Freelancing and running a successful business are two very different things - but in the "gig economy" the lines are becoming blurred...

In my early twenties I took up freelance writing to make some extra cash while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.

(Looking back now I think I largely did this for the romance of being a paid writer - and therefore a "real" writer - rather than another 20-year-old with an unhealthy obsession with her wordpress blog.)

Before that, when I was 14 years old, I started tutoring other high school students for $20 an hour to help kids a bit younger than me improve their report cards from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.

And it was all a great learning experience - from a young age I knew I could make cash by working directly with a customer - and that's a great lesson to learn.

BUT - When I look back I'm like...that was a lot of heavy lifting for not very much money.

Providing people and businesses with a lot of value for not much money is the fate of the freelancer. Why? Because your value is tied directly to the work you personally do.

That means, no scalability. That means, you're unable to play to your strengths because you have to do everything. That means, time-based value instead of value-based value.

So - if you want to escape your day job because you want more freedom, autonomy, flexibility, fulfilment or you want the "laptop lifestyle" of the "digital nomad" (you know, the people who have an unhealthy obsession with their instagram page) don't let FOMO get in the way of your long-term success.

If you want to live life your way, start a remote consulting business - all the benefits without the scalability problem.

By spending a couple of months planning out your business you'll avoid a lot of the mistakes that the "giggers" are making right now. Because at the end of the day, freelancing won't get you the purpose, freedom or wealth that running a business will.

And the two big things you need to plan for? Well it really boils down to this:

1. Automation - Put simply - what needs to be done in your business - for your customers, your BAU, your admin - that can be run automatically without people?
2. Repeatability - What can you outsource and how can you make your process reliably repeatable to deliver great value over and over and over again without taking up big chunks of your time?

To grow a successful business and escape your day job tomorrow - you need to start planning today.

Right now, think:

1. What problem do I really care about solving?
2. What market/s need this problem solved?
3. What's the step-by-step solution to solve this problem?

If you're looking to escape your day job to attain financial freedom by pursuing your passion - I can help. I learnt this the hard way - but you don't have to.

If you'd like to speak with me one-on-one about your goals, your roadblocks and your path to business success - just click the button below or give me a call.

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