In the past, I have talked about holding yourself back from reaching goals. This is more common that it should be, in my opinion. It is a shame, but many aspiring freelance writers are not succeeding because of what they are doing; not what is going on around them.
Here are three common ways freelance writers stop themselves from achieving success and reaching career related goals:
1. Talk but no action. There are many people who want to become freelance writers, but most of them never do anything about it. Instead, they spend all their time talking about how great it would be. It is important to plan, but to succeed in the long run you have to eventually decide to take action.
2. You are finding too many excuses not to move forward. It is easy to find a reason not to do something. It is too much of a risk to become a freelance writer. I don’t have the space at home to become a freelance writer. It costs too much money to become a freelance writer. And the list goes on and on. If you want to find an excuse you will be able to do so in no time at all.
3. Don’t find the time. There is no denying that some people have to start their freelance writing career while working another job. Even if this is not the case, some are dealing with other priorities such as raising a child. No matter who you are, you will have to find the time to chase your freelance writing dream. If you neglect to do so you can be rest assured that success will escape you time after time.
Don’t let any or all of the above reasons stop you from becoming a freelance writer.Â
There are many benefits of being a work at home freelancer. One that I do not talk about nearly enough is how much money it can save you. For many, saving money is a way of life. Even if you have a lot, saving is still something that can be fun. Fortunately, as a freelancer of any kind you will get to see what this is all about.
How do freelancers save money? Well, here are three ways:
1. Food. When I worked in an office I would stop for coffee and lunch everyday of the week. While I was only spending $7 or so, over the course of a month this would add up to roughly $140. I may not have noticed at the time that this was a lot of money, but looking back it is hard to imagine I was doing this. Now, anytime I want a snack all I have to do is head to the kitchen.
2. Gas. This one is obvious, right? With gas prices remaining high it goes without saying that you will be able to save a lot of money in this department. Another example from my past: I used to fill up once per week when working as a sales manager. Now, I fill up just about once per month. Again, this is a savings of more than $100.
3. Time is money. This may not be a direct way of saving, but it is something to consider nonetheless. How much time do you waste everyday at your office job? This can include anything from mingling with co-workers to sitting in traffic. It is probably quite a bit. Time is money. The better you manage your time the more money you can earn.
As you can see, being a freelancer can save you money in many ways.
When it comes to starting any kind of business it is important to have a plan in mind. In other words, you need a business plan. Believe it or not, some freelance writers, especially those who are new to the industry, do not think this applies to them – they are wrong. In my opinion, every freelance writer needs a solid business plan to guide them as their career moves forward.
I don’t want this post to be overshadowed by what goes into creating a freelance writing business plan or how to get started. Instead, I simply want all freelance writers to realize that this is a very important part of their career. One of the best moves I ever made was creating a business plan before my first day as a writer. In fact, I still look at this plan from time to time to see if I am making the progress I expected, etc.
Don’t let anybody tell you that creating a business plan is a waste of your time. You do not need hundreds of pages full of content, graphs, and other like information. Instead, start with a basic plan that will help you begin your career. Just like most businesses, your plan will change over time to suit your situation and goals.
A freelance writing business plan is very important. If you are thinking about becoming a writer, make sure this is in your to-do list. Those who are already working as a freelancer but don’t have a business plan should create one today.Â
