Melody wanted to start her own business. After years of climbing the corporate ladder at a marketing agency, she was tired of the politics, the long hours, and the time spent away from her growing family.
When Melody started researching other options, she came across a Facebook group filled with moms like her – who wanted to start their own business. Melody quickly posted, curious about her options.
Another mom in the group, Erica, introduced Melody to the idea of freelance work or offering a virtual service in exchange for money.
What Do Freelancers Do?
Erica explained that many people offer freelance services. These can include editors, writers, graphic designers, programmers, and more. If you have a skill that others are willing to pay for, then you could be a freelancer.
As a freelancer, you’ll find clients, complete a project for them, and get paid. Some freelancers go full-time, earning six figures from their online business. Others prefer part-time hours and might offer their services in addition to working a full-time job.
Set Your Own Hours
Melody wanted to know more so she messaged Erica privately, asking about how many hours freelancers work a week and what their schedules typically look like.
Freelancers have lifestyle freedom. That means they get to set their own hours. If you’re a night owl who prefers working from 12am to 8am, you can do that. If you’d rather have a traditional schedule and work 8am to 5pm, you can do it.
An excellent way to get started freelancing is to become a virtual assistant. Tawnya Sutherland provides free resources and training to new virtual assistants over at her website, VA Networking.
Earn More as You Level Up
One of Melody’s biggest frustrations was that she was being passed over for promotions and raises. She was good at her job and her skillset was consistently improving but she refused to play politics the way her boss wanted her to.
But freelancers don’t have to beg for a raise. As your skills improve, you can simply send a note to your clients saying, “I’m raising my rates. Here’s what the new price is and here’s when it goes into effect.”
If you struggle with what to charge, Ash Ambirge, creator of The Middle Finger Project, is your girl. She’s an online entrepreneur who teaches bad ass women how to make even more money and live amazing lives.
Work from Anywhere
With freelancing, you can usually work from anywhere you choose, provided you have the tools you need to get your projects completed. That means if you want to backpack around the world while freelancing, you can.
You can also stay local and simply work from your favorite café, library, or home office. You’re not stuck in a cubicle all day, next to an annoying co-worker who plays cat videos at top volume.
Thanks to Erica’s advice, Melody is now creating a plan to leave her job. She’s starting a side hustle as a freelancer and when she has enough in savings, she’ll give her two-week notice to her boss.