Characteristics of a Successful Freelance Writing Business Owner

Freelance writing businesses fail. Take any dozen freelance writers starting out their first year of business and line them up. Half of them won’t make it through their second year of business. Half of those remaining won’t make it to year five.

It isn’t that the folks that fail aren’t talented. Many of them are amazing writers. But it takes more than the ability to string words together in a pleasing way to stay in business. It takes things like desire, tenacity and business sense.

In short, it takes something special to succeed. While the details can differ from one case to the next, over and over again there are common characteristics you’ll find among successful freelance writing business owners:

A successful freelance writing business owner is motivated by personal and family concerns.

Many folks start out as freelance writers because they want the flexibility that running a small business affords. This, in part, explains the proliferation of work-at-home moms in the business.  The other side to this is a desire to work for yourself, to not be beholden to a corporation or to a boss.

This isn’t to say that someone motivated by other things won’t be successful as a freelancer, but it’s these personal issues that tend to make the difference, rather than a desire for profits.

A successful freelance writing business owner is dedicated to the business.

To make this whole thing work, you kind of need to eat, sleep and breathe freelance writing. Yes, you have the kind of flexibility you need or want. But to be successful in the long run, you’re probably going to work more hours in a given week than an employee somewhere else. Yes, you should do what you can do work smarter and not harder, but growth and success take elbow grease.

A successful freelance writing business owner plans.

I’ve harped on this before, but it’s worth repeating: you need to have a business plan if you’re going to be successful. You need to know where you’re going, and how to get there. Your business plan will change as time goes on, but if you don’t have one at all you’ll find yourself flailing around in the ocean, tossed about by every wind that comes along.

A successful freelance writing business owner reacts quickly to change.

You need to be able to think on your feet. Change, whether it’s the loss of a client or a new trend in web writing, affects the small business much quicker than it affects larger business. You need to react quickly to make the best of new opportunities and to guard against threats to your business.

A successful freelance writing business owner projects confidence and competence.

I had an experience just yesterday that illustrates this point. My wife and I visited a local dining establishment for lunch. I ordered the Tuna Melt, which is typically a toasted tuna salad sandwich on rye with a slice of cheese (melted, of course). When the server brought the sandwich, I saw it was missing the cheese. When I asked the server whether the sandwich should have had cheese, she wasn’t sure. Minutes later, she brought out a small plate with a single slice of cheese on it. She explained that the cook (who was also the owner) forgot the cheese, but here it was if I wanted it.

Now, this wasn’t a major setback for me, but I can tell you this: the server didn’t know the menu. The owner didn’t know how to make a common, basic sandwich. The server had no clue what kinds of food she was selling. I’m not especially confident in this business. I think the odds of getting the wrong order again are pretty high, unless I order the daily special. I won’t be back.

A successful freelance writing business owner sticks to it.

In many cases, lasting those first few years as a small business are just about tenacity. Being dedicated enough to do the job and do it well, and having enough financial security to handle those famous “famine” portions of the “feast or famine cycle” is essential.

The good news, which I can tell you from personal experience, is that as time goes on there is a lot more feasting and a lot less famine. As you build up a solid client base, you get to the point where your freelance writing business is relatively safe and there’s enough work to keep the doors open.