Ready for some tea? Learn exactly how much I spent to start a freelance business. You do not have to take the same route I did. I wanted to share my experiences to show you different options you can take to succeed.
Season 1 Episode 8
I have added affiliate links to this post. If you purchase anything through these links I may receive a small earning (at no extra cost to you).
The Essentials Of Starting A Freelance Business
When I first started to learn about freelancing I knew nothing. I didn’t even really understand what a freelancer was. The things I wanted to learn were:
- How to legally protect me and my business
- How to bill clients
- How to track finances and make sure I was on top of taxes
- How to write well enough to get paid
- Which areas of freelancing were the most lucrative
- How to market my business
I mean the list could go on forever, I felt new to this whole world. The only thing I knew for certain was that I am serious about these opportunities and I wanted to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible.
Free Resources Are Your Best Friend
When you are first starting to learn about freelancing you should lean into free resources as much as possible. Youtube is your best friend. Some of my favourite channels include:
Freelancing is the wild west. There are no rules, only guidelines. You need to find mentors and freelancers with professional styles that match your energy.
Investments To Start My Freelance Business
I wanted to level up my knowledge by working with the best.
Freelance Writing Course for Dietitians
I discovered Ana Reisdorf’s Freelance Writing for the RD early in my career. It was my first investment into my freelance career and it boosted my writing confidence.
I am an affiliate of her program and I will share the link here. If you have questions about her course send me a message. I think it is best suited to anyone serious about freelancing writing.
Ana was a guest on the Freelance Dietitian Podcast. You can listen to her episode here.
My First Business Coach
If you listen carefully to other RDS in business who are pulling in six figures or multiple six figures they all openly say they have a business coach. It clicked for me that if I wanted to achieve greatness I would need some help.
I had been following Krista Ko’s entrepreneur journey on Instagram, and I wanted to work with her. She founded the Dietitian Success Center and is an amazing human. During our time together I learned a lot about brand curation and developing a resilient business mindset.
My First Freelance Coach
I found Colleen Welsch on Tik Tok, and I instantly fell in love with her freelance business philosophies. She is the founder of Freelance Writer’s Guide and writes in the beauty industry. Colleen works twenty hours a month on her freelance business and she pulls in over seventy grand. Amazing!
Colleen was living my dream life and I wanted my business to be as successful as hers. Working with her was the largest investment in my freelance business (I share the dollar amounts in the episode) and she was worth every penny.
Honeybook
The biggest ongoing expense in my business is Honeybook. It is a business management platform that helps me do everything in one spot. I can:
- Send contracts
- Sign contracts
- Schedule calls
- Bill clients
- Receive payments
- Keep track of financials
If you are a one-person show I strongly recommend investing in Honeybook. It can feel costly upfront, but I do have an affiliate link that can lighten the cost for your first year.
The Takeaway For Starting A Freelance Business
When you’re first starting a freelance business you do not need to spend big bucks to be successful.
I highly recommend working with a coach because it will help you reach your goals faster. Do your homework and research the coaches you’re considering working with. You want to make sure you’re going to be a great fit together.
If you want to hear the cost breakdown of these investments hit play on the episode below!
You can catch up on last week’s episode here: How to manage anxiety, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. Ft. Keith Jim, RSW.