Help. Leave my job to become a freelance marketing consultant/copywriter?

[Hatters1982]

Help.

I've been back at work for 8 weeks and already had to take time off to look after DS 9 months old. I went into hospital last week with a suspected brain bleed and have a further CT scan on Wed and I'm worried I've taken on too much. Help.

I currently work at a large bank as a Marketing Manager four days a week and I'm considering resigning this week to become a freelancer. I'll need to bring in at least a days work each week. Have lots of contacts and experience but I'm terrified of failing.

Anyone had or going through a similar dilemma?

To leave or not to leave this is the big headache quite literally.

Ps. apologies is you've seen this post twice, I hate the way you can't delete your own posts, especially when you're tired and miss words!

well firstly i would wait for the results of the scan. if you need time off, then you will get time off sick fully paid. if you are freelance you get nothing.

so hold tight for now.

then go for it!

Hi Hatters

I'd agree with Amidaiwish in some respects, if you are a freelancer and you get sick then you don't get paid. In six years of working for myself I've never had a day off sick, even when I've been sick!

Is there anyway you can drop your days down with your employer?

Before you make the leap to freelancing can you guarantee one day a week of work? You'd be suprised how much finding freelance work can take over your life, it took me several months to generate a decent income from it.

Having said all that, it is more flexible and my work fits very well round my two small kids.

Applaud caution of other posters; but on the other hand, if you have a supportive partner and career track-record / contacts etc - I'd thoroughly recommend the freelance route. In
marketing right now, there seems to be a real willingness to pay for good known freelancers vs. agencies to keep the costs down. For things like social media/content generation, there's also no real disadvantage in being small either.

The ideal would be to work your notice period and line-up some work while this is happening or at least work on your network and let them know of future plans, assuming your contract allows it. You'll probably find yourself contracting for your old company, if you stay on good terms.

I went through agony resigning from my job last year, but honestly haven't looked back. Cash-flow is a bit of a pain at the start and you need to be sensible about money and ring-fence 40%-50% of what you make for tax and other ongoing expenses. This is conservative, but stops nasty surprises in the long-run. Set a day-rate that pays in part the lag-time; you can always offer discounts if it's work you really want to get.

Good luck.

Thank you to everyone for very useful advice. I have decided to take a career break for 18 momths. So if freelancing works then great, if not I can reply when a job becomes available.

Thanks again.