If you are wanting to be self-employed, there are many things that you should be aware of. Not everyone makes it as a self-employed person, and I actually know quite a few people who tried the self-employed life only to realize that they didn’t like it at all. So, then they went back to their day job and were happier than ever.
However, for me, I enjoy the self-employed life. I don’t think I could honestly ever go back to the corporate world or my day job, and I have no desire to whatsoever. Freelancing and being self-employed has been possibly the best thing ever to happen in my life, and I am enjoying every single second.
Here are my tips to become a successful self-employed person:
Create a schedule.
In the beginning, it is very easy to work all the time. That is something I did. However, you should try to create a realistic schedule for your business so that you can still enjoy life outside of work and have a good work life balance. No matter how much you enjoy working, you should try to set somewhat of a limit.
If you are working 16 hour days, 7 days a week, it can be easy to get burned out later on. You probably don’t want that!
Have an emergency fund.
I have an emergency fund and this is something that I recommend that all self-employed people have before they switch to the self-employed life.
An emergency fund can be a lifesaver because it can help you get through tough times. You never know when you might have a bad month, and you don’t want one bad month to force you to have to quit your self-employed life.
Get help when you need it.
I have seen so many self-employed people who have tried to do everything themselves. However, that is most likely not realistic to do forever. You will eventually need help if your business is growing.
Help isn’t a bad thing though. They may be able to help you grow your business even further and they might help you free up some time so that you can enjoy your personal life.
Always try to improve.
No matter how great you think you are in the beginning, there is probably always room for improvement. You should make an effort to improving your business and the services or products that you offer.
This might mean that you need to attend classes to expand your knowledge, attend conferences to improve your business skills, read books, and so on. There are just so many different ways to improve!
Get an accountant.
Don’t think that you can save money by skipping an accountant. Unless you know what you are doing, an accountant can probably save you money. They can also help you with incorporating your business, finding ways to handle and possible lower taxes, and possibly help you find a lawyer as well to help you with taxes and incorporating as well.
What tips do you have? Share with us! 🙂
Image via Flickr by @Daman
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