Then this training is here to support you with all your freelancer finances.
When your income changes from month to month, managing your finances can be challenging.
Covering a wide range of topics including: personal budgeting, tax returns, pensions, mortgages and periods when you’re not working, this training also offers participants a free 1:1 session with a finance expert (financial advisor, mortgage advisor or accountant).
This course is delivered as a mix of online and in-person training sessions. There will be an introductory online session, followed by 1-day in person session (Saturday – Belfast) and then a final online session (weekday evening – Zoom).
This training is supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from UK high-end TV productions and the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from with contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.
Who is this course for?
This course is open to HETV and Unscripted TV freelancers living and/or working in Northern Ireland who:
- have a minimum of three years’+ experience
- want to build to build confidence in managing and planning their personal finance
- work in all HETV and Unscripted departments
It is particularly relevant to freelancers who have recently or are planning to work as a sole trader or through a limited company.
This training is only open to individuals living and/or working in Northern Ireland.
We also welcome applications from those looking to return to work following a career break who have equivalent experience.
We always welcome applications from under-represented groups, including, but not limited to: those from minority ethnic backgrounds; disabled people; people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
We offer inclusive training. If you have any needs which we can accommodate during the recruitment process and beyond, or would like support completing the booking form and/or would like us to send it to you in an alternative format, please email us here.
We are offering 2 iterations of this course in Belfast delivered a mix of face-to-face and online.
Belfast Cohort 1
Deadline for applications: 22nd November 2026
Belfast Cohort 2
Deadline for applications: 5th January 2027
Session 1: Getting your bearings – 1-hour introductory Zoom
A welcoming introduction to freelance finances and helping you get a personal snapshot. It’s OK not to know this stuff. It’s also OK to have been struggling.
Session 2: Putting your finances into practice – in-person workshop
Led by Alison Grade you’ll connect the costs of everyday life with the realities of freelance work – from fluctuating earning and gaps between contracts to planning for time off.
Through guided exercises you’ll explore:
- What you need to earn: Map your personal and business costs to build a clearer picture of your income needs
- Managing money between contracts: Creating a cashflow plan
- How to build a financial buffer and plan for sickness, caring responsibilities or other time away from work
- Making financial admin manageable: Simple routines for tracking income and costs, keeping records and setting money
A debt management advisor will explore recognising financial difficulties, planning conversations with creditors and accessing free, confidential debt advice in Northern Ireland.
You’ll develop a first version of your annual freelance finance map, begin a personal 90-day action plan and prepare focused question for the the accountant, mortgage advisor and financial advisor in the final online session.
Session 3: Ask the experts – 3-hour Zoom with an accountant, mortgage advisor and financial advisor
Online session with experts covering:
- Tax and accounting: Managing mixed income, working across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, keeping records, planning for tax bills and understanding your responsibilities
- Mortgages: How freelance income may be assessed and what you can do to prepare
- Future planning: Savings, pensions, financial protection and building resilience over time
Optional session after training:
All participants will be offered a free 1:1 with one of the experts (accountant, mortgage advisor, or financial advisor)
Alison Grade is the author of the Penguin bestseller The Freelance Bible and founder and CEO of Mission Accomplished. A career freelancer and entrepreneur with an MBA from INSEAD, she combines first-hand experience of self-employment with a practical understanding of business and finance. Through her training and mentoring, Alison helps freelancers build sustainable careers, from understanding what they need to earn and valuing their work to managing the ups and downs of freelance income. Her approach makes the business side of freelancing accessible, helping people take control of their finances with greater confidence.
Delivered by
Our Funders
This training is supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from UK high-end TV productions and by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.
We always welcome applications from under-represented groups, including, but not limited to: those from minority ethnic backgrounds; disabled people; people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
If you have any needs which we can accommodate during the recruitment process and beyond, or would like support completing the booking form and/or would like us to send it to you in an alternative format, please email: hetv@mission.guru.