Attempt 1: Week 5 presentation questions

> description of the idea – what is this enterprise doing?
A collaboration of freelancers with a wide range of skills working together for clients with a range of requirements.
Main focus would be a website (shop front) with features on each of the freelancers, their skills and practise.
Freelancers would pool their resources for marketing. Opportunity for selling everyone’s skills, working together on larger projects, features of other stuff such as artwork that can be purchased. Opportunity to compete in the market place with design/digital agencies. Relatively low overheads.
Potential to grow into a large collaboration where clients can source a freelancer directly rather than go through an agency – this would have to work in a different manner than the initial proposal as it would work more like a network.
Main target customers would be other start up companies - Y generation – this generation is fairly clued up and the lower cost of a freelancer would mean that other start ups would find us appealing. Obviously not all of these start ups will be successful and evolve to become long term clients however some could grow and keep us in mind in future.

> your personal motivation and commitment to it – why is it worth doing?
From a personal perspective, I have often considered going freelance but have been concerned about job security, loneliness and a bit of a basic fear of the unknown.
What appeals to me about going freelance is the sense of independence, job ownership and owning my own destiny.
The freelance collaboration would resolve some of the fear of going freelance whilst maintaining much of the independence. The freelancers involved could retain much of their independence, they could have their own designs on their profiles, and we could meet up regularly to discuss marketing which in turn would alleviate loneliness. The web provides a multitude of ways to keep in touch as well, msn, skype etc - in future this could even be built into the website. In terms of job security, by sharing resources we would be able to win larger contracts and by pooling resources for marketing we could reach farther than if we did independently.

> the opportunity that exists to set up this enterprise – why is it worth doing?
By setting up this collaboration, there will be benefits for both client and freelancer. The client would have the benefit of a number of creatives being able to support each other – if the freelancer falls ill, another can complete the job. If the client requires work done to tighter timescales, perhaps the freelancer can call on one of their colleagues to work with them.

> what are the issues that you need to consider when setting this up?
Who would be our competition
How to get everyone to contribute equally to the overheads of the website/joint marketing/joint running
How to split the profits
What areas to market ourself to
More research into our customers

> where are you going to look/go for information?
Local networks already out there, e.g. bristolcreatives.co.uk, gloucestershiremedia.co.uk, bristolmedia.co.uk, freelanceadvisor.co.uk
Internet searches to see if there is anything out there of a similar nature
Recommended books
Latest research on Y generation
Research into cost

> how will you know whether it will work or not?
Look at how competitors fair, determine there is a market for what I am considering, determine that it is viable

> who is going to want what you are doing?
Freelancers and young businesses. Why? – affordable yet highly skilled.