My freelance writing business isn’t the first business I’ve been involved in. It is, however, the longest-lasting and most successful to date. It’s also very different from my other business ventures.
Now, I don’t want you to think I’m one of those guys who starts up a new business every couple of years because he’s got a new angle or because he got bored of what he was doing. I know guys like that, and while I appreciate what they’re doing, that’s just not me.
Rather than tell you about the other business ventures I’ve been involved in, however, I want to talk today about how those businesses were substantially different from the freelance writing business. I think understanding these differences is a key part of being a success in the freelance writing business.
So, here are some ways that freelance writing breaks business paradigms:
- Most small businesses start local and then go global. Freelance writing businesses do it backwards. My first clients were folks who didn’t live in my state. Some of my biggest clients have been from other countries. While most small businesses start out locally and then try to figure out how to expand, I started with a global market and have made a concerted effort to find local business after the fact.
- Most small businesses grow from a hobby. Now, to be sure, some folks start out blogging for fun, realize they really enjoy it, and then find a way to monetize it or blog for others. However, it’s not likely that you sit around and rewrite web copy to make it more powerful just for fun. No, this is a small business that tends to grow out of necessity rather than mere interest. That said, there are fewer more interesting businesses I can think of.
- Most small businesses aren’t as home-based. Even if your business is a service-related business, chances are you need to go somewhere to perform that service. While there are home-based businesses out there, they require some degree or another of outside interaction, even if it’s just taking your packaged crafts to the post office to ship them to your customers or buying supplies. With a freelance writing business, it is quite possible that you will never have to leave the house for any business reason.
So, what do you think? What else sets freelance writing businesses apart from other businesses?
