The fact is that many freelancers are quite happy to operate as sole traders and there is nothing wrong with doing so. However, in some cases, it might be beneficial if you were to be able to pitch your services to a larger organisation while generating the impression that you have more resources at your fingertips than you actually do. This isn't about pulling the wool over someone's eyes, though. Getting your foot in the door can help you win bigger contracts which you may well be able to pull off. Presenting as a more established firm is really about being given a fair chance without being rejected out of hand because you are deemed to be too small. What should freelancers be focusing on?
Make Use of Multiple Email Addresses
Many freelancers have one email address they use for everything. This is often a cloud service email, such as hotmail, which doesn't always come across as the most professional. Gmail and so on are better reserved for personal correspondence only. What you want is several email addresses so you can have one for your sales contact, another for accounts, another for general enquiries and so on. For this, turn to an email hosting service which will allow you to run multiple addresses, thereby creating the impression of your operation being a bit bigger than it actually might be. Bear in mind, too, that there are many online resources for freelancers that go beyond email to help you expand your business's potential.
Form a Limited Company
Operating as a sole trader can be advantageous for freelancers but setting up a limited company in the UK means you will get to put Ltd behind your business name. On its own, this creates the impression of an established company,y even if the limited liability company only has you working for it. Doing so doesn't take long, either. There are some tax implications which you should explore before taking this step, however. For many freelancers, it is the most straightforward way to start punching above their weight among more established competitors.
Sub-Contract Work or Hire Employees
If you have won more work than you can handle, then running past deadlines or lowering the quality of your work will soon demonstrate how few human resources you have. Instead, consider sub-contracting the work you do. Understanding the ins and outs of subcontracting works well for freelancers in the creative industries because obtaining sub-contracted work during lean periods can be beneficial, too. In the end, if your business continues to grow, you'll need to weigh up the merits of hiring someone to undertake the work you have to get through. It's often more cost-effective than hiring sub-contractors but only if the work is all but guaranteed. What you don't want to do is expose your enterprise to too many overheads when your income isn't yet fully established with a reliable level of turnover.
Conclusion
Presenting your business as one that is growing and thriving helps customer confidence grow. Using any of the methods outlined above will mean you are more likely to win bigger and better contracts by shifting perceptions away from the limitations often associated with sole trader freelancing.
