to ask what you do if you are self employed/work at home

[PocketFluff]

In a few threads recently people have talked about being self employed, some only doing a few hours a week, or being able to have a work at home job that fits around the children.

Can I be nosey and ask what it is you do and get a bit of the action myself?

Can I jump in pretty please and ask those who are freelance writers/copywriters/proofreaders how they got into that line of work? I have some experience and vaguely relevant qualifications in that area and would really like to start doing some freelance work from home...

Another interpreter here :)

Most of my work is booked directly via word of mouth but I also work through a few agencies and am listed on a couple of websites.

monday - it's a combination of talent (not always very much of it ]grin]), qualifications, decades of grifting, utter bloody-mindedness and sheer luck, I think. And everyone ends up doing it by completely different routes. Bloody-mindedness probably the most important factor there I suspect. Not very helpful, sorry!

Freelance copy-editor/proofreader. Only 1.5 days a week though. Work for an academic publisher the rest of the time. Wouldn't mind going full time freelance one day :)

Har. Other people proofread my work, as you can see

Monday everyone I know has got into it different ways really. I got a job with a publisher because of my languages and postgrad degree, and got my editorial experience that way.

monday stick to your niche (or find one), build up your contacts, network like feck and do a bit of cold-calling. Most medium - large companies are used to 'buying in' copywriters so there's definitely work there. Avoid the bidding websites unless you're happy earning buttons.

OK, maybe they have a use in building up a portfolio, but stick to your niche and don't bid for anything that won't move you forward in your overall goal.

There's also a freelancers board which isn't particularly busy but has lots of great posters.

employment lawyer (when I'm not getting distracted by MN)

I'm a search engine optimisation consultant and I'm just about to start my own online business too.

Annieshaf - financial modelling and business plans sounds interesting. How did you get into that?

Feature writer for a newspaper. My office is in London and I'm up north so work from home.

Wow, this is great exposure to the variety of jobs there are that suit home working - I had no idea!

I work from home, healthcare researcher.

IT Tutoring online

monday was about to ask the same question. I've got two degrees in English but have worked in a totally different industry for 12 years but have been wondering about copywriting/copyediting/proofreading for ages. No clue where to start though!

Used to do a lot of book-keeping but recently started the virtual assistant thing and this is better because 1) I actually get paid more per hour worked than the pittance small businesses used to pay me. 2) My home isn't filled up with shedloads of other people's crap paperwork. 3) Book-keeping bored me shitless. I had to jack in the Phd and woth when ds (ASD) spent most of yrs 1-4 either being excluded, p/t educated or waiting for months on end (more than once) for a school place. I do miss the atmosphere, camaraderie and being around other people though.

Chartered accountant here.

Talkinpeace - the £2k NI allowance is only against employer's NIC, not employee's so you still have 12% employee's NIC to pay. Any Er's NIC saving would result in lower allowable expenses for CT so would effectively be taxed.

Freelance web developer/analyst here. Also create PC/Mac games and mobile apps for children with SEN in my "spare" time :)

Traditional signwriter (but I don't work at home, I have a studio up the road).
Re: childcare- well, if your income is low enough to claim tax credits, you can get 70% of your childcare paid for (via said tax credits). If you don't have a job on, you can use that precious time to hone your high-octane marketing strategy and get more jobsor go on MN

Monday, I think it is a lot about contacts and networking and experience. I'm trying to get a small communications agency off the ground and so far all my work has come from people I know, in areas i am an acknowledged expert in.

It's early days but I love it so far. Freedom, flexibility and even the admin feels like it has a purpose.

I don't work ,but I`ve always wanted to be a teacher and come on who doesn't want to make cup cakes!!!!!!!!!

I do audio typing from home.

Float62 I'm thinking of becoming a virtual assistant - any tips or advice?

People interested in editing work, start by looking at the sfep.org.uk website. Loads of info there. Think there's been a few threads about it here too, not sure how much detail they went into.

Hairdresser here!