Tell us a bit about you!
My name is Ben Hammond. I’m a Consultant Solicitor based in Newbury. I buy and sell houses and apartments in London and properties all across all of the counties of England and Wales.
How long have you been freelancing, and why did you start?
I went freelance at the beginning of September 2014. I have had my own practice before so it wasn’t a total shock but I was coming away from the comfort of a salary and a good-sized law firm.
[themify_quote]I like to be in the office at 8.00 a.m. I feel that it gives me a head start on the day.” [/themify_quote]
Let’s talk about the start of your day – are you an early riser, or a night owl?
Sometimes as a lawyer you have to be both. It’s about being available to your clients when they need you. Fortunately in my area of practice I’m unlikely to get a call in the middle of the night.
What time do you start work?
I like to be in the office at 8.00 a.m. I feel that it gives me a head start on the day.
Do you work from home?
Yes when I need to, but I deliberately chose to work from an office. I live in a very remote and rural location and the broadband connection is too slow as most of the things I do now as a lawyer are internet-based. I also like to have the differentiation between home and work life.
What’s your working routine before you start work?
Generally I’m up and out from home. The only pause is to try to start the ancient Land Rover that takes me into work.
How do you tend to spend your afternoons?
I used to have a colleague who used to keep back all of his plan-drawing until a Friday afternoon. He’d finish his lunch, take out his pencil crayons and spend a happy afternoon drawing coloured lines all over maps. I’d love to be able to think that I could do that, but generally I keep report-writing for the afternoon as e-mail traffic tends to die down a little.
How do you stay motivated? Do you have any particular techniques?
Fortunately I’ve hit the ground running so there’s no time to have to worry about keeping motivated!
What time do you tend to sign off for the day?
I tend to leave for home between 6.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. As the nights draw in I miss the sunset over one particular part in the Downs on the drive home.
Tell us – what’s your favourite thing about freelancing?
The freedom and the increased financial rewards. Although I’ve enjoyed managing teams in the past, when you work on your own you realise how much time you used to spend on managing others.
[themify_quote]When you work on your own you realise how much time you used to spend on managing others.”[/themify_quote]
What tools/apps/gadgets/things could you not live without as a freelancer?
I use Kashflow for my accounts. It’s simple to understand and use.
Where can we find you online?
You can find me on LinkedIn or www.setfords.co.uk.
The Big Question – What’s the secret to your success?
I think that many people coming into the workplace think that there’s some magic formula but I find that it’s always down to hard work and putting in the time.
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