Six Months Full-Time, Six Things I’ve Learned

I have been freelance writing full-time for six whole months. When I take a step back from all the work, it feels like I’m living a dream. It takes work to make your dreams come true and more work to keep them alive. At the end of the day it’s worth it. Here’s a list of six things I’ve learned in my time as a full-time freelance writer.

Customers are THE most important aspect of business.

My ex-day job’s slogan was “Consumer is boss.” In some ways, that’s better executed in a product-oriented business, but it’s still true of a service business. When I freelanced on the side, it was mostly about doing what I loved - writing. I’m still doing what I love, but now my focus is on making my customers happy. Without them, I’d have no business.

Business first, writer second.

When my computer crashed last week, I tried explaining to someone how important is was that I have a way to check my email. “I have a business to run,” I said. I think those words made it a lot clearer than if I’d said, “I have to do my writing.”

I need a new hobby.

Writing used to be the thing I did for fun. In a way, it still is. But, I do it all day long. When I want to do something creative just to relax, it’s not writing (unless it’s writing for fun). I enjoy doing a lot of things, but I’ve yet to find that second-place passion that I can’t wait to get to at the end of the day.

Starting a bookkeeping process from the beginning is the best thing any writer could do.

I have to admit, I didn’t completely organize my finances when I first started. I kept track of all my income. Now that tax season has come, I see that I didn’t do as good as I should have with tracking business expenses. It would have made tax preparation much easier. So, this year, I’ll be a lot more meticulous. I need all the tax write-offs I can get. A word of advice to all freelance writers: take the time to learn tax write-offs that apply to you. That way, you’ll know which receipts to save and which to toss.

A financial cushion is a must.

When I made the transition from part-time to full-time, I made sure I had a sizable savings to lean on. It was very much appreciated during the first couple of months as I balanced my spending with my income. By the third month of fulltime writing, I didn’t need the savings anymore and now I’m to the point that I can begin contributing to it again. I’d like to build up a sizable emergency fund (six months of living expenses) because this business can be unpredictable.

Sometimes it’s better to say no.

Before I went fulltime, I accepted all types of jobs. Quite a few of them made me miserable and I couldn’t wait to get it over with. I have the tendency to say “yes” to jobs because I could definitely use the extra cash. But when it comes to choosing gigs, I always second guess myself. I ask as many questions as I need and I only take the jobs that meet my criteria.

Here’s to six more months of the writing business.

Have some wisdom you can share? Let us know in the comments what you’ve learned in your time as a freelance writer, either full-time or part-time.