by Sagan Morrow
So you want to make a living as a full-time home-based business owner… that’s great! Just make sure you’re well-prepared before you take that big leap.
With that in mind, here are the top 5 things you need to do BEFORE you quit your day job:
1. Get your first few clients.
You’ll be more successful at managing your home-based business if you have some experience under your belt—plus it will help you feel more confident when you’ve already tried your hand at it, and you’ll feel more at ease knowing that your business is already underway.
When you’ve worked with even just a couple of clients, you will be able to provide future clients with work samples, testimonials, and a proven track record. Here’s a sample plan of how to get your first few clients for your business: https://juxtacommunications.ca/business/clients/how-to-get-first-client/
2. Outline your business plan and budget.
Set yourself a clear set of goals and a plan of action to make your vision a reality. Your business plan should “steer the ship” of your business, and it should be an organic, living document that you refer to on an ongoing basis: a tool you can refer to so you stay on track with your business expectations and goals.
Don’t forget about budgeting! Be honest with yourself about your financial situation and what your expectations are for making an income when you transition to managing your business full-time… and what you can do to make that happen.
3. Set up your business services webpage.
What kind of services does/will your business offer? Consider having both pre-packaged services and custom services, and outline your pricing strategy and marketing strategy while you’re at it. This will help you create a pricing strategy for your freelance business that you can feel confident in: https://juxtacommunications.ca/pricing
4. Create a schedule of your day-to-day life after you start working from home full-time.
Prepare yourself more fully for working from home by putting together a schedule you can follow. Start with a more structured schedule to ensure you make real progress with your business every day. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy—the idea here is to make the transition that much easier and to know which tasks you need to work on, when, each day of the week.
5. Get into the business owner mindset.
Before you even start working from home full-time, you should already think of yourself as a business owner! For example, if you want to start offering graphic design services, then start calling yourself a graphic designer—right now. Having this frame of mind will make your plan feel more real and will keep you more accountable as you move forward.
Starting your own business is an exciting time! Choosing to take this step is brave. The best part? You don’t have to go it alone… and you aren’t the first one to make this leap. Learn from others who have been there and get a strong support team in place to make the transition smoother and to truly set yourself up for success as a new full-time home-based business owner.
Not sure if you’re ready to quit your day job yet? Take the quiz to find out: https://juxtacommunications.ca/business/transition/ready-quit-9-5-job/
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Sagan Morrow has a decade of experience as a freelance writer, editor, and social media manager. She is the Chief Communications Officer at Juxta Communications and loves being able to pass on what she’s learned over the years to other freelancers, in between doing her client work.
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