Guide invited me to contribute to his Freelance Inspiration Infographic and I was more than happy to help inspire other freelancers on their journey. Being called a "leading freelancer" was a great compliment, given the other names appearing alongside me on the infographic. The likes of Sara Horowitz, Justin Jackson and Paul…

Speaking about digital trends for 10 minutes is hard enough. Speaking about digital trends for 10 minutes to a group of around 50 independent consultants is harder. Speaking about digital trends for 10 minutes to a group of around 50, slightly soggy from the London rain, eager to get back to networking, independent consultants was…

I’ve been shortlisted by the nice people at IPSE as a Freelancer of the Year finalist in their Freelancer Awards. This is mainly for my work at Montfort, but also for other initiatives like Freelance in 30 Days. It’s a lovely surprise. The other 2015 finalists are: Rebecca Seeley Harris, re:legal Consulting Nick Forshaw, Weakend…

Experienced Freelance WordPress Website Designer I am a freelance WordPress website designer for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I offer a wide range of WordPress development and consultancy services, from strategy and design through to build and implementation. Though based in London and often work with client’s…

People choose to take the leap into the world of freelancing for many reasons – choosing your own hours, being your own boss, operating in new locations, and having the opportunity to earn and keep all your profit being just a few. When IPSE released their latest research to coincide with National Freelancers Day, the annual event celebrating…

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Freelancing can be a risky business. Much of the relationship between you and your client will come down to trust. But one practical way you can make things crystal clear up-front is signing a robust freelance contract. Having a contract in place is not an…

What is this Privacy Policy for? This privacy policy is for this website benrmatthews.com and governs the privacy of its users who choose to use it. The policy sets out the different areas where user privacy is concerned and outlines the obligations & requirements of the users, the website and website owners. Furthermore the way this…

The landscape of public relations and marketing in general is often changing and as a freelancer it may be hard to stay up to date on everything going on. Fortunately, the guys over at TechFunction have put together a comprehensive Public Relations Guide that covers everything from start to finish. It is extremely important to…

The first thing to know about how to drink whisky is that only you can decide how you prefer to drink whisky. Whisky comes in many different flavours, ages, colours, smells and serves. Part of the fun of drinking whisky is finding which flavour, age, colour, smell or serve is the one you like the…

Hiring freelance web developers is notoriously difficult. Not only do talented web developers possess technical skill, but they must also be able to work in a team, predict deadlines, and handle the stresses of product development cycles. With such a varied skillset, it’s difficult to identify the candidates that have it all, and just reading…

  This is a guest post from Brad Shorr,  Director of Content Strategy at Straight North, a B2B SEO, web design and PPC company. Half the challenge of cultivating freelance work is getting potential clients to open up their eyes to the opportunities — and the necessities — for Internet marketing. When potential or existing clients…

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Jack Prenter from KnownMan.com looks at how to dress for a job interview and the importance of looking professional when meeting prospective employers. How to dress for a job interview Whether we like it or not the reality is that we are judged based on how we look. So it’s no surprise that employers expect their employees…

Ben Matthews, Experienced Social Media Consultant I’m a social media consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my social career in the financial sector, moving to technology, government and charity social media agencies, before finally working as a freelance social media consultant. I…

Experienced Freelance Facebook Ads Consultant I am a freelance Facebook Ads consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my digital marketing career in the financial sector, before moving from the Technology, Government and Charity sectors, before finally working as a freelance digital marketing consultant.…

The field of freelance web design can be a lucrative option for the tech-savvy entrepreneur, but it can be challenging to get your foot in the door. There are several ways that you can set yourself apart from the competition as you start your freelance business, helping you to build strong relationships with both new…

According to the UK Office of National Statistics, one in seven British workers, are freelance, while in America the Freelancers Union estimate it is as high as one in three, with Forbes predicting 50% will be self employed by 2020. It’s easy to understand why. The benefits of working from home, being your own boss and choosing your own hours…

Experienced Freelance Google Ads and PPC Consultant I am a freelance Google Ads and PPC consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my digital marketing career in the financial sector, before moving from the Technology, Government and Charity sectors, before finally working as a…

Experienced Freelance Content Marketing Consultant I am a freelance content marketing consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my digital marketing career in the financial sector, before moving from the Technology, Government and Charity sectors, before finally working as a freelance content marketing…

Freelancers and independent workers: hold on to these recently published statistics. The workforce revolution is well underway, with more and more people (and companies!) turning to freelance work, often selling two or more skills to stay on top. AND CO conducted a study on the future of work and the empowerment of the new generation of…

I happily accept sponsored posts and guest articles, and I’m PR-friendly. Email me in the first instance at ben@montfort.io and we can chat about your needs. Here are some general guidelines: Content must be original and not published elsewhere Content theme must be related to freelancing, marketing, running a business, travel or general digital life.…

This is a guest post written by Louisa Dean, a freelance writer from Dorset, UK. She loves the freedom that comes with being her own boss, as well as the much coveted work/life balance.   Identifying what makes you stand out from the competition like a daunting prospect, but in the climate of today’s economy, having…

Why freelance? Well, freelancing is one of the best methods to earn extra cash, and with the information gathered by Zeqr in the infographic below, it’s almost certainly going to convince you to try it. Although you’ll face competition when applying to certain jobs, Zeqr strongly advise you not to give up. Some of the…

Surveys can be a legit way to make some extra cash and we all know that can come in very handy at the end of the month. However, not all surveys are created equally and understanding how to sort the good from the not so good is a must. So, what do you need to…

Being a digital marketing consultant, it can often be quite easy to forget that the world was once dominated by paper-based communication – and in many places, it still is. As our global society moves increasingly to digital-first formats, the art of writing letters, sending postcards or simply sending a thank you note is becoming…

Setting up and using a PGP key is not straightforward, but tools like GPG Suite and Mailvelope make it easier. Here’s how to create and use a PGP key with GPG Suite and Mailvelope. 1. Download GPG Suite The first step is to download and run GPG Suite. When that is done, it’s time to setup…

This is a guest post from Costea Lestoc, who began writing on his personal blog and then discovered his true calling: writing about technology. Costa has since been a technical writer, author and blogger since 2005. An industry watcher that stays on top of the latest news, Costa is extremely passionate about juicy tech news and everything related…

Hello. I’m Ben Matthews, a friendly digital marketing consultant from the UK, living in London. You’ll usually find me talking about freelancing, marketing, running a small business, tech for good, travel and general London life. I run Empower. We’re a digital marketing agency for charities and nonprofits. My book Freelance in 30 Days is available in paperback and ebook from Gumroad. You can email me at ben@empower.agency

You are lying on an exotic beach, drinking a fruity cocktail from a coconut shell, and enjoying the cool breeze. You open a laptop and start writing. It’s impossible not to feel inspired in such a location. Or, you are in a hip café in Prague, working on a project with the astronomical clock tower…

From supporting a brand’s development and social media promotions to creating websites, unique art, and advertising products and services, graphic design will always be needed by so many fields in the industry. In fact, the use of visual content increased to a point where 74% of marketers use visual aids for online advertising, while creating more engaging…

How does your small business handle its Human Resources? The answer is you likely have one or two employees who take care of the company’s HR services while also undertaking other tasks too. Money is obviously a concern when you’re just starting out, so it’s logical to think trying to handle everything yourself is the…

If there’s anything more difficult than starting up a viable, successful small business, it’s maintaining and growing a small business. According to the Small Business Administration, while some 78% of small businesses survive their first year of business, less than half make it through their first five years of business and only about a third survive a…