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I’ve been a graphic designer since 2006. Your business deserves amazing branding no matter what phase you’re in and I’m here to help!
When you’re trying to follow a career path that you love, it can be tough. You may doubt yourself along the way, and you may wonder if you’re even cut out for it at all. Or, you may even find that you’re just not happy. And that’s so understandable. Because not everyone is happy in their careers. This can often stem from not really being sure of what it is that you actually want to do when you’re a child. or teenager. If you’re someone that kind of left school and then went into a ‘good job’ that you know your parents wanted you to get or that your friends were going to do, then you may not be following your passion. And while passion doesn’t always pay the bills, it is important to be happy in your career. Because you’re a long time working.
For a lot of people, the dream has always been to work for themselves. Maybe you want to start your own company or be a freelancer? Or maybe you’ve just always wanted to be your own boss and enjoy the freedom that comes with setting your own hours and doing your own thing? Then what are you waiting for? Maybe now is the time that you change careers and get on track by doing your own thing? If you’ve always been afraid of failing and that’s stopped you from going ahead, don’t panic, because here are ten things that can help you to make it when you go solo.
The first thing that you will need to do is to make sure that you’re doing some research. Because when you want to go into business for yourself, you need to know what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. So do some research into the business field that you want to go into, who your target audience will be, and what you need to do to get your business off the ground.
And then, you absolutely have to just start. Because there’s only ever so much research that you can do. If you’re not really sure on how to do this, these tips from The Muse are so important. Because you really do need to just get going. You’ll want to think about how you can start working on your business idea, building a website, and generating interest just right off the bat.
If you know that you’re doubting yourself, or that fear or your confidence levels are holding you back, you need to work on that too. Because if you want to be a success, you absolutely have to overcome imposter syndrome to do that. You can’t worry that you’re not good enough. Or chase perfection. You just need to believe that you can do it.
So just do it. But do it on the side first. As you’re still working in your job and on the career that you already have, you’re going to want to start things on the side. So have a go at getting your site together, start doing some work, build your product or sell your service. Spend any spare time you have working on the business to see how it gets going.
But you also have to make sure that you’re really marketing yourself. And get serious about it. Think about how you can come up with a marketing strategy that’s going to get you the traction you need. You may even want to turn to experts, like Marbury Creative Group, to help you here. Because you will want to work on your specialist areas of marketing with those that know it best.
And when it comes to actually making this work out for you, you have to be authentic. There’s just no two ways about it. If you’re trying to copy someone else, you won’t win. You need to double down on who you are, where your strengths lie and really play to that.
Then, when it comes to the marketing and activity and business that you’re doing, you need to go all in. You do to as much as you can as often as you can. Stay consistent with your marketing and social media posts and really try to ask for as many sales as you can get and you will find it works for you.
It’s also going to be a huge help for you if you can network. Networking is a HUGE part of working for yourself. So constantly look to be making connections. See what you can do to try and make friends with people in your industry, go to events, and just try to be as present as possible in the industry. This is not only a great way of getting known (and landing great PR), but it can also help you to generate more business too.
And as much as you may find this hard at first, you just have to put yourself out there. You really do. Because when you start your own business and when you’re doing your own thing, you absolutely have to make sure that you are selling yourself. You need to put your skills and your business out in the world and ASK for the business and the sales. If you can’t believe in yourself and what you’re doing, why will anyone else?
But then, before you decide to do this and to go full time with your freelancing or business, think about getting a financial safety net together. Because if you’re worried about how you will pay the bills while you’re trying to bridge the gap with your money, The Balance has some great tips on how to get some money together. That way, you won’t have to worry that you can’t pay your rent when you’re doing things alone.
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