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
How will you know when it is time to become a freelance writer? The answer is simple: you won’t. When I decided to get started I didn’t really know if it was the right decision. I knew that I wanted to be a freelance writer, but that was only a start. There is some level of risk involved – you have to realize that going in. If you are thinking about becoming a freelance writer it is time to decide for or against this.
Here are three common situations that may push you into a freelance writing career right now:
1. You don’t have a job. It is unfortunate but unemployment numbers are quite high. If you do not have a job and are interested in freelance writing, nothing should be holding you back. It is better to give this a try now when you have the time than to look back later on and wonder what could have been.
2. You have a job but it makes you miserable. There is nothing worse than continuing to work a job that does not suit your needs. You spend at least eight hours per day at work. Do you really want to be miserable the entire time? You do not want to leave your job if you need it to survive. But you definitely want to consider how you can begin to do your own thing so you can escape soon enough.
3. You just want to do it! You don’t need a great reason or a dire situation to become a freelance writer. Instead, if you feel that this is the career for you and know that you can make it, that may be reason enough to go for the gusto.
So, what do you think? Is now the time for you to become a freelance writer? If you are facing one of the three situations above, there may be no better time than now.Â
