Going on holiday

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I am very fortunate to have just returned from a holiday in the sun and I survived – more importantly my business and animals survived without me! It took a lot of persuasion by my partner to leave them and the house for almost 2 weeks. However, it was a much needed break and we both feel refreshed and ready to face the rest of the year. Here are some top tips for leaving your business and clients behind this summer:

• Give clients as much notice as possible so you can discuss with them your work schedule leading up to and after your holiday; place a note as part of your email signature detailing the dates you’re away.


• You may wish to prepare an “out of office” notification to be sent automatically whilst you’re away. Personally, I’m in two minds about this because it notifies anyone who emails you that you’re out of the office (and home if you’re a freelancer).


• You may want to forward your emails to your phone so you can keep in touch with your business. Again, on a personal level, I prefer to go away and forget about the business. If I’ve worked with my clients to prepare them for my absence then this really shouldn’t be an issue.


• Back-up all your computer files and securely store your laptop and any back-up devices.


• On your last day, clear your desk so it’s organised and tidy when you get back and write a “To Do” list for when you return so you can hit the ground running. It’s amazing what you forget when you close the office door.


• Finally – relax and enjoy your time away. You will provide much better value to your clients if you’ve been able to switch off completely and re-charge your batteries. You never know, a great idea for your business or project may just pop into your head when you’re not consciously thinking about it.

Overcoming loneliness as a freelancer

Caught up in the excitement of setting up my own business and working from home, I didn't give much thought to the concept of loneliness. I liked my own company, so surely this wasn't going to be a problem? Loneliness is something that a lot of home-workers can feel, however comfortable they are with being alone. Freelancers can spend many hours working in isolation, so are there ways to minimise the feelings of remoteness?

• Work from a coffee shop - this is a great way of working in company, without the distraction of having to have a conversation. Plus, someone else makes the drinks. Bonus!


• Find a hobby - find an exercise or yoga class or other hobby where you can socialise with like-minded people during the day, or evening. Use the flexibility of being freelance to your advantage. After a morning yoga class I always feel in a much better frame of mind for working and often have my most productive days afterwards.


• Walk the dog - seriously! This is a very sociable form of exercising and a great way to meet people in your village or community.


• Reach out to fellow freelancers/home-workers - and arrange to meet, perhaps monthly or every fortnight, to exchange ideas and network over a coffee or lunch.


• Work in a client's office - firstly, working as part  of a client team helps to combat any loneliness. Secondly, some clients are very happy for you to hot-desk in their offices. It's a brilliant way of building a good working relationship, and occasional face-to-face meetings can be very productive.

Five Minutes with Freelancer Helen Glenny

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Helen Glenny PhD HonFICR CSci

freelance clinical researcher
h.glenny@btinternet.com
www.glennyclinicalresearch.co.uk

My background
After completing a PhD in Biochemistry (Nottingham Medical School) in 1978, I started my career in a Human Pharmacology Unit at Beecham Pharmaceuticals in an era when work was more fun and considerably less bureaucratic! Imagine no computers!

Since ‘going freelance’ in 1992, my clients have included CRO, pharma & biotech
companies, large and small. I’ve co-ordinated and monitored numerous Phase I studies and UK hospital centres participating in a wide range of therapeutic areas. I've also undertaken various medical writing and editing projects, several feasibility studies, and for one company I participated in an international survey of ongoing research in osteoporosis.

I’ve also enjoyed a long standing association with Institute of Clinical Research (ICR).

What attracted you to freelancing?
I 'went freelance' to avoid relocation after my employer's merger and to enable
me to work part-time whilst my son was young. Working on a freelance basis is certainly becoming increasingly common in clinical research and experienced freelancers are in demand! Freelancing offers more excitement, challenges, financial reward and variety of work than is usually possible with a permanent position.

What are the positives and challenges of freelancing and running your own business?
Freelancing provides a lot of freedom in terms of being able to work from home. It allows you to live where you choose and gives you the opportunity for a more healthy lifestyle. People working away from the distractions of office life are able to much more productive – this particularly applies to tasks, such as report writing, that require sustained concentration. Autonomy is great but isolation is not, so it’s important to prevent the latter by ensuring that your lifestyle provides you with sufficient social and professional interaction.

I’m currently the only clinical research member of Acumentia (www.acumentia.com).
Thanks to members of Acumentia – consultants to the food and pharma industries
and covering a huge range of specialties - I have gleaned useful information
and broadened my perspective as a consultant.

What would be your top tips to fellow freelancers or those considering a move into freelancing?

• Seek advice from established freelancers and keep in touch with your former colleagues. Consider carefully: whether to operate as a sole trader or as a limited company? VAT registration? Professional indemnity insurance? Your daily/hourly
  rate?  What type of work you would like? Are you happy working for pharma, biotech and/or CRO? Are you going to specialise in any particular phase (I to IV), type of work (project management, monitoring, medical writing, training, auditing etc) or
  therapeutic area(s)? How far are you willing to commute/travel?


• Personal motivation is key! Keep your skills & knowledge up-to-date and manage your own professional development. Join at least one organisation which will provide you with business, intellectual and/or social support e.g. European Medical Writers Association. Seeing the success of others’ businesses can be inspirational!

Helen is co-author of the highly successful and popular ICR Guide to Freelancing which was first written in 1998, and substantially updated with the help of Helen’s accountant - Allan Smith - in 2009. The guide can be ordered from the ICR: http://www.icr-global.org/resources/publications/