Emma Rundle’s freelancer story

As part of our freelance celebration we’re sharing the experiences of female freelancers. Here’s Emma Rundle’s story. 

What do you do? 

I’m a content writer, plus I run a women’s business networking franchise (The Athena Network)

How long have you been a freelancer? 

Five years.

Why did you go freelance? 

Because my two girls were getting towards school age and I couldn’t see any other way to make the balance work. My husband works full time in a demanding job so someone needed to be more on hand.

What do you love about being a freelancer? 

Flexibility. Being able to go to sports day or walk the dog without feeling guilty. A couple of my customers have tried to recruit me over the years and I was shocked by the strength of my reaction… I wanted to run for the hills!

And what do you hate about being a freelancer? 

Cash flow/feast and famine and tax bills. Grrr.

How long did it take to earn an income you were happy with? 

It’s only really been the last two years that I feel I’ve earned a living wage.

And how long to get a good client rota? 

About the same. I picked up a few ongoing clients about two and a half years ago and that’s been a lifeline for me.

Have you ever turned a client down? And if so, why? 

Yes, I’ve learned to recognise what I call ‘Happy to glad’ clients. (They basically edit my work, changing happy to glad, for example). Some people just have too prescriptive an idea in their head and can’t accept anyone else’s writing style.

I’ve worked for two or three and now recognise the characteristics and just let them know I don’t think I’m right for the job.

If you could offer any advice to yourself starting out as a freelancer what would it be? 

Have faith, it’s not necessarily going to happen overnight but success will come. Try to spend at least one day a month on, not in, your business. Planning, writing social media posts, doing the admin.

I take myself off to a nice café or shared workspace and do this so I feel like I’m on an away day!! Basically you need to enjoy yourself, otherwise ask yourself why you are doing what you do.

Find out more about Emma