I have this dream. A vision to grow an online community for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and those who are building a business foundation right now. When we are an island as a solo business owner, we need a place of encouragement and support. Community, is a place to share experiences and encourage others to build a strong cornerstone for successful business.
I hope you found me because you are looking for answers on how to start a freelance business. Maybe you are wondering if it really can sustain you. I assure you, when you see yourself as a business, those around you will too and you will thrive! That is worth the seconds it took to read this far. TAKE YOURSELF SERIOUS! Your confidence will open the doors.
As a Freelancer, Take yourself serious.
I can say this because I’ve been freelancing full time for the last 20 years. Over 25 years total and I’ve seen many others come and go. I started this blog and a YouTube channel to give back to the people out there who are my people. That’s you. I believe in you because I was there: I was you. I’ll encourage you and share my experiences so it will help you by seeing my mistakes. I am starting a group to grow to help many entrepreneurs along the way.
What I have to offer is experience and I just want to share it. I’m not a dictator or looking to boss anyone around. As a matter of fact, I am a strong advocate of you finding the system that works for you. I learned from others and adapted to what worked for me. You will too.
As you follow me, you will find info about the process, ideas on how to structure life and business, protocols that will help you grow your business, and often I’ll share some stories that forced me to look hard at what I was doing that wasn’t working. Life is not going to look the same as most people around you, unless you hang with other freelancers. So be ready for many to make assumptions about your work that are wrong and expect you to meet their beliefs. These are some of the topics that will show up in the future.
Life is not going to look the same as those around you.
In my last 20 years, I focused solely on marketing and graphic design. As I started this blog and YouTube thing, I asked friends, peers, and people I did not even know what they thought about my ideas to just share my experience. What I found that many other freelancers outside of creative and marketing are looking for the same information. So, whatever you are doing as a solo business owner, freelancer, contractor, whatever your description, if you follow along, I will provide you with insight to help you. We all will become better at what we do and how we handle our customers, clients, and vendors. Yes, I am a designer, but freelance business is not about what skill you offer, it is about how you conduct your business.
I will be talking about freelancing, however you define this, but I will often just refer to it as your business. I do not see freelance as anything different from other businesses except the model we follow is that we manage ourselves, we often get to do what we do from home, we set our schedules and choose our clients. We are measured by the same expectations as our competition in the market, but those businesses have limitations that we can remove. We are business owners.
Freelancers are measured by the same expectations as our competition in the market.
Frelancers call meetings because we need to get info. We don’t waste our time and we don’t waste other’s time because we understand every hour counts. Freelancers are strategic, respect others, and operate an honest business because we can.
I believe if we communicate better with customers, deliver excellence and respect our clients, we can all make a goal of raising the perception of freelancers in the market. We are serious business owners that just want to be able to deliver quality and expertise.
Freelancers are business owners.
Honestly, freelance business was there for me when I had 3 kids that needed my time, when I had bills to pay, when I needed a boost of self-confidence. Freelance business was there for me when I doubted myself, through a divorce, and when I was afraid. But most of all, the freelance business I created was there for me when I wanted to spread my wings because I put in the work and had a group of clients that trusted me to deliver and respect their needs.
Now I just want to contribute something back. I am truly grateful for all the years of experience, oodles of people that I had and still have the honor and privilege to work with, and my new community of freelancers and solo business owners that I can learn even more from on this journey.
I hope you check out some of my stories from the past. You can see them on my Project Stories page. https://slatedesigninc.com/design-portfolio-and-creative-projects-collection/
Follow me on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn and check out the YouTube channel.
Watch for live episodes on Instagram!