With all the wind, rain, hail, and sleet that we’ve had, you’d be forgiven for thinking that November had just passed. But no, that was May. Here’s our roundup of freelancer news from the wettest May on record, the month that we spent downing pints in downpours and desperately refreshing the NHS vaccine page to see if it was our turn yet.
Lockdown restrictions easing
The biggest news this month was the government giving the green light to a further round of lockdown easing from the 17th of May. Happily, this matched with the roadmap they had set out and meant that hugs, HIIT classes and hotel stays were all back on the menu. On the blog, we looked at the ways that freelancers can prepare for the end of lockdown and in particular how to deal with any anxieties that you might have about reopening. As networking and in-person events become possible again, we put together a guide for freelancers looking to build their referrals to attract new clients. Referrals are an easy win for freelancers, helping you get going on new projects quickly without having to do any costly and time-consuming advertising. Give our tips a read if you’re looking to build up your client base post-lockdown.
Worries about the spread of new variants and the threats posed by the increase in international travel mean that the date for the next round of easing – currently pegged as no earlier than 21st June – could be in jeopardy. If you haven’t already, you can find out here if you’re able to book your vaccine yet. Most over-30s should now be eligible, with the government target for all adults to have been offered the first dose by the end of July.
Responsible retail therapy
With our income streams starting to steady themselves a bit now, and non-essential retail well and truly back-to-business, we also took a look at how to shop smart as a freelancer. The best things in life are free, we decided, so we put together a guide to the best free sites that freelancers can use to support their businesses. Whether you need some support with your SPAG, some tools for your Twitter or a manager for your mailouts, we recommend the top websites that are full of free features for freelancers. In a similar vein, we looked at how we can steer ourselves away from the usual suspects of Amazon and Wetherspoons as things reopen, in our article on how freelancers can shop small. With easy-to-use websites like Hive and simple apps like Neverspoons, you can help to support other small business owners with very low effort. This has a huge positive impact on local economies – thriving high streets, creative industries, and nightlife all present new opportunities to freelancers as well – so think of that independent bookshop purchase as an investment in yourself.
Speaking of presents to ourselves: if outside continuing to be bleak and grey is getting you down, take a look at our guide on how to bring tropical vibes inside your home office with some house plants. We look at the best options for freelancers, including those that you can overwater, underwater, ignore, and keep (quite literally) in the dark. There are also some more needy options for more dedicated plant parents on the blog.
Answering your questions
If you had to put your freelance business on pause during lockdown, now is the time to be building back up. As you start to get the enquiries and projects flowing again, you might have some questions about how you open up safely and minimise your legal and financial risks by making sure you have the right business insurance in place. If you need a little help telling your PL from your PI, then our freelancer insurance FAQs are for you. We answer some of the most common questions that we hear from freelancers. If there’s anything else that’s confusing you or that you’d like to find out more about, drop us a line at hello@getdinghy.com or speak to one of our friendly team on 0116 380 5654.
So, there you have it. Rough winds certainly did shake the darling buds of May, but June is on its way and with it hopefully some sunshine, and maybe even the end of social distancing? Whatever your summer goals are, whether it’s hopping on a plane to a green-list destination or simply trying to get back to the office, Dinghy insurance is here to support freelancers. Our public liability insurance is essential if you’re thinking of working out and about under the new restrictions, and our flexible policies mean that your cover can be paused at any time, saving you money when you’re out-of-office. You can get a quick quote on our website, and be covered in minutes.
