Even if you've chosen the freelance lifestyle because you can't stand working with others, at some point you're going to have to grit your teeth and integrate with the real world.

Here's how to do battle in business:

Tooling up

• Your CV: This is effectively your shop front, so think Habitat not bric-a-brac. A clear, concise CV can either set you up as a freelancer for life or leave you looking for regular employment.
  
• Business Cards: There's no need to get tooled up with those spangly affairs, or drum up some jumped up job title or slogan ('will work for food!'). At the same time don't skimp. Go for the middle ground, use a clear format and a sensible typeface. Your name, your contact and profession are all the details required.
  
• Networking: Even if you're not invited to all the right parties, you never know when job opportunities arise. A chance meeting in a bar or club, or a friend of a friend of a friend, could give you the break you need. So be sure to have a few of those business cards on you, keep your ears clean and your eyes peeled.

Into the battlefield

• Target the pitch: A little research into your chosen market will go a lot further than spending ages finishing off a piece of work and hoping someone might buy it. Identify the companies who produce stuff that appeals to you, and find out the most appropriate contact. If it's a magazine or newspaper, you'll find the details in the masthead. Phone up and speak to the switchboard operator to check the name of the person you have to deal with.
  
• Write a query letter: This is a one page letter, briefly outlining your interest in contributing work to company X, the skills/experience you have to offer and examples of any previous work of relevance. Attach your CV and enclose a stamped addressed envelope. If you're tempted to fire off your query letter as an email instead, call the switchboard just to check they accept that kind of thing. Whatever method you choose, follow it up with a polite phone call a week to ten days later but don't push for a response. If they're interested, they'll be in touch.
  
• Market your ideas: If you're asked to submit ideas for future work, particularly by newspapers, websites and magazines, be prepared to see some of them ripped off. It's a sad reality, but sometimes a commissioning editor may think you're proposal for a feature on Ostrich Farming in Luton is so good that, well, they'll write it up themselves, or farm it out to an established hack. Not nice. But it happens, so don't give away too many of your finest proposals, and be philosophical too. At least it means you're on the right track, and next time they may give you the big break you deserve.

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