Description

The first year of freelancing is the one where you figure out what you actually need. Not the year where everything goes to plan, but the year where you find out what your plan was missing. This planner helps you think through the practical foundations before you start, and track how things are going once you do.

How to use this

Work through the setup tab first: registration, insurance, banking, accounting, and the practical admin of starting. These are the things that seem obvious but often get overlooked in the excitement of the first project.

The financial planning tab helps you set income targets by month, track actual income against forecast, and maintain a running view of your cash position. Freelance income is rarely linear; the tab is designed to show you that clearly.

The quarterly review tab asks a structured set of questions about what’s working, what isn’t, and what you want to do differently. Use it every three months.

What’s included

• Editable Excel workbook (.xlsx) with setup, financial planning, client tracker, and quarterly review tabs
• PDF reference version

Who it’s for

Anyone in the process of going freelance from an in-house freelance role, or in their first year of independent work.

Before you download

• This planner is most useful when started before you go freelance, not after the first panic. The setup tab in particular is worth working through in advance.
• After downloading, you will find both files in your account.
• You are getting a licence to use this and adapt it for your own work. You cannot sell, redistribute, or share it with others.