Do you feel like maybe you’re ready to jump into a freelance career, but you’re not sure of the next steps, or even what you would even want to pursue as a business?

I know that this is a place that a lot of people find themselves in, wondering if their career is something that they should continue pursuing or whether they want to find more freedom and more joy doing something else than what they do in their day job. 

Oftentimes, it’s easy to think that becoming an entrepreneur and running your own business full-time is the way to go, but it’s not always easy – in fact, it’s rarely easy, even though the benefits can really outweigh any of the hardships.

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Go Out On Your Own?

There’s a difference between struggling and the everyday hardships in your life, and your job isn’t always going to be easy-peasy no matter what you do. So how do you know when it’s time to quit and go out on your own?

Ask yourself whether what you’re doing in your job is sustainable for you – is it sustainable for your mental health? Do you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel with no end in sight? Is there room for you to advance? How does your job make you feel?

If your answer to how your job makes you feel is depressed, or hopeless, or anxious, it might be time to find something else. Life is too short to spend most of your day doing something that you don’t love (to at the very least enjoy).

If you think freelancing might be something you want to explore,  keep reading….

Figure out what you want to do

If you’re considering freelancing but not really sure what services you would want to offer, research what others are doing and identify those things that appeal to you most. Think about the aspects of what you’ve done in your past jobs that you really enjoyed. How could you leverage those in a freelance career? What services could you offer that align with what you love to do that others need help with?

Follow people who are interesting to you, that you enjoy checking out every day, and see where it goes – just make sure not to totally copy what someone else is doing because you could be copying their failure!

Learn from others

Facebook groups are a great way to find out what others are doing and using in their business and learn from their mistakes. You can get advice for anything from the best accounting and invoicing software to use, to what CRM is preferred and why, to what you should be including in any contracts with clients. 

You might be surprised by how willing people are to help you get started and give you free advice. Just introduce yourself, ask questions, and engage when you have something valuable to contribute!

Lay the foundation

Doing that foundational work is something that people try to just skip past, but it’s so important to lay the foundation first because that is what’s going to guide your business.

The value and mission setting and all the research that goes into creating a booming brand might all be things that you’ll have to sit and work through but it’s so worth the time and resources to get it right from the get-go.

Think about:

• Where do you want to be in five years? In ten years?
• What value words resonate with you? Which ones would you want to build your business around?
• What do you want your business to be known for, and how can you weave that into your services and offerings?
• Who is your ideal client? Get really specific, down to what underwear they wear so that you can actually attract real people – when you’re too general you’re actually not resonating with anyone.

And remember that just like us, our businesses will evolve over time, so it’s ok if these things change as your biz progresses.

Tips for the first few months

In the first few months on your own, you’ll be figuring things out, getting your feet wet, and making mistakes along the way. There are some things that I wish I had known about going into business on my own (above and beyond which accounting software is best!):

• Don’t take rejection personally. Think of consults as first dates, where you’re getting to know someone and it might not be a good fit. That doesn’t mean there’s something inherently wrong with you or what you have to offer the world!
• Everything you’re doing at first might feel clumsy or awkward, and that’s ok, it will get better!
• Don’t isolate yourself. Find a good support network to talk things through with and bounce ideas off of – and who you can confide in on days that are hard.
• Don’t forget to take care of yourself. The first few months can be such a whirlwind, but self-care is important because, without you, there would be no business, right?