Well, not quite. Yes, I left. We decided to leave the metropolis. My better half found a job. So I left. But I didn’t start a business. You dip your toes in. You don’t have a plan. You just go with the flow.
There’s nothing wrong with “dabbling,” testing the waters before diving in. Except in my case, I spent over three years trying. After a little over five years on my own, here’s the advice I wish I’d given myself a few years ago.
Stop looking at job offers
For the first 3-4 years of my own business, I kept constantly looking at job offers, just in case. I didn’t have confidence that I could succeed, which prevented me from fully investing in my business idea. One day (read almost 4 years later), I said to myself: I’ll throw myself into it 100% for a year, if after that it doesn’t work, I’ll stop. Since that day, I have more clients, and more work, and I no longer look at job offers!
Do some financial planning
One of my biggest insecurities, shared by many self-employed people, is money . We feel like we don’t know how much we can make in a year. I realized one day that it’s up to me to decide how much I want to make and then make a plan to get there. So, determine (realistically) how much you’d like to earn this year.
Next, figure out how to achieve it. By setting monthly goals, you can secure yourself by reaching them or adjust your aim for the next month. Even if you hate numbers, if you’re self-employed, you have no choice, you have to tame them.
Choose your clients
At first, it seems impossible to choose your clients. However, it’s essential to staying power. You don’t want clients with boring mandates, clients who abuse your time, clients who want to pay less or who don’t want to pay. These are difficult choices to make, but the clients who drain your energy are not the clients you want. Kick them out! You’re the boss .
You are an entrepreneur
For a long time, I defined myself as self-employed. If you run your business as a self-employed person, you risk remaining a kind of employee, but without the benefits.
You’re self-employed, you generate income, you sell services or products, so you’re an entrepreneur. You have to act like one. That means making a medium- and long-term plan instead of simply trying to survive from one client to the next. It means spending several hours a week working for yourself, developing your business, rather than just working for your clients.
Invent some colleagues for yourself
What sometimes becomes overwhelming is feeling alone in the boat. Going crazy like a dog left inside too long. Go to networking events. Even in the most remote ones, you’ll meet at least one interesting person.
Go out at lunchtime to exercise. Sign up for training sessions. For your mental health, maintain regular human contact with the outside world.