How to Become a Marketing Consultant

In the past, the main reason for many people joining the contracting sector was because they had been made redundant or simply couldn’t find work. Now, the contracting sector has never been so popular, with people now choosing self-employment because of the fact that it is so rewarding and comes with so many benefits compared to permanent work.

Starting up as a marketing consultant

If you have decided to make the exciting decision to become a marketing consultant, one of the first steps to take is decide how you will be contracting. For example, one option might be to work through an umbrella company. Some people choose this method to start with just to get a feel of how it is to be a contractor but without the added responsibility.

The only thing to point out when it comes to this route is that you are essentially seen as being an ‘employee’ of the umbrella company, meaning that you are treated the same as a permanent worker with regards to National Insurance Contributions etc. meaning that you won’t take home as much as other contractors.

Working as a Limited Company contractor is the most tax efficient method, as you are entitled to a lot more benefits, such as being able to claim back a much wider range of expenses.

Other advantages of contracting, not just as a Limited Company, but in general, include:

• Having more control of your career.
• Having more flexibility – you can work as often or as little as you like (of course, the less you work, the less money you will make) and you will have more choice when it comes to who you want to work with.
• Having the opportunity to potentially earn more than a permanent worker in the same role.
• Being able to claim back expenses that are made wholly and exclusively for the running of your business, which will in turn reduce your tax bill at the end of each year.

The most important thing of all when it comes to becoming self-employed, especially if you are starting up your own company, is to have some sort of business plan in place – know how much you want (or need) to earn, do your research with regards to the market so you know who your competitors are, think about how you will promote your business and reflect on the future and whether you would like to expand or not. These are all vital factors to consider when coming up with a business plan.

Finding work

So, once you have decided how you want to contract and what you want from your contracting career, you need to start thinking about how you will find work, because unfortunately the work won’t find you!

Being self-employed means being motivated enough to get out there and find new contracts regularly.

The first step is to create a professional portfolio that that you can present to potential clients. This can be difficult if you are currently working as a permanent worker, as it will take some time to put together and there is the fact that you may not have any projects under way within your business yet if you are just starting up.

In this case, look at including any projects that you have worked on throughout your marketing career so far that will show off your skills and be sure to show clearly which area of marketing that you specialise in so that clients are aware of your strengths.

The next step is to find those clients – using agencies to find work is a great option; you should also make sure that your LinkedIn account is up-to-date and that you are joining relevant groups so you can see what is going on in your industry.

It’s also worth considering that every business is expected to have its own website and if you don’t know how to create one yourself, there are plenty of free website builders out there.

Rates of pay

As mentioned previously, a contractor can usually expect to take home more than their permanent counterparts, however, it will be up to you to set your rates of pay.

Do your research and find out how much someone with your skill set and experience should be earning, but at the same time be prepared to negotiate with clients.

It’s important to know what your skills are worth and for you to be paid fairly, yet at the same time, if you have a dream opportunity come up and they want to pay you a little less, it may be worth taking this into consideration if it will help you and your portfolio in the long term.