• You’ve been working in an ad agency studio for a few years now and you’re tired of the politics and egos… you’d like to go solo but don’t know if you could find enough clients…
• You’ve taken the leap and are freelancing full time – it’s going pretty well, but it’s patchy and you don’t know how to get your name out there more…
• You’ve done the 80 hour weeks for no overtime and no thanks from your clients… isn’t there more to life? A friend works freelance and it sounds like a much better lifestyle…
• How can you use your writing skills to earn a bit extra to fund that holiday?
• You’re pregnant and want to spend time with your baby when it comes, but will go crazy if you don’t work at all – isn’t there something you can do for a few hours a week?

Sound familiar? Even if you haven’t done it yet, we bet you know someone who was brave enough to quit that corporate job and start working independently - and they’re loving it. Freelancers can choose who they want to work for, what kind of projects they work on and when and how they work.

Freelancing is liberating and affirming – you can achieve a much happier balance in your life, and being hired as a specialist in your field is rewarding and helping clients on a one-to-one level is very fulfilling. Or if you’re asked to help out in a company, you can let the politics wash over you as you’re removed from it all!

Many potential freelancers never take the plunge because they’re worried about getting enough work to pay their bills. And many established freelancers still have to budget for quiet patches, like the Christmas lull. And marketing yourself as a freelancer can be a costly and tricky business.

But now Freelancentral is here to help. An online directory of freelancers, Freelancentral means potential clients need look in just one place to find the skilled people they need. You can update your profile yourself whenever you want to, and showcase your portfolio. Clients can contact you directly and you pay no commission to Freelancentral. We also offer a Projects service, where clients can post their one-off project requirements (e.g. a brochure designed for R5,000) and a Placements service where we place freelancers inhouse (inagency?) on a day rate basis.

Best of all, you don’t need to worry about marketing yourself. Freelancentral is marketed in ADvantage, on BizCommunity and MarketingWeb, to marketing and advertising agencies as well as to corporates and small businesses via a comprehensive marketing plan which is constantly being updated to meet the demands of our members. There’s a Freelancer of the Day on the site and each month sees a number of freelancers profiled in the Freelancentral newsletter.

All it costs you is R75 per month for a Lite portfolio, or 1 x whatever your maximum advertised hourly rate is for a Full one. So you don't need to get much work via Freelancentral to cover your subscription cost. Discounts are offered if you pay up front for 3, 6 or 12 months for Full portfolios.