If you are considering ditching your day job to join the country's growing legions of freelance designers, or have already made those tentative first steps into going it alone, it can be an exciting and terrifying prospect.
Sure, the independent freelance life has a strong pull, with flexible working hours, creative and professional freedom, and a variety of interesting work on offer. There's never been a better time to be your own boss, with more and more employers outsourcing their work, and social media and collaboration tools connecting you better than ever.
Making a go of your solo career is not easy, but you can give yourself a foot up with The Freelancer’s Bible from Route 1 Print, which gives you all the knowledge you need to make your design business a success and it won't cost you a penny.
This free ebook covers a range of topics that those moving into freelance struggle with, including how to structure your business (self-employed vs incorporated), how to handle tax, how to acquire customers, how to charge for print, and much more.
Download The Freelancer's Bible here
But who are Route 1 Print, and why do they want to help your new business?
Route 1 Print was founded in 2012 and is now the UK’s fastest growing print company. Part of the Bluetree Group, Route 1 specialises in delivering high-quality, low-cost print such as business cards, flyers and exhibition stands to resellers such as graphic designers, marketing agencies and copy shops.
Importantly, Route 1 Print is more than just a printer – they offer a full support service to their clients, with dedicated account managers, white label packaging, useful reseller tools, free downloadable marketing toolkits and an easy-to-use website.
Jack Wilmott, Brand Manager at Route 1 Print, told us: "We’ve included a whole section in The Freelance Bible about marketing your business and getting the very best out of the service you provide. We see freelance creatives and design agencies as the future of print. By sourcing the print for their clients in addition to creating the designs, they are able to make themselves a one-stop-shop saving their clients time and effort."
So whether you're thinking about making the leap or are a seasoned freelance pro, this go-to guide covers everything from setting up a business, handling the legal stuff, managing client relations and loads more.