Colin Mulberg

Colin is a freelance consultant specialising in improving the visitor experience for museums, galleries and historic properties and sites.

Ahead of #NationalFreelancersDay, we spoke to Colin to find out more about his experience of freelancing and consultancy.

What would you say are the benefits of working as a freelancer/in a museum consultancy rather than in a museum?

One of the main benefits of freelancing is that it allows me to focus on specific areas of work or tasks and I don’t get pulled in different directions. Another great benefit of being based outside a museum is that one can – mostly – avoid internal politics and back-to-back meetings. I really enjoy the level of time flexibility you gain too, which means I can structure my work and working life more to suit me.

It might not suit some people, but I like being responsible for my own judgement. Freelancing allows me to decide what to do when, and exactly how I want to achieve it.

The icing on the cake is that my work can make a long-lasting difference to organisations, venues and staff, so you gain the satisfaction of doing a good job and moving things forward, and leaving the clients in much better shape.

What would else do you need to take into consideration as a freelancer/in a museum consultancy rather than in a museum?

To be a freelancer, you need to be comfortable dealing with uncertainty. You can’t always guarantee how the next few months will pan out, you may not regularly earn money, and work is not predictable – mind you, the unpredictable nature of it can also be a great benefit.

There may also be periods with overlapping deadlines for different clients, which can lead to long days. And when things get like this, you need to be able to muster a lot of self-drive and motivation. This also helps you find the work in the first place, and stay constantly active, networking, pitching and looking for your next gig before you have finished your current project.

Something really important though, is that you absolutely must enjoy dealing with people, especially when you don’t have managerial control over them. Building relationships and trust is important. As a freelancer, you’re often not in charge and can only advise, recommend and remind.

The usual things apply too – it’s useful to be interested, enthusiastic, confident and optimistic. But probably one of the biggest differences between museum working and freelancing is the latter will likely mean you spend much of your time working alone, and it’s generally harder to find others to discuss your work and share ideas with.

What skills do you think are most important for freelancer or consultancy work?

I would say that planning and project management skills come near the top, especially scheduling, time management, organisation and being able to look ahead. Being able to work collaboratively is important too, alongside understanding organisations and teams and how they work.

Not everyone will necessarily be enthusiastic about your work, so you need to recognise and know how to deal with different reactions. You also need to have a mind that responds well to flexibility – situations can change as work unfolds and this can have a knock-on effect in lots of ways, which means you’re constantly adapting your schedule and workload.

Being able to communicate succinctly and effectively to a broad range of people, from trustees to staff and volunteers, is key, and good communication is also essential for all the tenders, bids, updates, presentations, workshops and reports you’ll likely be working on.

Integral to communicating is being a good listener too – you need to know what the client wants to be able to fill the brief, so always ask questions and make sure you understand. And last but not least, you need to be good at financial planning, costing bids and projects, and giving a value to your own time.

How would you find out about opportunities for freelancing?

It’s a mix really. I network with museum contacts, local and regional contacts, and people who have left one of my organisations to work elsewhere. I also research local venues, ask directors for advice and look into specialist networks.

It’s also useful to have a good picture of the other professionals operating in your field, and any respective geographical area. Check if any Museums Association mentoring schemes could help you, and also check out the Museum Freelance Network – their resources are full of good advice.

What advice would you give to someone who is not currently working as a freelancer or in a consultancy?

If possible, build up slowly to gain a portfolio of projects and clients, different types of work and experience of working with different museums and varied situations. Line up a few references or referees to say how you can help an organisation or venue and what you could do for them, and try to get a few photos to illustrate.

Refine the services that you could offer – what could you do that venues or organisations need and cannot do themselves? What services will they budget for? Why you? Look for partners or associates – can you work with others or bring in other skills to give a better offer? Try and test the viability on some small pieces of work and see how it feels.

It can take time to build up freelance and consultancy work. It also takes time to develop a profile and to become established, and sometimes work is only finalised months after initial contact. Patience can be a blessing. And remember you can always do freelance work or consultancy part-time alongside regular paid employment.

Contact Colin for a chat via Colin Mulberg Consulting