management to public relations . I also took on part-time jobs for two things that have always been close to my heart : health and education . I finally understood what other entrepreneurs meant when they said running a business doesn ’ t mean less work or fewer hours , it just means you like the work that fills your day .
I advise budding entrepreneurs do it all their first year . If I hadn ’ t done so much , I wouldn ’ t have gained the vision for my business as it exists today nor would I be confident in my idea of work-life balance .
FIND THE INTERSECTION OF PASSION AND EXPERTISE I ’ m a writer . I have always had an innate talent for it . I ’ m happiest when doing it . And , in doing so many things my first year of entrepreneurship I learned that writing was at the core of it all . So , I decided to make writing the core service of my company . This confused so many people . Everyone wanted to know the type of writing that I did : creative , journalism , fiction , poetry , technical ? The truth is , I can do it all . I have a professional background in academic , journalistic , technical and creative writing . And , when you pair my background with my passion for writing , the industries and markets I can serve are limitless . It is the beauty of being a creative .
Often , creatives struggle with placing value on the intangibility of what we do and as a result we settle . I had to find the inner confidence to challenge those who tried to box me in to a style or even make my business into a fullservice agency . When you discover the intersection of your gift and experience , run with it . You may have to develop unique pricing structures , track case studies , and consider free trial periods to showcase your work . But , the feeling you will get from doing what you love will be worth it .
SAVE YOUR MONEY I feel like this piece of advice is often shared with those considering entrepreneurship , but not with the level of detail needed . For me , this statement applies in two ways : 1 .) The amount of money to save prior to quitting a full-time job and 2 .) The amount that your overall cost of living should meet during your introductory years of entrepreneurship .
When I resigned from my last job , I did not leave my company fully . I opted into a two-month freelance contract with them to aid in transitioning my role to the person who was replacing me . The freelance option could be considered a smart one , as it gave me control over my time and physical location . But , the timeline restrictions on my freelance contract were not a smart one . In retrospect , understanding how business contract works a little better now , I should have changed the timeline of my freelance contract to include verbiage
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