The admin to set up before your first job.
Going freelance as a rope access tech is mostly about the work, but a clean setup in month one saves you headaches all year.
Register as self-employed, sort public liability insurance, and make sure your IRATA logbook and certifications are current. Open a separate bank account so business and personal money never tangle.
Set your day rate, have a simple way to send invoices, and start your kit register and LOLER tracking from day one, not after the first inspection sneaks up on you.
Save a slice of every payment for tax, and keep receipts as you go. Future-you will be grateful.
Cowstail bundles invoices, kit and LOLER, and tax-ready finances into one free app for solo techs, a tidy place to start.