While Sheffield might have a reputation as being a city founded on manufacturing and steel, it’s fast becoming a popular city for freelancers and remote workers from not only the UK, but all of Europe.
One of the reasons has to do with its rent prices, which are competitive relative to other parts of the country – especially London. A one bedroom flat in the city centre costs an average of £500 a month. Compare this with London’s average of upwards of £2500 and it’s a no brainer that freelancers are flocking here in droves. However, Sheffield isn’t merely easier on the pocket, it’s also a beautiful and diverse city with so much to offer residents and visitors. With that in mind we’ll look at some of the ways that freelancers can maximise their Sheffield experience.
Get organised
You can live in the cheapest city in the world, but it won’t do any good unless you’re organised and plan for your freelancing success. While we’re not going to lay out every step-by-step beginner tip for ensure freelance success – check out some tips here instead – we will highlight the essentials. Write down your goals and set yourself milestones. It often helps to have a physical calendar to do this to increase awareness of important dates and deadlines. Companies like Saxoprint are great for this, and offer wall calendar printing for you to personalise your planning in a visual way. This way you’ll never miss another deadline and have complete awareness about the progress of all your current projects.
Location, location, location
When freelancing it can be a real breath of fresh air to change your working environment from time to time. Therefore it’s well worth finding the hottest freelancing spots like cafes with fast WiFi, or even co-working spaces where you can also bounce ideas off like-minded people and do some networking. Sheffield is full to the brimming hip coffee shops and cafes. Gusto’s Coffee Shop, for example, is an independent establishment that’s not only great for freelancers, but provides such a huge range of delicious cakes and coffees that it’s almost a crime to not work here. Other spots such as the Steam Yard are a coffee addict’s dream, providing you a place to indulge in your favourite roasts while you get down to business.
Work hard play hard
Freelancing in a new city isn’t just about work, however, there’s also the downtime to consider. This is another reason why Sheffield comes highly recommended. After a hard week’s graft, everyone deserves a night or two to unwind, and Sheffield is buzzing with numerous bars and clubs, enough to keep anyone entertained. There’s also a big culture scene, home to theatres such as the Crucible and Lyceum, and buildings such as the Winter Garden, a massive urban glass house. While it might not be Lisbon or Chiang Mai, Sheffield still punches up with the best of them when it comes to being a viable home for freelancers across the board.
