Communicating the Future, Guv

So, it was December 2012 and I was travelling in South America (La Paz, Bolivia, to be exact). And I was on the interwebz, checking Twitter, as you do. And I saw a job post for a company called FutureGov. The job was for Head of Comms, which sounded good to me. The skills required … Read more

Getting started as a freelance

Getting started as a freelance can be hard, but I’m here to help you. If you’re new here, this is what I believe in: Every year, thousands of people have the confidence to start their freelance career. You can do it too. You can have the flexibility and freedom that comes from running your own … Read more

How to Become a Freelance Consultant

Becoming a freelance consultant is a dream for many. I’ve been lucky enough to have a successful freelance career as a social media and digital PR consultant for the last few years. There’s been some bumps along the way, but advice and encouragement from a wide range of people enabled me to go it alone … Read more

Freelance Digital Marketing and Social Media Consultant for hire

Ben Matthews, Experienced Digital Marketing & Social Media Consultant Freelance digital marketing social media consultant for hire in London, with over 10 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my social career in the financial sector, moving to technology, government and charity social media agencies, before finally working as … Read more

Essential Freelance Reads and Top Freelancer Blogs

Following on from my guide to being a freelance consultant, I’ve pulled together a list of essential freelance reads and top blogs so you can get up to speed on all the latest freelance thinking. These are presented in no particular order, but feel free to add your own suggestions by leaving a comment! Freelance … Read more

How do you achieve work life balance as a freelance?

As a freelancer, maintaining work life balance can be a hard task. As well as juggling lots of clients and projects at once, there is the added pressure of taking care of all the housekeeping that comes along with freelance life. From finances and new business, to updating your social media profiles and chasing client … Read more

The wrong time to go freelance

You might feel that you’re ready right now, but there is definitely a wrong time to go freelance and a right time to go freelance. Make the move at the wrong time and you could find yourself regretting your decision and wishing you’d thought through your decision more. Here are the reasons I think make it … Read more

What should a 2013 not-for-profit look like?

The good people behind OpenTech 2013 posed a great question as one of their potential sessions for the event happening on 18th May in London: What should a 2013 not-for-profit look like? It caught my eye a few weeks ago and I’ve been pondering it ever since, not only because I’ve had experience in starting … Read more

Japanese Netsuke and Symbiotic Relationships

  I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture – both traditional and modern – and my recent trip to Japan has furthered my interest. But living in London means I am lucky enough to be exposed to Japanese culture and traditions on a regular basis, whether it’s through visiting the Japan Centre on Regent Street, … Read more

My Privacy Plan

(Photo via Sean MacEntee) I’ve decided to come up with a privacy plan for myself. After hearing about the NSA’s surveillance scandals and now the details about Edward Snowden, the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations, I’ve been kicked into action. These events has got me (and several million other people) spooked by who is … Read more