Freelance Advisor is an important resource that aims to be your first point of call for everything freelance, from advice about your career, accounts and taxation to guides on setting up business, marketing yourself and finding work.

The Go-Freelance Guide is the work of copywriter Leif Kendall. Leif Kendall is the freelance copywriter (and web marketing and SEO consultant) behind Kendall Copywriting Ltd. He's passionate about freelancing and the opportunities it provides.

You can read the beginning of the first chapter below and you can download the free guide from www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk/go-freelance.

___________

Darkest before the Dawn

So, you're thinking about going freelance? Are you feeling excited, terrified or full of adrenaline as you stand on the edge, ready to leap? You probably have lots of questions - lots of areas of uncertainty that you want to address before you begin freelancing. Or maybe you're here because you've already made the leap. Maybe you made a rash decision (don't worry!), or were freelanced against your wishes (sacked) or maybe you just feel that the time is now.

Or maybe you've been freelancing or contracting for a while and just need a boost of inspiration or some strategies for finding more work, more clients and more happiness. Whatever your position, remember that freelancing is not an easy way to make a living. Freelancing is demanding. It requires hard work, intelligent perseverance and the occasional stroke of good luck.

[…]

What is Freelancing? A Quick Definition of Key Terms

Freelance

The term 'freelance' originates from a time when knights with lances roamed the countryside, swindling damsels and badgering bandits (or something like that). These heroes for hire, or free lances, offered their services to clients in exchange for mead, maidens and mung beans (I'm mostly making this up).

Today 'freelance' is used to describe professional people who are free to work with anyone. Freelancers are useful to businesses because they offer high-quality services in a flexible manner - so our clients can pick us up and put us down as they please. Freelancers tend to work with many different clients on a variety of projects. Freelancers are responsible for finding their own clients and maintaining their own financial records (accounts, tax returns etc).

Contractor

Contractors are much like freelancers, in that they eschew full-time, permanent jobs in favour of something more volatile. But contractors seek fixed-term work contracts, which may involve working with one employer for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. Contractors tend to take on bigger pieces of work, and are more likely to work from their client's office for the duration of the contract.

Contractors often rely more on their CV and less on other forms of marketing like networking and cold calling.

Freelancers and contractors share many similarities, with some freelancers taking on contracts, and some contractors freelancing in between contracts - so it's often difficult to tell the difference.

Do you want to know more? Go online and download the whole guide for free.

www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk/go-freelance