5 Key Steps to Transition into Self-Employment as a Freelancer

Finding yourself stuck in a dreary corporate job can be an agonizing experience. The tedium of staring at endless spreadsheets and counting down the hours until the workday ends can quickly drain one's passion for their career. This is the situation I found myself in while working in corporate finance, prompting me to seek out a change that would provide me with more excitement and fulfillment.

After much searching and hard work, I finally achieved my goal of becoming a successful and self-sufficient freelancer in November 2018. I was able to leave behind my part-time job in the hospitality industry and stop endlessly scrolling through online job postings. With my finances in a stable place, I was finally able to breathe easy.

I can honestly say that I have never been happier, more productive, or more fulfilled in my career. However, the journey from my soul-sucking corporate job to my current status as a freelancer was not an easy one.

If you're considering making the leap to self-employment, there are several key steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition. In this article, I'll share the five critical moves I made to get where I am today.

According to the words of Don Clifton, a well-known expert on positive psychology, personal development is about recognizing and building on one's innate strengths. I too have come to appreciate the value of self-awareness in my own online career, which was made possible not only by the unwavering support of my husband but also by my commitment to self-discovery.

By cultivating a deep understanding of myself, I was able to overcome many of the obstacles that had previously held me back, including procrastination and perfectionism. This newfound sense of self-awareness allowed me to confidently embrace challenges that I might have once considered too difficult to tackle as a self-employed professional.

The ability to truly know oneself is a superpower, especially for those who work for themselves. Through self-discovery, you can gain insight into your:

Strengths

Weaknesses

Natural tendencies

Preferred ways of operating

By understanding these aspects of yourself, you can gain a deeper appreciation for who you are and how you work best. This, in turn, can empower you to pursue a career that aligns with your unique talents and passions.

Before we dive into some of the more business-related strategies, I want to share my top five methods for gaining greater self-awareness. These techniques have proven invaluable in my own journey, and I believe they can help you uncover your path to self-employment as well.

To transition from a corporate finance job to being a successful freelancer requires a series of steps beyond just self-awareness and curiosity. The process involves developing strategies and systems that work for you, making mistakes, learning, and implementing what you learn. In this article, we will share some of the specific actions we took to transition to freelancing, reduce the time it takes to establish yourself, and bypass common challenges. Before we dive into business-related strategies, we recommend that you take time to know yourself better. Self-awareness is a crucial skill for the self-employed. It helps you identify your strengths, weaknesses, natural tendencies, and best ways to use your energy and expertise. By understanding who you are, you will gain insight into how you like to operate and take on the challenges that come with being self-employed. Here are some of our favorite ways to learn more about yourself:

1. Take Kathy Kolbe's Kolbe A Index to identify your conative strengths.

2. Martin Seligman's VIA Strengths Survey helps you identify your 24 character strengths.

3. Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Quiz is incredibly helpful for habit development.

4. Sally Hogshead's Fascination Advantage measures how others perceive you and how you can use your most powerful traits to make a better first impression.

5. Perry Marshalls' Marketing DNA Test assesses your natural persuasion and communication style.

In addition to self-awareness, we found that self-directed learning was a critical component of our success. The concept of "just in time" learning enabled us to focus on one thing we wanted to improve and implement the lessons as we learned them. By focusing our studies and turning what we learned into sellable skills, we were able to achieve our goals and change our results. So, if you're interested in becoming self-employed, take the time to know yourself and adopt the concept of "just in time" learning to achieve success.

Learn to Build Authentic Relationships with Mentors and Turn Them into Paying Clients

If you’re looking to build meaningful relationships with mentors and potentially transform them into paying clients, there are several steps you can take.

First, sign up for your mentors’ email lists and read their blogs to learn more about them and stay informed about their work. You can also use Twitter as a less crowded platform for networking, as opposed to Facebook or Instagram. Additionally, investing in their courses and eagerly learning from them is an excellent way to gain knowledge and understanding of what they do. By developing your skills and paying attention, you'll be better equipped to offer value to them in the future.

While these steps may seem simple, they do require time and effort. Many people search for quick fixes and shortcuts, but taking the long-term approach has consistently yielded better results.

The digital world offers effortless ways to connect with individuals you don’t know, but want to. As long as you’re consistent, genuine, and not expecting anything in return, there are limitless opportunities to build authentic relationships.

One of the best ways to market yourself as a solo business operator is through guest blogging. As someone who struggled to grasp marketing when starting out, guest blogging was a game-changer for me. It provided an alternative way to sell and market myself, without relying on traditional “in your face” sales tactics that didn't suit my personality.

If you're an introvert who prefers written communication, content marketing can be a huge "aha" moment. Guest blogging, in particular, can be an effective way to showcase your writing skills and reach a new audience. By coupling this strategy with smart email marketing, you can achieve even better results.

Remember that using a marketing strategy that suits your strengths and fulfills you creatively will always produce better results. Rather than forcing yourself to do something you think you should do, focus on what you enjoy and are good at. This will help you push past fear and procrastination, and ultimately achieve the results you desire.

For example, guest blogging was the strategy that worked for me, and it led to writing for Brian on Further, which later resulted in working with him on Unemployable, and even getting hired at Copyblogger. So, be patient and keep an open mind, and you never know where your journey may take you.

Personal Kanban - A Game-Changing Self-Management System for Freelancers

Almost every freelancer struggles with self-management, but it's a skill that can be honed with practice. And when you find a system that works, it can revolutionize your work style. In my quest for productivity-enhancing superpowers, I realized that I needed a visual and tactile reminder of my most important tasks to keep me on track. That's when I discovered Personal Kanban, which not only meets these requirements but also allows me to focus solely on the work, rather than the organization of the work.

If you're looking to increase your productivity and take control of your schedule, you might want to try out Personal Kanban. It's a self-management strategy that I use to manage my projects and tasks, making progress and achieving results significantly easier.

As a freelancer or anyone with a busy schedule, your self-management strategy is critical to your success. So, invest your time in developing a system that works for you. To learn more about Personal Kanban and my experience with it, check out my detailed write-up on the subject.

Building a Support System - A Vital Component of Self-Employment Success

Every challenging journey has its share of obstacles, and self-employment is no exception. During such times, having a robust support system in place becomes crucial to navigate the challenges and stay motivated. A fully-rounded support network can make all the difference.

So, consider getting yourself a mentor, a coach, joining a community, and finding a "business buddy" to bounce ideas off and brainstorm with. Surrounding yourself with action-takers is crucial since observing others taking action can be a powerful motivator.

Remember that the road to self-employment success is long, and rushing it won't serve you well. I spent four years in total before I achieved my goal of becoming gainfully self-employed, and it was worth every moment. The path forward to self-employment becomes clearer when you develop a keener sense of self-awareness. So, take the time to know yourself better, your work preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. With this knowledge, you can build a fulfilling career that brings you joy, growth, and satisfaction.