Redundancy can be the springboard to copywriting success

In 2003, he was happily (well, less than happily, if we’re being honest) and barely paid as an editor at a medical communications agency in Cheshire.

He had only been there 16 months when they decided to downsize. “Last in, first out” is the name of the game, I was unceremoniously kicked out of the building two weeks after the layoff rumors.

Clutching a small check and a box of staplers and Post-it Notes, I retired to the local inn as a fitting prelude to the rest of my life. Eight hours and 12 pints of Real Ale later, I had a massive headache and the beginnings of a Business Plan.

Not being the most enterprising people, at least I was lucky. I was employed in the type of work that can be done independently. Had I been a skincare rep or paramedic, I doubt I would have diverged into the world of self-employment so quickly.

Since then, I have been part lucky, part quite skilled, and almost like a businessman. This is how I managed to get out of my career as a freelance writer.

First, get used to motivating yourself. Shut off all distractions and set small goals (five pages by lunchtime, for example).

But we’re jumping the gun. First, we have to find some work. For my part, after fumbling around various freelance writing sites and picking up a few jobs, I finally struck gold when I discovered Google Adwords.

It’s all about pay-per-click advertising – check out the sponsored boxes on your next Google search. Basically, for a small fee every time someone clicks on your box, you can have your website (yes, you’ll need a website) advertised on the first page of Google.

Thanks mainly to Adwords and the repeat business that followed, I was able to earn almost £30,000 in my first year, an amazing result for a novice freelance copywriter.

Since then, Adwords has become extraordinarily competitive and is not for the faint-hearted. Expect to spend nearly £2 every time someone (perhaps a competitor) clicks on your ad after searching for ‘copywriter’ or ‘copywriting’. Writing, expensive? your bet

Other avenues include networking. Now, I have to say that this really isn’t for me. Maybe it’s the fried breakfasts. Maybe it’s the 6am start. Or, more likely, because networking is fundamentally flawed.

This is why. You are part of a group that meets weekly, all with different skills, ‘referring’ each other as trusted associates. And that’s where it falls down for me. How do you know your colleagues are good at what they do? Why should I recommend them just because they have paid £400 to join your networking group?

Other methods that have been more successful for me include word-of-mouth referral: do a good job for someone and you’re sure to tell someone else in the business. I’ve also done pretty well with cold calling, if you can do it. Expect to make 100 calls for every piece of good news.

Promotional letters and other mailings can work well, especially for copywriters. You can also tag on the coattails of local design agencies and web designers. Offer to pay them 10% of their fee for any referrals that come your way.

But finding work is only part of the deal for the freelance copywriter. You will also need the right mindset. From now on, you are alone. You must be self-reliant and strong, even if you are not. Reading some self-help books or looking for advice on the Internet can help if you don’t have the kind of confidence needed to be successful in business.

So how do you set your rates? Remember that you have to take into account all your expenses, such as heating, lighting, travel, your pension, etc. At the time of writing, hourly rates tend to range between around £25 and… the sky’s the limit. I know of copywriters in the big cities who charge £100 an hour or more. At first, I’d be willing to compromise on your fees so you can build a portfolio that you can proudly display on your website.

After a few weeks, with the initial trickle of work turning into a small stream, you can sit back and congratulate yourself. You can set your own hours and rates, play golf during the day when the courses are quieter (or run, play tennis or whatever), pick up the kids from school, and generally live a fuller life. , relaxed and without bosses.

Best of luck!