Should You Become a Freelancer and Start a Freelancing Business?

Have you heard of terms like gig economy, freelancing, and side business? It seems to be the trend these days to make a side income if you aren’t making enough income at your regular job. The idea of becoming your own boss and working when you want at the beach does have its dreamy appeal, but is that life for you? Should you become a self-employed freelancer?

If you’re on the fence about starting a freelancing business, ask yourself the following questions. You may surprise yourself with your readiness to take your career in a new direction. Or you may need more time to re-evaluate your options. Either way, these questions will help you decide if freelancing is for you.

Are you aware of the challenges and risks of freelancing?

If you’ve always been an employee, the sudden income instability may be a little frightening. Before you start, make sure that you have three to six month’s savings set aside to pay your bills. You’ll be taking risks that you didn’t take when you had a job.

As a freelancer, it’s your responsibility to find work for yourself, either by networking or creating a profile on a gig platform such as Fiverr. When you first begin working on your own, you’ll need to manage your time and goals wisely. Even if you have a job that lasts three months, you’ll be looking ahead to line up the next gig to start four months from now. Otherwise, when your contract finishes, you could find yourself without an income.

When you first start freelancing, you may have some months with a lot of income, and other months with less. Setting aside savings will help with unforeseen expenses during months of less income. You’ll also need your savings because the holiday pay, sick leave, and medical and dental benefits that you may be accustomed to isn’t provided to freelancers.

The abrupt change in income stability may be too much of a difference in lifestyle for some people. Some people freelance for a side income, working in the evenings and weekends while still working at a full-time job. Others work at a part-time job while supplementing their income with a freelance business before transitioning to freelancing full time years later, when they have a stable client base.

Related: Why You Should Leave Your Comfort Zone

Do you have the skills as a freelancer?

Your success as a freelancer will also depend on your skill set. You can freelance as a writer, social media manager, virtual assistant, or video editor, to name a few jobs. If you’re just starting to build your skill set, you’ll be charging beginner level rates. If you already developed a skill and you’re transitioning to freelancing with that same skill, you’ll be able to charge much higher rates.

Other factors that will determine how much work you get as a freelancer and how much you make include:

  • Whether your skills are in high demand. If many clients need someone with your skills, then you will find many opportunities.
  • Whether your skills are general or niche. Writing, for example, is a general skill, and there is an abundance of writers. If you have a niche, such as writing grants or writing for tech companies, you will be higher demand by those clients that need that level of specialization.
  • Quality of your clients. Your relationship with your client as well as their financial situation will determine how much you can charge for your services. For example, if you are just getting started, you may accept a contract with a small company that hasn’t been in business very long. Their budget would be limited, but you would be able to gain some work experience.

Do you have the mindset to start a freelancing business?

The most important factor to consider about freelancing is your mindset. You’ll be your own boss, setting your own work hours. You can sleep in on a weekday or only work three hours a day if you’re feeling lazy. Those are some of the perks.

It also means you need a lot of self discipline to set your own income goals and work hours, and to get work done by the deadline. People you know may discourage you from freelancing because of the risks. They’ll tell you to stick to the stability of having a traditional 9 to 5 job, and maybe work two jobs if you want to make more money.

As a part-time or full-time freelancer, however, you’ll be able to decide what projects and work you want to take on, and you’ll be able to negotiate your own rates. Yes, you’ll have bad experiences with clients who don’t pay or take advantage of you. It’s a learning process, and as you gain experience, you’ll have the chance to find great clients who appreciate you. When you become highly experienced and in demand, you’ll even be able to turn down jobs to do only the work you enjoy.

Summary

Freelancing, either part-time or full-time, can be a dream come true for those who want to make an extra income, or take on work opportunities they want. Being your own boss and working where and when you please has its appeal. However, freelance work isn’t for everyone. You need mental discipline and a desire to always work on your skills.

Still considering working as a freelancer? What gigs would you like to try?

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Why You Must Leave Your Comfort Zone

You’re standing at the front of the room, aware that every pair of eyes is on you. Palms clenched and sweaty, your heart thuds so hard it will crash out of your rib cage. You open your mouth to begin your presentation, but just a breath of air leaves your lips. You want to die to escape, but then you remember a horrible, universal truth.

Fear itself kills no one.

Never be afraid to leave your comfort zone.

When I gave my first presentation in front of two hundred people, all strangers, I did an excellent job of bombing it. I could blame it on the fact that I hadn’t been properly informed about the audience. The material I presented wasn’t challenging enough and they complained it was too simple. Throughout the painful, 3600 second duration of my talk, I could feel impatient eyes pushing me off the stage. I wanted to do what they asked, to escape, but their dislike alone couldn’t make me melt under the spotlight and die.  

The comments I received on the feedback forms afterward I would never frame on my wall, but I don’t regret the experience. It has become my war story about how I spoke while on hostile territory and survived.

When you get uncomfortable, you grow.

Humans can live through a lot of things, and with each experience, we stretch that elastic band that defines our comfort zone. I redefined the boundaries of mine when I gave that work presentation. I fear bombing a presentation a lot less because I’ve told myself that it’ll never be that bad ever again.

A little bit of anxiety = a little bit of adventure.

If you’re considering leaving your comfort zone, you should start with something small, like changing your routine to or from work.  Instead of taking the main road, take a detour down a neighbourhood to check out the types of buildings and people that are there. Instead of keeping to the sidewalk, venture into the corner store to discover what they sell. Don’t let metathesiophobia – fear of change – get the better of you. Get uncomfortable just a bit at a time.

Fear of the unknown, fear of disappointment, and fear of failure are just three phobias that prevent people from trying something new.

Fear of the unknown can be terrifying. If you look down a long, dark tunnel, and cannot see the end of it, you may not venture in. What if there’s a beast living deep inside? What if entering that tunnel causes you to lose ten years of your life for every minute you spend in it?

What if?

But what if I told you that anyone who enters the tunnel will have one of their dreams granted after they reach the other side? Would you enter then?

Take chances and leave that zone of comfort.

Traveling to a new country used to be out of my comfort zone. I was taking a job in a country I’d never been to, in a city where I didn’t speak the language, and the only person I knew would be a friend from my home city. I chose to leave my comfort zone because I needed a job that paid well, but more importantly, my friend was going to leave me to live in a place where I’d never been. I didn’t want to be apart from him, and if he were going with me, I wouldn’t be alone.

The adventure didn’t quite turn out the way I had intended. My papers came through more quickly and I ended up in Tokyo, Japan, before he did. I was in a city of strangers, armed with only a few weeks of Japanese lessons. My assessment of the situation: highly uncomfortable.

Time passed. He joined me eventually, after I was settled in. Then I got homesick and left, and an ocean separated us for many years after that. Long distance phone calls became more sporadic, and ten years later, when we were reunited, we were strangers struggling to complete a conversation.

My fear had come true – our friendship had fizzled away, but I had no regrets. I wasn’t wondering if our friendship would have lasted if only I’d had the courage to follow him on his travels.

The upside of the experience was that I was more comfortable with visiting new places. Focusing on all the positive of what could happen inspired me to keep trying something new.

Leaving your comfort zone is like learning to walk.

Imagine if all babies in the world never leave the crawling stage because walking is scary. You could fall on your bum. You could sprain a finger. “Walking is hard! I give up! I’ll crawl for the rest of my life!” But at some point even babies decide to take one step at a time to leave their comfort zone and try that new way of moving that’s so efficient. It starts with standing up and putting one foot forward at a time.

Everyday, entrepreneurs try to challenge themselves to do something they haven’t done before. It’s easy to feel safe and secure.  However, you attain success only when you change, and only when you change do you grow into a new you.

For me, becoming an entrepreneur was not an overnight process. It involved a lot of slow growth mixed with plenty of setbacks (one step forward, two steps back) before I started to enjoy a smooth ride. Each day now, I get closer to my destination.

So how about it? How will you challenge yourself today?

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Self Care Tips Based on Your Personality Type

These days, more people are not just working from home – they’re working longer hours. Home and work life are blurring together, affecting mental and physical health. This trend is not a positive one and needs to change. You deserve a break, so here are self care tips by personality type to help you avoid burnout.

Why self care by personality type? Some people by nature work harder out of a need for competition, while others find it more difficult to maintain focus. My business mentors told me about the four basic personality types, which I describe here but with different names (to avoid copyright issues).  Which personality type are you, and what will you do for self care?

Self-Driven Hard Worker

The self-driven hard worker runs on never-ending batteries. They will forget to eat while they pursue a goal for the day. This personality type are often leaders and like to get straight to the point because they don’t like to waste time. They enjoy the finer things in life, desiring a lifestyle of luxury and wealth as an ultimate goal. If they are on vacation, or playing a game, they tend to be competitive and need an objective for the activity. They can be extremely focused.

Taking a moment for self care is most challenging for the self driven, hard worker. They will ask questions such as, “Why take the night off to watch a movie when I can keep going and hit my next milestone?” Achievement after achievement is its own reward.

Unfortunately, these hard workers could burn out and suffer from health problems. They need to take a much-needed break to eat a proper meal and enjoy some fresh air with friends or family! Having a little fun will not result in disaster or an episode of laziness, and this is hard fact for them to accept.

Detail-Oriented Analyst

People who fall under this personality type tend to over analyze and be very critical of many aspects of their life. Unlike the hard worker, who will take risks, the analyst needs to know all the facts up front before making a decision. They love details and keep meticulous records. They can be very tidy and organized, and they feel safest when they can anticipate what their future holds.

A detail-oriented analyst will take the time to pamper themselves or take a vacation if they know that everything is under control and carefully planned out. They will take the night off after they have planned out their day for tomorrow. They will try out a new spa treatment or yoga class if they have researched it first.

You can count on the analyst to thoroughly research your vacation destination, to plan out activities, schedules, and prices. It may intimidate them a bit at first but encourage an analyst to leap into something without knowing what they are getting into. Ask them to join you for a night about town and tell them your destination will be a pleasant surprise. A little adventure can be fun!

Devoted Humanitarian

The humanitarian puts friends and family first. Their objectives in life and career tend to revolve around what they can do for the people they care about, as well as humankind in general. They tend to be shy and quiet in personality (but not all of them are introverts), and they like to play it safe. They will work hard if it means their paycheck will cover the cost of hockey practice and uniforms for their child, or ensure that their parents have a nicer place to live. They tend to be selfless.

Self care can be a challenge for these humanitarians. They are so focused in giving and caring for others that they will sacrifice their own time, well being, or finances for another person. They need to try to put themselves first occasionally to avoid burn out.

Instead of giving their spouse a day off, for example, they should take the day off themselves and not feel guilty about it. Even if family members don’t show appreciation for what a humanitarian personality does, these personality types can give themselves a well-deserved time off.

Big-Picture Enthusiast

The big picture enthusiast is social and gets along with people. They can be the life of the party and the team member that coworkers consider most amicable. If there is a project at work, they tend to focus on the bigger goals and encourage people to become involved. However, they are sloppy with details and find it difficult to stay focused, especially if a task isn’t fun. Their biggest motivator is fun. If they like an idea, they will jump in and try it out, often without weighing the consequences.

For a personality type that likes to enjoy life, they too need some time for self care. They need to set goals and check in to make sure that these goals are achieved. Did they reach their income goal for the month? Did they complete all the mundane paperwork?

Taking the time to ground themselves in these less exciting aspects of life is important. Otherwise, they may find themselves missing out on important deadlines or stressed out and dealing with the aftermath of bad decisions because they didn’t do enough research. Enjoying life is good, but everything needs balance.

Summary

No one is exactly 100 percent one of these personality types. You could be predominately one of these types when you’re working and another when you aren’t. You could be a combination of any of these types, like a combination pizza of multiple flavors. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each type will help you focus on what you can do for your own health and well being. What self care will you work on this week?

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5 Ways to Get People to Remember You

Let’s get people to hire you because they remember you and you’re hard to forget. As an entrepreneur, you want people to buy from you because they trust you and know your name. To help you achieve that goal, here are five ways to get people to remember you.

1 Say the Other Person’s Name

After meeting someone, say their name during your conversation as soon as possible. Repeat their name again at the end, closing with, “It was nice meeting you, (name).” People like to be remembered, and if you’ve made the effort to remember this person, they will try to remember you as well.

2 Give Something to the Other Person

When someone gives you something, you feel obligated to give them something in return. This is the Law of Reciprocity. You see this often when you go shopping. A staff member gives out free food samples, increasing the chances that the shopper will reciprocate by buying an item from the store. Similarly, when you open the door for someone, buy a co-worker a coffee, or share some useful information (like telling someone about a 2 for 1 deal you heard about), that person will view you in a more positive way.

3 Be Vulnerable

One way to get people to remember you is to be vulnerable. When you make mistakes, others see you as more human and more relatable. When you meet someone for the first time, you can share a quick anecdote about, for example, how you sat down in the wrong room at a convention about financial planning and the people in the room were talking about pet training. People like people they can relate to.

4 Share an Insight

People remember stories. If you have a name that is difficult to remember, a little anecdote about your name will make it easier to recall. For example, a quick story about the meaning of your name or why your name was chosen, or something catchy involving your name. Something catchy can be as simple as giving an adjective with the same first letter as your first name. Then they remember your name and something about your personality.

Give Positive Energy

People associate you with what you say. If you complain a lot about the news, the weather, or other people, you may be perceived as negative. If you compliment people and speak positively about people, places, and events, others will associate you with this optimism. Make positive energy your brand, and that is what people will remember about you.

Summary

Sometimes our interaction with someone we first meet is going to be very brief. To create more impact so they remember you, try a technique to make yourself more memorable, such as saying the other person’s name, or sharing something about yourself that the other person will remember.

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How to Get Hired by Adding Value

Recently, people have been losing jobs by the thousands, so the competition you face for getting a job is fierce. How can you stand out and become the first choice with a potential employer or client? If you want to get hired for the long term, start by adding value.

Networking and Relationship Building that Adds Value

First, build a relationship for the long term by networking and getting to know what other people do. If you haven’t done this already, create a LinkedIn profile that describes what you do, your industry and niche, and what type of work you are looking for. Then join LinkedIn groups for similar industries, like and comment on people’s posts, and add advice or information that people in the group will find interesting.

Join local business groups and attend their Zoom meetings to find out what is trending in business and to build connections. Become a connector by suggesting possible clients and connections for group members. Add value by providing feedback and suggestions for their business ideas. People will get to know you more and will recommend you to their connections when work opportunities arise.

Giving Value to Businesses to Create Business

After you’ve created some connections online or in person, continue to build on those connections by adding value. Arrange a coffee or virtual meeting with your connection once in a while to talk about what you’re both doing. Are either of you taking courses, working on building a new skill, or changing direction in your career?

Show support for each other by listening and by offering what you can to help your connection with what they are doing. For example, suggesting videos that teach more about a specific topic, recommending someone that could be a great resource such as a consultant or advisor, or offering to help out with a new business venture.

Getting Hired by Making Your Value Known

When you build relationships and help out your connections, people will get to know you and what it is that you offer. You will be top of mind when they hear about a job opportunity or client that needs someone with your skill set.

These connections will have come to trust you and they will want to return the favour whenever they can. They will remember how you were there for them when they needed advice or when they asked for your opinion on a new endeavor. This level of trust is more valuable than any type of advertising.

Recently, a long-time connection of mine reached out for some writing services. She said I was the first person to come to mind when she needed a writer for her latest business venture. I had previously been there for her as a sounding board for other business ideas and I had helped to promote her business on LinkedIn.

Creating and strengthening your connections is important.

Summary

Getting hired the traditional way is a lot tougher when you have much competition. You’re a name in a long list of candidates. However, if you invest the time to build professional connections, and you’re adding value to them over time, you will be a top choice when they are looking to hire someone they trust.

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