Comments on: How Do You Set Up Your Freelance Business? http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/10/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business/ tips and downloads to help you at work and play Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:51:46 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John Pitchers http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/10/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business/comment-page-1/#comment-2112 John Pitchers Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:24:26 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/10/03/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business.html#comment-2112 <p>I also set myself up as a Pty Ltd company. I've been freelancing full time for 2 years and part time for about 5. It means, myself and my wife are basically employees in our own company. We pay ourselves a set wage and superannuation each week. Any profits we take from the company is treated as a dividend. Definitely, speak to an accountant about it. </p> I also set myself up as a Pty Ltd company. I’ve been freelancing full time for 2 years and part time for about 5. It means, myself and my wife are basically employees in our own company. We pay ourselves a set wage and superannuation each week. Any profits we take from the company is treated as a dividend. Definitely, speak to an accountant about it.

]]> By: Designer Guy http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/10/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business/comment-page-1/#comment-2111 Designer Guy Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:39:15 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/10/03/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business.html#comment-2111 <p>Sorry, I also meant to say that for me, setting myself up as a Pty Ltd company was the smartest move I ever made from a business perspective. My freelancing turned into direct client work which turned into a small studio. I had no idea where I wanted to go with it all when I started out and the company structure allowed me to do all this without changing the core structure of the business.</p> <p>I've seen too many other people in the same situation spend tens of thousands of dollars dissolving poorly set up structures and setting them back up again. </p> <p>Spend the $1,500 or so going to an accountant and getting advice appropriate to your circumstances, it may seem like a lot, but it's like car insurance ... if you can't afford it, you can't afford to drive.</p> Sorry, I also meant to say that for me, setting myself up as a Pty Ltd company was the smartest move I ever made from a business perspective. My freelancing turned into direct client work which turned into a small studio. I had no idea where I wanted to go with it all when I started out and the company structure allowed me to do all this without changing the core structure of the business.

I’ve seen too many other people in the same situation spend tens of thousands of dollars dissolving poorly set up structures and setting them back up again.

Spend the $1,500 or so going to an accountant and getting advice appropriate to your circumstances, it may seem like a lot, but it’s like car insurance … if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford to drive.

]]> By: Designer Guy http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/10/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business/comment-page-1/#comment-2110 Designer Guy Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:33:20 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/10/03/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business.html#comment-2110 <p>I freelanced in Brisbane for 18 months or so in ad agencies and had prior to that point been the person responsible for hiring freelancers in the design studio I had worked in. Me experience was that no-one wanted to deal with a placement agency if they could help it. They all lied about the level of competence of the placements anyway. </p> <p>If you're a senior with good contacts you'll be better off on your own, you'll make the full rate, but you'll have to manage all the paperwork. If you're more junior it's going to be harder to find placements and more difficult to negotiate a rate, so maybe a placement agency would work better for you.</p> <p>Bear in mind that once you sign on with a placement agency it's normally in your contract that you can no longer approach people for work directly ...</p> <p>This could be different in other cities though.</p> I freelanced in Brisbane for 18 months or so in ad agencies and had prior to that point been the person responsible for hiring freelancers in the design studio I had worked in. Me experience was that no-one wanted to deal with a placement agency if they could help it. They all lied about the level of competence of the placements anyway.

If you’re a senior with good contacts you’ll be better off on your own, you’ll make the full rate, but you’ll have to manage all the paperwork. If you’re more junior it’s going to be harder to find placements and more difficult to negotiate a rate, so maybe a placement agency would work better for you.

Bear in mind that once you sign on with a placement agency it’s normally in your contract that you can no longer approach people for work directly …

This could be different in other cities though.

]]> By: damian http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/10/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business/comment-page-1/#comment-2109 damian Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:01:06 +0000 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/10/03/how_do_you_set_up_your_freelance_business.html#comment-2109 <p>i'd love to hear how designer types have found freelancing through and agency vs going out on your own. any takers?</p> i’d love to hear how designer types have found freelancing through and agency vs going out on your own. any takers?

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