12
January
2023
January 12, 2023
In the U.K., more people than ever are leaving traditional forms of employment to transition into freelance roles. These roles are vast and varied, but there is one underlying theme among them all: people are taking a chance on doing something they enjoy by turning their hobby into a business opportunity. They are also placing faith in themselves to succeed on their terms, valuing their skillset, and taking control of their career. Self-employment may come with increased responsibilities, but there are massive benefits to becoming your own boss, most notably: freedom and flexibility. Moreover, according to surveys, higher levels of job satisfaction and general well-being are reported among the self-employed. But there is no wonder that so many people report a higher level of job satisfaction when the vast majority of self-employed people are working in an area that they have a passion for.
Establishing your business can be difficult, but thanks to Brigad’s freelancing system, users of the platform have the unique opportunity to pick up regular and well-paid work whilst they begin building up their own business. In other words, with Brigad, you can have the best of both worlds.
Use Brigad whilst you grow your business
Setting up your own business shouldn’t have to come at the cost of sacrificing other forms of employment - despite what we’re led to believe, setting up your own business really isn’t all or nothing. Users of the Brigad platform are also self-employed - this means that they have the flexibility to shape their work around their routine, and the freedom to choose how much, or how little, they want to work. This is ideal for people wishing to set up their own business without having to commit to a form of employment where they would be tied down by contracts and expected work hours. You can use the Brigad platform to your advantage - be your own boss, be in control of your career.
Without a doubt, the biggest challenges you will face when it comes to setting up your own business will come in the first year. Whether it’s facing fierce competition with competitive costing, setting yourself unrealistic expectations, financial management, finding customers and winning their loyalty, or simply the pain of all the paperwork and admin - there are a lot of challenges facing new business owners, and a lot of mistakes will be made. But we all make mistakes, and making mistakes is a key part of learning - any successful business person would tell you that you have to make the mistakes first if only to avoid them the second time!
Using Brigad whilst growing your own business means that you can earn money whilst navigating the challenges of setting up your own business. Thanks to the freelance system there is no pressure to pick up work when you need to devote time to your own business. With Brigad there is no need to divide your time between your job and your passion project, use Brigad to your advantage and work only when you need to, or when you have time to - or simply as a means to counter the cost of setting up your own business. Does costing seem a little high after your first month? Pick up a few missions on the Brigad app and make some of that money back.
Gain experience and learn from other small business owners
For readers who are looking to set up their own business within the hospitality sector, then there is an obvious benefit to using Brigad. Talents can use the platform to work in a number of different establishments, gaining experience and learning from experts in the industry. Never before has it been as easy for hospitality workers to get experience from a vast number of establishments, simultaneously. What’s better is that the larger the Brigad community grows, the larger the number of experiences on offer. By joining the platform, you are contributing to the movement, you are helping change the industry and make it better for everyone! Plus, you get all the benefits of being a Talent. Freedom. Flexibility. Control. Not only is there no expectation for a Talent to commit to full-time hours, but there is also no expectation of staying in one establishment either - this means that ambitious workers can use the platform to work in a variety of businesses with different skills to learn in each. Not only can Talents fast-track their skill growth, but they can also meet their mentors and learn first-hand what it takes to become a successful owner of a successful independent business.
Gain valuable experience from the hospitality industry, even if your business isn’t in the industry
Nevertheless, even if your business isn’t in the hospitality industry, you can still benefit from Brigad and this level of workplace freedom. No matter what industry you wish to set up in, there is always something to be learned from other business owners - all small business owners will have to face the same challenges, no matter what industry they are in. For example, a musician and cafe owner both have to grapple with marketing strategies that will help them tackle fierce competition, they will have to gain the skill of creating and managing realistic expectations, and they have to know how to find a loyal customer base - and, of course, they will have to navigate the same financial and tax-based difficulties. Not to mention the stereotype that arts-based and creative people sometimes have a hard time getting their heads around the logistics of setting up a business, (after all, many just don’t have the experience yet!) such as in marketing, investing, taxing, people management, and so forth. It’s no secret that creative types have a hard time transitioning into the logistical side of making their passions and/or hobbies into a successful business. But by mixing with people outside of the industry you want to work in, you may be able to pick up skills that could be otherwise hard to find in your own industry.
Use Brigad as a networking opportunity
Any small business owner will tell you that the key to success is having great networking skills. As the old saying goes: it’s not what you know, but who you know. That old saying is not wholly true: there are many things you need to know - i.e. skills we must learn - when setting up a business. Nevertheless, we can’t knock just how significant a difference it will make to start-up business owners when they already have a list of contacts.
Networking is an avenue to creating long-lasting relationships with other business people that can bring about mutual interest. Networking can bring you fresh ideas and new perspectives on your business model, it can help advance your career, give you access to new worlds of information and build your confidence as a new business owner.
A great network is mutually beneficial - this means they can help your business, but your business should help theirs too! This community spirit is at the heart of Brigad’s mission. Talents can use the platform to build networks and begin to test their own business - what better way to get an early impression of your business model than talking to all the lovely people you’ll meet on your Brigad missions? These early pitches are a great way to see how an array of people react to your idea - in other words, as long as you’re not distracting the workforce, why not do a little market research on the side?
You will be able to meet an incredibly diverse group of people via the platform who will be able to offer invaluable and insightful perspectives and critiques on your emerging business. Plus, as a bonus you’ll be saving money on expensive market research services by going out there yourself, meeting as many people as you possibly can, and gauging their reaction to your elevator pitch. This kind of feedback is invaluable to building a career, not to mention the fact that this kind of hard-working and intuitive attitude will get you noticed by potential clients: people respond to confidence. If you’re out meeting other business owners and using that opportunity to pitch your own business ideas, you’re guaranteed to catch the attention of other business owners, too. Perhaps even potential partners. Confidence really is the key to success. Remember, small business owners have to be the face of their brand, of their services. You can learn more about what it takes to become a successful freelancer here.
Be part of the community
Nevertheless, we shouldn’t look at the Brigad platform only as an opportunity to network. The term networking can sometimes sound cold - as if you’re only getting to know people as a means to further and grow your business. And whilst this can be true in some cases, it would be a mistake to think that this is the only benefit of the Brigad community. You can use Brigad as a support network. No one would argue that becoming a small business owner isn’t a difficult feat - it’s an uphill struggle from day one, that’s for sure! Whether it’s fine-tuning your business model, getting a snappy elevator pitch, finding your customer base or having to read through all sorts of legal documents - doing it all alone can be a difficult and stressful experience. In times like these, it’s important to have a community to lean on for support. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s good to give yourself a break. Taking time away to pick up missions with Brigad can provide a much-needed breather from the stresses of setting up your own business.
Use Brigad as relief work
The beginning of setting up a business will be a lot of highs and lows, and ups and downs. You’re almost guaranteed to have down periods without gaining new clients or new partners, and this is to be expected! Nevertheless, these periods can be hard to weather without any other forms of employment. Brigad is a great platform to be able to pick up work and supplement yourself in these low periods. Use the app to pick up missions when you need work most. Then, when your business picks up again, you can drop down the number of missions and focus all of your energy back on your own project.
Freelancing is the future
More people are going self-employed in the U.K. now than they have in decades. Why? Because people have reevaluated their priorities and want more control over their careers.
If we can draw one positive factor from all the time we spent at home in the last few years, it is that we had the time to reevaluate what matters most to us. Free time is a rare thing in our hectic lives, but with so much time spent away from work, we gave ourselves a moment to breathe, and many of us were much better off for it. Three quarters of people in the U.K. say that they’ve reevaluated their priorities in the last two years.
Overwhelmingly, people have decided that having more control over their careers and their time is what matters most. We at Brigad support that mission - our freelancing platform gives workers in the hospitality industry more freedom than ever. However, people going self-employed in other industries can still make the most out of Brigad whilst they are setting up their own business.
Sign up to Brigad today, and make the most out of the freedom and work that the platform can offer.
