Week 16

To be intentional means you are purposeful in word and action. It means you live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling, you make thoughtful choices, and you actively interact and engage with your life.

You wake up every day and ask yourself “How am I going to make this day great?”

I’ve been focusing on living my life intentionally. Just four months after taking the first step to building up a side hustle, my dream is becoming a reality.

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions. On Friday at 5:08 p.m. I received an email that all of my documents to become an LLC had been filed with the state of Kentucky. My new business startup packet is in the mail. It was easy to ride this wave of excitement and check several items off of my to-do list.

Now that I’m filed, I’m officially able to operate as a business entity. I’m not ready to start soliciting clients as I still have a lot of learning and preparing to do, but here is everything I worked on this week:

• Developed a Contract template (I used Canva.com – they offer hundreds of free templates that you can use, upload your own copy and image files, and download so you can print.)
• Created a business brochure (If you visit my Services page, you’ll see an image capture of it.)
• Updated my “About Me” and “Services” page on my website
• Developed an Invoice template (Again, used Canva.com.)
• Hired a designer to create a logo for Callahan Communication (I used Fiverr.com.)

I’ve also been reading “The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From the Crowd” by Allan Dib. (Stay tuned – next week I’ll write about some things I’ve learned and how I’m building my own marketing plan.)

As many items as I’ve checked off my list, I still have many more to go. While this will be an ongoing learning and optimizing process, there are a few items I want to complete before I feel comfortable getting clients on my own (outside of Upwork).

In this upcoming week my primary focuses will be:

• Uploading work samples to my website for an online portfolio
• Ordering/printing brochures and business cards
• Purchasing Adobe design software
• Developing Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages for Callahan Communications and using Hootsuite to schedule posts and content
• Set up a Google Business Account/Google Analytics
• Keep reading 1-Page Marketing and developing my marketing plan

Don’t worry – I haven’t forgotten about my Upwork clients. I logged hours this week for my current client and am continuing to submit proposals for new job postings. My goal is still to add one additional client in the month of January, and one more before the end of Q1 (March).

On a fun side note, I also went shopping for a desk in order to set up a home office in our spare bedroom! Thanks to IKEA, I found the perfect one for my needs. Unfortunately they were out of stock – who knew setting up a desk and office space would be so exciting!

Week 15

On January 2, 2019, I filed with the state of Kentucky to become an LLC.

I’m not sure if I want to throw up, cry, pop a bottle of champagne, or hide under my bed.

I’m a business owner. I own my own company.

Talk about starting the new year off right.

Since I didn’t really know where to start, I didn’t want to pay for an attorney, and I wanted to make sure everything was done and done properly, I went through Incfile.com. Incfile helps you set up an LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp or other business through what I found to be an easy, quick process. They verify your business name availability, prepare and file the articles for your state, give you one-year free of a registered agent, provide free business tax consultation, and more. (They offer three tiers for you to choose from – each tier up provides more freebies like business contracts, emboss stamps, incorporation paperwork and more. I opted for the middle-of-the-road Gold Package.

I was able to complete all of the information, pay for and file for my LLC in less than 10 minutes. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be filed and state official in seven days.

Last week I designed business cards and a brochure. This week I reached out to some graphic designer friends to design a logo. Once the filing process is complete, I’ll be able to print everything and move forward with contacting clients on my own.

Don’t get me wrong – I still have a lot to learn. And even more to do. But one step at a time.

I’m a business owner – Callahan Communication LLC.

Week 13

I found this quote the other day and immediately wrote it on a sticky note to put up in my office:

Grind.
Embrace the fear.
Let go of perfection.
Allow yourself to fail.
Welcome the obstacles.
Forget the results.
Give yourself over to your passion with every fiber of who you are.
And live out the rest of your days trying to do better.

I read this every day, and recently have been trying to really embrace it.

My goal is to add another client to my book before the end of 2018, so in the past week or so I’ve submitted about 20 proposals. I’m looking for content, social or email strategy or production, for a variety of businesses, services and rates.

I’ve also spent some time recently reading books and articles about building a book of business, submitting proposals, and setting your rate in order to be successful. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up:

• Develop an FAQ brochure. This should be something you can post on your website or hand to someone that explains who you are, what you offer, and what your rates are. You can also share what your applicable experience is, like degrees, XX years in business, key big clients, links to your website and work, etc.
• Develop a pitch template and keep it in your email draft folder.  You always want to have a template available and ready to be customized. It’s recommended to follow the “10 before 10” rule, where you submit 10 proposals or contact 10 potential clients before 10 a.m.
• When pitching: Accurately portray your experience, be personal, be authentic, and follow directions implicitly.
• Rate: If you are writing articles or producing content, I’ve seen a starting rate of $.10 per word, up to $.30 per word. For hourly work, I’ve seen a large variety of rates ranging from $25-$500+ per hour. I’ve started at $30, have worked up to $35, and have submitted a couple of proposals for $40 per hour. It’s about finding your sweet spot for your experience, book of business, and amount of work necessary. I’m still figuring out what that sweet spot is!
• Negotiating:
  • Be confident. You are choosing the clients, and it’s a partnership.
  • Know your worth. Don’t let them negotiate you down if you don’t feel comfortable offering less.
  • It’s easier to ask for more money up front than it is to ask for a raise.
• Ask for a testimonial from current clients. You can use this on your website or freelance profile to increase your credibility.
• Develop a portfolio. Have this on your website and a link to it on the collateral you pass out, like business cards or FAQ brochure. This should be relevant and applicable work you’ve done in the past.

I know part of the business is rejection. I’m not afraid or discouraged by it. In fact, I will now more than ever embrace it. I’ll use it to work on improving my pitch, finding my rate sweet spot, and motivation for continuing work on my website an portfolio.

Building your book of business starts with one client. I’m there! Also – lucky me – I have two family members who have recently launched their own small business. What better way to build my book than go to family members who need help and I can be a part of the strategy from the beginning! Building portfolio = success. New clients = success.

I’ll leave you with this thought:

“What’s the one thing I can do this week such that by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”

Week 12 

I’ve been considering a career change.

As I’ve shared before, I started my journalism/writing career when I was in high school, and before I even graduated college I was burnt out and wanted nothing to do with it.

After college, I got into the communications/marketing world. And after three years, I’m already wondering – what’s next?

Writing, communication, and marketing is what I’ve always wanted to do. Even as young as elementary school. So as I sit and think about what’s next, I’m stuck. This career path is all I know, and I don’t know what else I would be good at or excel in. I’m the kind of person that is constantly learning and self-educating, so it wouldn’t be difficult to learn something. But I think where I need to start is WHY I want to move on:

• Feeling challenged: I enjoy making up work and projects for myself, even though I know I may or may not get the go ahead. Or if we get the ok to proceed, it might not move forward until a year from now. Because of the corporate culture and working for larger organizations, it’s challenging to get projects approved.
• Leadership/management styles: Anywhere you go, you’ll find that you get along with some people more than others. And I’m going to guess that any boss you have is going to be both similar to you, and radically different. This can present as a challenge when trying to launch new projects, or even get existing work done. It also sometimes presents communication challenges.
• Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day: I hate it. Although, who doesn’t…
• Meetings upon meetings: While I think there are reasons for meetings, I believe most meetings are a waste of time. They would be much more successful if done via email, or just by picking up the phone and talking for a few minutes. In my experience, meetings often have a lot of people on the call, many of whom do not need to be on there, therefore wasting time. Also, many people who schedule meetings don’t have an agenda, so the conversation often gets off track and goals are not accomplished, needing another meeting.
• Limited creative freedom: Any project, idea or task has to be approved. Depending on the approval process (which is sometimes unnecessary but a “formality”) it could be quite a lengthy time. Often, if the idea is too “forward thinking,” it will be put on the back burner. Or, many times there isn’t budget or other resources to execute a project.
• The corporate ladder is a long and time-consuming climb: It can take years to work your way up to higher positions and earnings. Especially if you are trying to stick with one company – you’re often stuck waiting for someone above you to vacate, or be fired, or a new position to be created. Or, if you’re moving your way up form company to company, the application/interviewing/hiring process is frustrating and time consuming. You’re taking chances that the new company isn’t any better than the last, or you co-workers stink, or you don’t even like the job. Is the increased salary worth it? There are pros and cons to both, but for me, the cons outweigh the pros.

Ultimately, I’d rather have more control over all of these factors. I want to feel challenged and be able to challenge myself, to be my own boss, to decide where and when I work, who I work with, and how much or little work I take on/money I make. I want to have the freedom to create new strategies, write new content, engage with businesses and audiences, and promote different brands in new and innovative ways.

That’s why I got into freelancing. And why I’m reading a lot about consulting, freelancing and agency work. Do I want to work for an agency? I’m not sure if that’s exactly right for me. Maybe? But as a freelancer/consultant, I get the best of both words. I build my book of clients, execute the strategy and creative, work where and when I want and set my rates to improve my salary. I decide how much, or little, work I want to take on. I determine who I want to work with. I can be free with creativity and ideas.

Maybe it will take working for an agency for a few years to really understand the platform and play the field. Maybe I can grow my consulting business on my own.

All I know is I have one and five years goals of where I want to be and I’m putting everything I have into making sure I get there.

Week 11

If you’ve followed me this far, you know the steps I’ve been taking to successfully launch my freelance side-hustle.

With the dollars deposited into my account today, I’ve officially earned my first $1,000. When I began down this twisty path 11 weeks ago, I didn’t really think about how much money I was going to earn. Sure, I had a plan and goals I wanted to meet. But I never actually thought about what it was going to feel like earning that money. Watching my side freelance account grow to over $1,000.

Yes, this is pre-tax. And no, I’m not logging my potential 15 hours for my client (typically I put in around 7-9 a week). So is there potential to earn even more? Yes! And what happens when I get another client? And another? EVEN MORE.

I’m not going to pretend to be above doing this for extra cash. Sure, I believe money can’t buy happiness, or isn’t the key to life, or whatever the sayings are. But it sure helps – especially when you have student loans, auto loans, and are just starting this thing we call “adulting.”

But now that I’ve gotten into this, it’s more than that. It’s about pushing myself. It’s about doing something I’ve always dreamed of, but been too afraid to. It’s about building confidence. It’s about falling in love with writing again.

I first started writing when I was in kindergarten. I dreamed of being an author and publishing fiction books for young adults. I started taking journalism classes in high school, and started writing for a local newspaper and publication. I majored in journalism in college, where I wrote and edited at the college paper and several different magazines, both internships and as a writer.

But by the time my senior year came around, I didn’t want to be a writer any more. I was burnt out. The thought of working for a magazine or as a content producer mentally shut me down. So I added a minor, re-focused my masters degree, and switched to social and digital communications and public relations.

I’ve been in the workforce for three years. I’ve been a community outreach coordinator, member communications coordinator, and marketing manager. And again, I’m bored. What’s next? Sitting at a desk for the next 30 years climbing the corporate ladder and constantly seeking the approval of others?

NO!

And that’s why I am where I am. Falling back in love with the power of words. Feeling exhilarated knowing I’m helping others improve their lives. Working to build my own side-hustle empire where I can choose my clients and work wherever and whenever I want.

$1,000 down, unlimited $$ to go!