[thegoodlab]

I started freelancing a little over 2 years ago and have more than doubled how much I was making at my previous agency job. A few tips would be:

- Save up 3 - 6 months "salary" before you jump-ship. While you are doing that, build your portfolio and start lining up work. If after 3 - 6 months you can't find work, you can always go back to working for someone else again.

- Hire an accountant. For the amount of stress they reduce, they are worth every penny.

- Establish good relationships with a few agencies close by, where you could possibly do contract work. You may not be able to charge them as much, but having them as a fall back when you are slow is nice.

- On a related note: Don't consider contract work through other agencies bad. From my experience, one agency gets work from another agency, who gets work from another agency, etc.. There is good money to be made being the production guy.