Mark Macleod
Why did you decide to become a freelancer?
The pandemic was my catalyst and shove towards working as a freelancer. My contract was due to end June 2020 and end it did! I found myself hankering for more autonomy and had confidence in the belief I had skills and competencies suitable to bring support and improvement to the sector. A bold claim, which I bring to every contract and customer I work with.
What would you say are the benefits of working in a museum consultancy rather than in a museum?
Working for myself – or with colleagues on larger projects – provides flexibility, autonomy and creativity. Having clear objectives from the customer avoids any mission creep and limits distractions. I am lucky to have started with longer-running freelance contracts which provided time to build relationships with the customer’s team and thus make things efficient and effective, while also allowing me to derive satisfaction from the work.
From September 2021, I secured a permanent 50% role as co-manager at the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum with friend and now colleague, Jennifer Jones. Such an arrangement ensures I take neither of my ‘jobs’ for granted – I relish the days I’m busy at the museum with colleagues versus the days I get to plan my time and energy to focus completely on the delivery of a client’s contract.
How has the cost of living affected freelancing in the sector?
When considering rates, I have increased them in 2024, but not near the level of inflation. For previous customers, particularly those based locally, I offer discounts on these new rates, as everybody’s budgets are suffering. Offering flexible pricing to previous customers dates from my first job fresh out of school with the Bank of Scotland and their thorough training in customer-pleasing techniques.
It should also be interpreted as a ‘relationship discount’ because both parties know each other and time is not wasted getting to know the organisation’s culture, history, politics or previous activities. That said, I do know what I need to earn to meet my annual costs as they continue to rise!
What skills do you think are most important for freelance or consultancy work?
The skills required depend on the services being offered. Knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses goes a long way to helping decide if pitching for a project is a good use of time. Equally, some briefs may request some elements outside my skillset, but I may still pitch after chatting with another freelancing friend to check that they can bridge that gap for me. Estimating the time it takes to deliver something in the knowledge economy continues to be tricky, but experience, mistakes and ample time to reflect help improve the chances of accuracy when making estimations.
How would you find out about freelance opportunities?
The jobs I have enjoyed most came after an introduction within my network and then usually a tendered proposal. There are locations, organisations and people I choose not to work with, which helps me decide where to look. Registration on the Scottish Government Procurement site is free and signing up for forums and newsletters and keeping an eye on funding rounds all help me know about opportunities and keep familiar with what’s trending.
What do you wish someone had told you about being a freelancer?
When I was considering freelancing it was the days of Museum Freelance, run by Marge Ainsley and Christina Lister. They provided excellent support and transparency about the pretty and the ugly sides of being freelance. The now-defunct network was recently mentioned at an online get-together with current freelancers and it allowed me to reflect on just how much help that network was and how generous they were with their time.
You don’t know what you don’t know and ongoing peer support is invaluable to help clarify so many areas of freelance work. It is important to reach out to local and national networks and colleagues. Most regions have business gateways or similar organisations where you can find other small business owners. You can arrange accountability sessions, networking, action learning sets, etc., with anyone – in fact, there is great value in doing these with partners outside the sector for personal development and building local connections.
For all the tips and tricks available to track time, invoice, find contracts, etc., my recommendation is to decide on the unique service or product you are offering. If you can articulate your ‘why’ and reason for working, it informs what to apply for and makes writing the pitch a whole lot easier. For example, I strive to bring ‘aha’ moments to people and simplicity to the work of organisations.
What should museums be doing to support the wellbeing of freelancers in the sector?
The impulsive answer is clarity in briefs and cognisance of costs. You don’t have to look long in Jiscmail forums to see examples and then the following pushback explaining why the rates offered are too low. With ongoing redundancy programmes and through reduced funding support, the supply of freelancers is growing, therefore these contracts may get filled, however it should not be viewed as acceptable that these rates are competitive.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to the local freelancer community. Museums are beautiful places to work, some with stunning architecture, others with inspirational exhibitions. Could they offer in-kind support through hosting network events, offering hot-desking, etc.? I sometimes take a hot desk in a council building, but would prefer to put my money back into the sector if there was competitive pricing.