I just don’t thrive and blossom by working for others. Grumpy people, sad motivation, and weak life standards just didn’t work for me. So, I just went out and found my own clients and jobs. And here’s My 3 best advice for freelancers who want to start smart, breaking out of the norms and go our own way.
I tried it for a few years to practice this art of employe-ness and “steady income”. Of course, until it wasn’t steady anymore. I didn’t run the company, so whatever changes happened, I just became a loss and had to find another job. It happened two times.
I’ve had three jobs and kept them for quite long. And in some way, those jobs was probably useful at that point.
I was fed up with the last job I had after five years. So I decided to make it on my own and have full control. Even over my motivation, goals, purpose, and outcome.
I’ve done this for years now. I love it. Amazing grace.
So here’s my top 3 advice I would like others to consider when they decide to grab a hold of their life and work out a success plan. These are not directly practical, but if I knew them when I started out, I would be more MOTIVATED, feel CONFIDENT and make more PROGRESS from the very beginning.
To start with a clean slate, ask your closest friends or family of de-motivaters to shut-the-fuck-up.
1. Get to know the options and tools you, in fact, have out there!
There was nobody to tell me all the things that I had to discover myself through the years when it comes to online tools! You have so many cool options and methods on how to work your magic in a cute business. Get to know what’s available out there.
You can run such a cool and neat business from ONE laptop and a mobile phone. And by combining the right apps, online services and learn a few steps, you got a victory machine going.
Like for a simple E-mailing marketing, invoicing clients, building a website, professional hosting for it. Getting cheap and superb looking branding from online printing services and how to get help by establishing a small team. I use Slack for my team. All tools are there.
Have a look at my top recommended tools for freelancers, that I use my self.
When you start to see what’s available and how cheap (even free) many of these services are, you will be more motivated and start to spin on ideas. But, remember that simplicity keeps you focused! Bring in and work on only what you need.
Namaste.
2. Start your e-mail list right away!
One thing I did very wrong when I started out was NOT to build my e-mail list! Don’t be a smart-ass and think you won’t need it. If you do, you will loose one of your most critical success factors.
Know that you don’t even need to have a too well-defined structure of content and autoresponders. Just keep in touch a couple of times a month on what you are doing. Do advanced stuff later.
Building your e-mail list is in fact what may save your future success in your freelancing. It’s the ONLY direct connection that you will have with your contacts. They ALLOW you to send them e-mails, and later you may have a service, offer or product to sell. More and more professional bloggers have moved to the simplest email service for bloggers I have found, ConvertKit. I love it.
You don’t own anything on Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Even if you have a lot of followers, it’s not a direct connection to them. And social media changes all the time. E-mail don’t. Cool people have lost thousands of Facebook followers overnight.
3. Aim for building recurring income!
If I had done this from the very start, I would have been financially in bliss now!
If you want to build something valuable for yourself, don’t just create a name, branding and work on one-time projects. They can pay well, be fun and give you credit. But at soon as one job are done, you HAVE to hustle away with another. Or your money will soon run out.
[tweet_box] “If you want to build something valuable for yourself, create recurring income.”[/tweet_box]
One time projects only are what I’m moving more and more away from. If I’m going to spend my mind and body energy on my business, I want it to become something that generates money on automation. Then I will have the total freedom and spend time on more exciting and valuable projects without crying about if I will get my next project landed. One time paid projects will then just be a bonus.
Your passion, your mindset, and self-medication
I want to finish this article with something I always include with those wanting to work with me in my coaching and training;
It’s your passion that drives you, no matter what it is. You may think “I can’t possibly make money on this!” -well, then you’re probably not creative enough.
So it’s about your mindset. If you found your passion, it will be your mindset that determines how far you will reach from now on.
Motivation is like food; we need it all the time. If you get drained and lack inspiration, you need to self-medicate! And with that, I mean that you need to have the ability to find motivational content. Because it’s an ABUNDANCE of it out there.
This includes connecting with like-minded people. You’re not alone.
I’m here too.