Saving Money When You’re Newly Self-Employed
5 Fantastic Money Saving Tips For The Newly Self-Employed
Taking the plunge to go it alone and become self-employed can be one of the most daunting things that you’ll ever do, yet it can have real financial rewards. Working from home and eliminating the need to commute can be extremely cost-effective, and there are many other benefits to take advantage of if you look around. Read on for some top tips on saving money and making the most of your career:
- Tip One – Get out there and start networking. Walking into a room full of strangers can be daunting, but it’s surprising how many connections can be made if you make the effort to socialise. Many groups in major towns and cities host free business networking events where you can chat with like-minded individuals over a few drinks. Some are women-only and others are open to everyone. Check online for upcoming events in your area.
- Tip Two – Sign up for free business cards, pens, rubber stamps and more from online suppliers such as Vistaprint. You only pay for postage and processing and any upgrades such as ordering bigger quantities or the ability to upload your own company logo.
- Tip Three – Use social networking to spread the word about your business for free. Popular sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to promote yourself and to build a wide circle of industry contacts, all without leaving your desk!
- Tip Four – Cut the cost of expensive business calls by signing up with a low cost phone network such as 18866.co.uk which allows you to make international calls at extremely low rates. Alternatively encourage your suppliers and clients to contact you via free VOIP sites such as Skype.com. All you’ll need is a headset and microphone.
- Tip Five – Use free online PR tools to spread the word about your company. If you’re not used to writing press releases, use one of the templates to make the process easy. It’s also worth remembering that local journalists love to hear about small businesses making a name for themselves – if you have a great story, why not get in touch with your local newspaper or radio station to see if they can feature you?