I jumped off the cliff. After a two week dash, I looked down from the cliff of life and jumped. But the key is, I had a game plan. Our game plan. I looked over our finances and figured out how much my husband's income would cover. Then I filled in the rest with a little out of savings. Not the smartest idea some would say and to a point, I agree. But when you just go through life 'existing', knowing this isn't what you're supposed to be doing, it will wear on you. You get cranky, some days you get pissed. At one point in life everyone has to jump and pursue the true meaning of themselves. And in doing that, you are also chasing your sanity. Such is the state of my life now, starting my own freelance writing business.
The Game Plan.
As I said, not only did I have "our" game plan ready for our finances, I also had "my" game plan ready to fight the fear that inevitably would bubble up inside me. My key components to starting out in this freelance writing business are; set goals, pitch, pitch, pitch, and hire a business coach.
Set Goals.
I have always heard a goal is a dream with a date on it. Goals keep you motivated (for the most part) and goals keep you focused. You can track them, add to them (if said goal is too small) and take away from them(if said goal is too big). Make sure they are measurable. Make sure you can track their progress. They are wonderful things.
Pitch, pitch, pitch.
Pitching is key in this business. If you want to eat, you gotta pitch. If you want to pay the bills, you gotta pitch. It is crucial and in the beginning may seem very overwhelming. A general rule of thumb for pitching in this business is ten pitches a day for five days. So, fifty in a week. Since I am in the early stages of kicking this business into high gear, my current goal is two pitches a day. It seems very small but I know it can only grow from here.
Hire A Business Coach
This is one of the absolute best decisions I have ever made. If you don't want to feel like you're fumbling in the dark, hire a business coach. Knowing you have someone by your side who can guide you and keep you from making costly mistakes is invaluable. It has increased my confidence tenfold. And who knows, you may even wind up with a really cool friendship outside of your coach/client relationship as well.
So if you're new to this business, this is my plan for punching fear in the face. I have no worries, I've got this.