Whether you’re a student needing to strike a balance between work and study, or a graduate keen to start a side-hustle or work for yourself, freelancing can be a good option to consider.
What is freelancing?
Freelancing is a type of self-employment, which means you work for yourself using your skills to provide a service to clients. Unlike a typical 9-5 job, a freelancer has the flexibility to set their own schedule, agreeing deadlines with a client and then plan their work to ensure that they can deliver on time. Alongside this flexibility there is, however, also greater responsibility.
Important: If you are an international student, you are encouraged to participate in our support activities and opportunities, but you cannot engage in business or self-employment activity due to visa restrictions. Find out more about what you can do during your studies and after graduation in the UK.
Advantages
Benefits to freelancing include:
- flexibility – as a freelancer you choose the projects that you take on
- work/life balance – you set the hours you work and choose when you’ll take holiday
- variety – as a freelancer you can be working for multiple clients at any one time. Projects often vary, which can keep things interesting
- personal development – as a freelancer you have control over the skills you develop and what you specialise in
- being your own boss – as a freelancer you set the direction for the business and make decisions about marketing, strategy and delivery of work.
Disadvantages
There are also downsides to freelancing, which include:
- finding work – alongside delivering projects for your current client, you need to continue to market yourself and put time and resources into securing your next client
- income – your income can be irregular, especially when you’re starting out and building a client base
- no holiday or sick pay – as a freelancer you won’t earn money unless you’re working. This means that you’ll need to plan and budget for periods of holiday and sickness
- administrative responsibilities – unlike an employee, a freelancer is responsible for paying tax and keeping digital records of their income and expenses so needs to set time aside for this as well as business development activities
- professional development – an employer will often pay for employees to receive training and attend conferences. As a freelancer you need to budget and make time to upskill.
How to get into freelancing
Freelance roles may include (but are not limited to):
- content creators
- personal trainers
- translators
- tutors
- therapists
- web designers
- dog walkers.
Top tips for getting started include: creating an online presence, actively engaging with social media, notifying your wider network that you’re open to opportunities and seeking out ways to test your offer and gain experience.
How we can support you
We can support you at any point of your journey as a freelancer, whether you're just exploring your options or already working with clients.
Go Freelance
Go Freelance provides inspiration and straightforward guidance to help students and recent graduates understand and take their first steps towards freelancing. It includes an introductory session, followed by the option to receive weekly action prompts to support you on your freelancing journey.
Go Freelance 101 – Introduction to Freelancing
1 December 2026
Bright Ideas
If you have a freelancing idea, you’d like to pursue you can apply for a development grant of £250-£500 to explore and test your concept.
Bright Ideas Fund – Information Session
8 December 2026
Startup Sussex
You can apply for up to £5,000 to help fund a freelance venture through our annual Startup Sussex competition – it's also an entrepreneurial community, and a series of free workshops.
Startup Sussex will re-launch in Spring 2027.
Momentum Incubator
You could apply to join the Momentum Incubator designed to equip student entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and funding to launch their ventures. It includes workshops on lean start-up principles, masterclasses, peer support and mentoring. It culminates in a pitching day to secure a £5,000 Elevate grant.
The Momentum Incubator will take on its next cohort in Summer 2027. Please email entrepreneurship@sussex.ac.uk to express your interest.
One-to-one appointments
You can also book a one-to-one ‘freelancing’ appointment with a member of the Entrepreneurship Team to meet online or face-to-face.
In your one-to-one you can:
- discuss ideas, plan next steps and explore how to develop as a freelancer
- access guidance on everything from funding and finance to marketing and intellectual property protection
- receive coaching and feedback to keep you on track
- learn about other opportunities available through the university network.