James Bird, current undergraduate, BA Politics and International Relations, Videographer and Photographer at James Bird Visuals

1. What or who inspired you to become self-employed?

• I already pursued my passion of photography and videography and wanted to become paid for it. I did a few jobs for free and then found paying clients and built up from there.

2. Can you describe the work that you do?

• My average job includes finding a client or being approached, finding out their needs and discussing costing. Then on the day of the shoot I will meet them before to finalise things. I usually film for artists and events and will spend 2-3 hours filming content for promotional videos. I then edit it over the following days or weeks depending on the timeframe. With photography shoots it is a similar workflow.

3. Have you been in employment other than self-employment? What are the main differences between your previous employment experiences and being self-employed?

• Less frequent work when freelancing.
• More risk involved in freelancing.
• However, more freedom, more enjoyment, and has been more financially rewarding once things got started.

4. What are the top three skills that have helped you in your self-employment journey?

• Confidence.
• Communication.
• Creativity.

5. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in self-employment?

• Irregular income.
• Covid.
• People trying to take advantage of your services.

6. What do you enjoy most about being self-employed?

• Freedom to work when you want/need.
• Maximum creativity.