Did you know there are more than 65,000 self-employed Polish professionals living and working in the UK? There is a lot to like about being self-employed. It gives you the creative freedom and independence to take on the projects and clients that you want and fit them around your own working hours. The result is a better work-life balance for you and your family.
Your earning potential as a self-employed worker is often better than as a full-time employee too. All those extra hours worked amount to extra cash in your back pocket, giving you increased job satisfaction and empowerment. Of course, there are downsides too. The sole responsibility of finding work and making an income lies at your feet. Some thrive on that and some can find it too daunting. Fluctuating incomes can also be hard for people to get used to; particularly those who’ve worked as a full-time employee in the past.
If you want to take the bold step into self-employment here in the UK, consider the following four professions that could give you a renewed purpose and transform your work-life balance for the better.
1. Copywriting
A copywriter is someone who writes content for commercial use. This may be for a brand’s website, such as a product description or blog post, or it could be for newsletters as part of an email marketing strategy. Ultimately, a copywriter is employed to help businesses and brands sell more. The age of digitalisation is relentless for all growing businesses, with so many having to look beyond their four walls for technical and creative inspiration. They are skilled in the art of persuasive writing, creating intrigue and a sense of demand. You can work as a copywriter pretty much anywhere in the world, providing you have a computer and an internet connection. A good starting point would be to ‘network’ and sign up to the ProCopywriters alliance of over 800 UK-based commercial writers.
2. Personal training
Do you have a passion for exercise and keeping fit? If so, you could earn a living working as a self-employed personal trainer, helping others to improve their base level of fitness too. The beauty of being a personal trainer is there are minimal overheads. You can train clients at their home or outside in a local park. Personal trainers can also charge up to £40 an hour according to leading recruiter Reed. To build a solid reputation as a PT you’ll need a recognised qualification such as:
- Level 2 Diploma in Health, Fitness and Exercise Instruction OR Instructing Exercise and Fitness
- Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing (Gym)
3. Forex trading
If you have always had an interest in the stock markets and you have your finger on the pulse of political and economic developments across the globe, you could consider becoming a forex trader. This involves trading the value of fiat currencies against one another based on technical and fundamental factors. The key to finding your feet in forex is to choose a forex broker that offers a good range of services and support. This list of forex brokers reviews in the UK should give you a good starting point, comparing supported trading platforms, deposit methods, available trading instruments and much more.
4. Virtual assistant
If you or a family member has a strong administrative background, you could consider setting up a family-run virtual assistant business. There are agile start-ups and entrepreneurs out there seeking virtual admin assistants to undertake clerical, HR and finance tasks on a periodic basis. There are online platforms out there like Virtalent that connect businesses with virtual assistants without even having to leave your home.
Hopefully, this quartet of self-employment ideas has broadened your horizons to what’s achievable in the UK. Ultimately, to succeed as a self-employed professional it’s vital that you pursue a career that you are passionate about. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning!
