It’s no way to build your business
Your freelance business is not about you. It’s about the services you provide. Of course this will involve a level of personal service and confidence inspiring dialogue with your clients but that doesn’t mean they need to know you got a 1000m swimming badge in 1987.
Regulatory - IR35
The global movement for contracting is shifting swiftly so much so that governments aren’t sure how to tax it -or at least, they want to tax a growing market more. Therefore ensuring you are in a B2B relationship with your client means acting like, duh, a business.
Businesses don’t send CVs.
In the UK IR35 is shifting the landscape for contract work and it is essential you work appropriately on projects so as not to be caught out. Help your clients by acting accordingly - you will win more of them.
Consistency
Most of us write a CV in our late teens and then progressively add a paragraph on each time we move jobs. This means that the document is often not created with the same purpose and is a layered affair instead of a presentation with a logical and cohesive layout.
I’ve read plenty of CVs where the language moves from first person to third person and where dates change format from 01/01/20 to 1st Jan ’20.
Relevance
It is highly likely you have more than one skill. What is your prospective client looking to buy? What service do they need? Sending a catch all CV is only going to make it harder for them to find the gem of information for which you might get a contract. Solution? Build a proposal specific to that client and send a supplementary profile about your experience if it will help you win the contract.
Referrals
Growing a freelance business is all about word of mouth. To get one clients to tell another you need a clear message. A profile with key offerings does this -a CV won't.
Recommended
6prog has set up a multitude of tools for B2B contracts including profiles, proposals and all work operates under a Schedule of Work (the deliverables, milestones and fees are clearly understood)
For more information go to 6prog.com
