Professionally speaking, 2018 was not the best year and it left me of the opinion that agency employment is no more secure than freelancing. So I'm back as a hand for hire and quite a bit has changed during the two and a bit years I was Head of Whatever-we're-calling-it-this-week. The most noticeable is the … Continue reading for agencies, small is increasingly beautiful (and friendly)
I've been working as a freelance for the last five and a half years and marketing agency types often sidle up to me on the quiet and mutter that they're thinking of going freelance and would I recommend it? I've always answered that it depends on your circumstances and here's why: Is there any work out … Continue reading Should I go freelance? Important questions for marketing types
Marks and Spencer announced towards the end of last week that they were extending their payment terms for almost 500 of their suppliers (75 of which are based in the UK) from 60 to 75 days. OR, they’ll pay up straight away in return for a “substantial discount”. I can’t believe that there hasn’t been … Continue reading why payment terms take the p**s
As a freelancer, 90% of my work comes from Yorkshire agencies – and it’s a small pond up here. There are probably only eight agencies capable of handling seven figure accounts, half of whom specialise in shopper marketing and/or retail. So the big FMCG and retail clients based up here tend to split their work … Continue reading when client overlap meets small ponds
It’s been exactly a year since I announced that I’d been made redundant. It quickly became clear that going freelance was the best idea for me so 12 months in I thought it was time for a bit of an audit. I’ve discovered that it’s all about reputation. Who knows you, who rates you and … Continue reading 12 months in
Neil Perkin has been doing a series of ‘Future Trends in Digital Marketing Innovation Briefings' for Econsultancy and the roadshow hit Leeds last Thursday. Some of the things Neil talked about included Networked Enterprises and Innovation within companies. In fact it seems to me that the two are pretty much interconnected. The days of organisations … Continue reading future trends in innovation and friends
As part of my occasional series of posts on Insights Based on Freelancing at Other People’s Agencies, this time my thoughts turn to Pitching. I’ve worked on rather a lot of pitches recently, of all shapes and sizes. Since the last couple of agencies I was employed by worked in a fairly similar way, I’d … Continue reading Pitch perfect?
I took the plunge as a Freelancer nearly six months ago - and haven't looked back. But if you're thinking of doing the same, there are a few things you should know: You will be introduced to, on average, twenty new people every week. All of whom will assume you know their names, job title and … Continue reading a few things they never tell you about freelance life
