Lucy Wheeler - Lawyer
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This Freelance Insights interview features lawyer Lucy Wheeler.
I first came across Lucy when she was mentioned by a coach I was working with. I signed up for her Get Legit course, which I found so useful when starting to implement some of the legal stuff properly in my business. It was definitely an area that was stressing me out, and fortunately, it isn’t anymore! So I’m really excited to share Lucy’s wisdom and some of her legal tips with you.
Lucy is offering readers The Ultimate Legal Checklist. It provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with a list of the key legal elements they need to be considering to ensure they’re protecting their businesses. You can get access to it by clicking the button further down this page.
How do you describe what you do for work?
I actually have 2 businesses, so I operate as a lawyer for Lucy Legal, providing information rather than advice, and I work as a qualified solicitor for the law firm I run. I help all kinds of business owners, from those who are just starting out with an idea to those who earn 7 figures. People often come to me when they have a problem, when they’re not being paid or when someone is copying their work.
What's your favourite thing about working freelance?
Definitely the freedom. And I mean this as both time freedom and location freedom. It’s the fact you can work from anywhere. You can go away for a long weekend and still be flexible. It’s being able to do the work you love on a timescale and in a location that works for you. We have a young daughter, so being able to fit work in around her is incredible. That’s actually why I started working for myself.
Where do you usually work from?
I often work from my home. We’ve got an area here where I can do lots of lives, and we’ve also got a home office. It’s really nice to be able to see my daughter between one thing and another. But I do have a separate office too, so I’ll go there, especially when I’ve got important things that I have to be doing. We’re also considering getting a garden office as well.
What does a normal working day look like for you?
It varies, but I often start very early. I tend to work late into the evening, so one of the first things I’ll do is to send any emails I’ve already written. If I’m not interrupted, I’ll then have big blocks of time for certain things. That helps with capacity planning, which has been really important for me as a new mum. I usually try to finish at 4pm to spend time with my daughter, but then I’ll start again at 7pm.
What one tip would you give other freelancers about running a freelance business?
I would obviously say to sort the legals out! Because of the economic climate, I’m hearing of more and more people not getting paid. So one thing I’d recommend is to not be afraid to invoice people upfront. It’s your business so you get to decide. Take control of the client relationship. I’d also suggest having a variety of income streams so that not everything is reliant on you as an individual.
Free resource
Lucy’s The Ultimate Legal Checklist is for people who don’t know where to start when it comes to the legal side of things. It helps to cover off the key areas you need to be considering when developing a business. Click on the button below to access it!