Young entrepreneur: musician

Gillian explains how to get ahead by working for yourself

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Being a musician allows Gillian to earn from what she loves doing most: playing music. Here she outlines how to cut it as a freelancer.

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Gillian Maitland is a solo marimba player and percussionist. She's turned her exceptional talent into a fulltime job by becoming a professional musician. "Having everyone tell me not to try music as a career because you don't make any money is actually what inspired me," she says. "It's not about money for me, it's about being my own boss."

Gillian was lucky to receive advice from famous percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and is proud of her constantly changing business plan. But she warns becoming a professional musician is such a huge step to take that you should only try it if you're 100 % confident that's what you really want to do.

Updated:28/05/2010

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Follow the Prince's Trust's guide to writing a business plan. Make sure there's something about your business idea that's unique. Do your research - is there a gap in the market?
Running a business means you'll have to learn everything outside your main skill, such as admin, accountancy, marketing - even cleaning! Make a list of all the necessary skills and look for any gaps in your knowledge. You can get affordable business training from Learn Direct.
Get as much advice as you can – from other professionals in your field and from anyone who's self employed. What are their pearls of wisdom? How would they have done things differently with hindsight? Write all their tips down and keep them handy to refer back to and learn from their mistakes.
Read our articles on starting your own business and funding your own business.
For further advice on how to get started, talk to a Connexions advisor on 0808 0013 219 or contact Business Link (in England), Business Gateway (in Scotland), Business Support Wales or Northern Ireland Business Info for advice on these issues.

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