Tools of the trade: resources for freelancers - Museums Association
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Tools of the trade: resources for freelancers

Freelancers and consultants are an essential part of the museum sector’s ecosystem – contributing their expertise and specialist skills, fresh perspective and support around skills development to museums big and small.

The Museums Association’s first online event for freelancers, Go Your Own Way: Successful Freelancing in Museums, which took place on 18 September 2024, provided practical advice on the realities of freelancing, from marketing and managing budgets, to pitching, negotiating and networking.

During the event, freelancers used an interactive Padlet to share their recommendations for online tools to support their journey – from online fee calculators to places to find work. You can see the Padlet below, and some of their recommendations are also shared on this page.

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Time and workload management

Keeping track of different projects and managing your time effectively is key to life as a freelancer. There are many online tools that can help, including the following recommended by delegates:

  • Notion: it has customisable templates for everything, including Asana-style boards, calendars, planners and data visualisation boards
  • Trello: a teamwork project management tool
  • Toggl: enables you to track your time against freelance projects

Finances

Deciding your day rate can be a huge challenge for many people new to freelancing. The Group for Education in Museums provides a free freelancer fee calculator on its website created by Tom Briggs.

For pricing, the Artists’ Union provides rates of pay guidelines.

Many freelancers are sole traders, but others are set up as limited companies – whether to do this will depend on you and your business, but if it’s right for you then make sure you read this guide on Gov.uk on how to set up a limited company.

Whether you do your own tax returns or employ an accountant, tracking your income and expenditure is essential. Freelancers taking part in Go Your Own Way recommended the following online tools:

  • Zoho: a software suite designed for businesses of all sizes
  • Xero: accounting software for small businesses
  • Quickbooks: online accounting software
  • TaxScouts: online tax accountants for self-assessment

Your bank or building society might also provide tools or resources to support you and your finances. For example, RBS and NatWest business banking accounts offer free access to FreeAgent online accounting software.

Finding work

There are a number of ways that freelancers find work, including word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat clients.

They may also need to apply for freelance roles or pitch for project tenders.

Below are some websites that can help you find freelance opportunities:

  • Sell2Wales: public contract work in Wales
  • Contracts Finder: for contracts over £12,000
  • Creative Scotland: shares jobs, tenders, funding and other opportunities in creative organisations in Scotland
  • Goodmoves: a careers hub for the civil society, charity and voluntary sector run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
  • The Good List: connecting brands with creative talent
  • The Museums Association’s Find a Job page includes freelance tenders and roles

Website design

An online presence will help you share your recent projects and let potential clients know how to get in touch with you. Your website doesn’t need to be fancy – many freelancers use WordPress or Wix to create something simple but effective.

Two website designers recommended during Go Your Own Way include:

You can find design agencies working in the cultural sector through the Museums Association’s Find a Supplier search.

Networks

Although many freelancers work closely with clients and collaborators, it can still be a lonely undertaking on your own. Finding networks of other freelancers or people working in a similar field can help your wellbeing as well as present new opportunities and support.

The Museums Association manages the Freelancers and consultants in museums and heritage LinkedIn Group, where you can network, share ideas news and jobs, and discuss relevant issues.

There are many grassroot support networks in the sector – including Museum Detox; Front of House Museums; Fair Museum Jobs; Museums Computer Group; the Neurodiverse Museum; and the Queer Heritage and Collections Network.

You might also find freelance networks on social media. For example, the Museum Freelancers in Scotland Facebook group.

Professional development

Investing in your professional development is as essential for freelancers as it is for in-house roles.

Delegates at Go Your Own Way recommended:

The Museums Association offers a number of professional development opportunities for freelancers – from our bi-monthly magazine Museums Journal and annual programme of online and in-person events, to our workforce programmes.

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