Hands up those of you who think freelancing can never rake in as much money as a cushy corporate job?
I’m guessing there are a lot of hands in the air right now, amirite?!
Well, if you’re in the camp that thinks “yeah right, AS IF I could earn more freelancing two days a week than I could working 5 days a week in a corporate job”, I’ve got a very special treat for you today!
I want you to meet Jessica Brace, a video marketing expert who grew her side business on the weekends whilst working a corporate job during the week.
She soon realised she was earning more working on her side business on the weekends than she was working full-time at what many would consider a cushy, corporate job.
Madness, right?
I’m gonna let Jessica tell you her story! Don’t forget to let us know your reactions in the comments at the end!
What inspired you to go freelance?
The fact that I was making more money working just on the weekends than I was in my cushy 50 hour per week corporate job.
How did you manage your freelance business whilst working full-time?
At first I just did gigs on weekends. Then I kept getting more requests. So I soon turned in my notice of resignation and jumped in full time on my own business.
How did you make sure the transition from full-time employed to freelancer ran smoothly?
I had a client that I negotiated a monthly retainer with.
The income was enough to pay all of my bills and then a bit more left over in exchange for part-time consulting work.
This gave me the incentive to fill the rest of my hours seeking other new clients and to build my business.
What is your workload like now compared to before?
My first year of business was intense. We got very very busy very fast. We reached 6 figures in about 7 months time. I worked pretty much 6 days a week and very often would not sleep 2-3 nights a week.
It was very intense. I knew that I could not keep up that pace so I started to hire outsourcers to do the work for me. We were very blessed in attracting customers who were great at referring us and it really helped our business bloom.
What services do you provide and how did you settle on those?
I provided website design at first. We then expanded into graphic design for print and promotional products. I loved the design and creativity of it all.
The expansion to graphic design happened when our customers would tell us they loved their website design so much, could we please send the files to their printer so they could get matching letterhead, business cards, etc. It was a natural progression for us to sell these services as an upsell to the website design.
What tips would you give someone looking to take their freelance business full-time?
Make a plan and a strategy.
Clearly define who you want to work with and the exact qualities of your ideal client. Not all clients are equal.
We were not clear on this in the beginning and just said yes to everyone who came along.
This filled our business with a lot of “challenging” clients that we really did not enjoy working with. You get to choose who you work with and how much charge. I believe I attract an abundance of people who are willing to pay for the expertise I have taken a lifetime to build.
About Jessica: “YouTube Queen” Jessica Brace can transform your struggling internet presence into a client attracting magnet in 5 minutes or less. Combining the atomic power of video marketing, with her passion for helping you feel both comfortable and courageous in front of the camera, Jessica helps you create compelling videos that can generate more cash for your business. Best selling author of “Ready, Set, GO Make a Video: 101 YouTube Video Ideas for Your Business” Snap up a copy of Jessica’s immensely popular book while it’s still available for free. Instantly download your copy here.Your turn!
Are you growing a business on the side of working a full-time job? Let us know your experience in the comments below!
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Another great post! I am so interested in freelance work, but I’m wondering what sort of credentials might be required? I’m totally new to this whole concept so please excuse my ignorance 🙂
Thanks Caitlin! In all honesty, you don’t need any sort of qualification (I don’t have a writing degree of any kind). As long as you can string a sentence together you can start building up your portfolio and learning on the job. I’ve learnt a huge amount about copywriting, blogging, and article writing by just getting out there and doing it! Guest posting is a great way to start building your portfolio which, in my eyes, is the best tool you’ll have as a freelancer (rather than a qualification). Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions at all!
This is pretty awesome, nice to see that there are real life people making a living with freelancing =) Ok design definitly wouldn’t be my field, but I guess I will keep on trying with writing and translating^^
Yes, I love hearing about others who are successfully making it work as a freelancer! Writing and translating is a great area to go into – let me know if you have any questions!
That sounds amazing! But you definitely worked hard for it! Good for you!
Jessica’s story is great, right?!
Such a great article! I’ve been freelancing for a few years now and have been bringing in a steady supplemental income for my family. I love it!
Awesome Jennifer, that’s great news!
I definitely want to do freelance for editing and social media in the future.
I’d love to make it a full time thing because my corporate job does not seem to be reaping the benefits as much as I thought it would.
xoxo, Jenny
Hi Jenny, freelancing is a great way to do the things you love whilst still earning a good income. There are tons of companies and brands looking for social media marketers/managers, and editing is one of the most lucrative forms of freelancing, so when the time is right I don’t think you’ll have any problem landing work 🙂
So happy to find your blog! I have been interested in becoming a virtual assistant or working freelance but my background is in education. Do you have suggestions for getting started? Qualifications/courses that are needed?
Kate recently posted…Sweetology Solutions: “Baking” for Busy Moms
Hi Kate, education is a great background to have for freelancing! There are tons of new education brands and businesses popping up every day who are on the hunt for awesome VAs and freelancers.
I’d suggest taking a look at Gina Horkey’s site (horkeyhandbook.com) – she has a course for upcoming VAs and loads of information about becoming one there. In terms of getting started, I’d suggest setting up a website that advertises your services and interacting with potential clients (basically, who do you want to be a VA for? Find out where they hang out – Facebook groups, Twitter, etc – and hang out there with them!). Let me know if you have any more questions!
Nice post! Last year I quit my corporate job and started an Internet marketing firm. It’s been tough, but totally worth it! Thank you for sharing your story:)
Awesome Todd!
Great job on making more with your freelance job! Keep it up and you are sure to go far. Live unstoppable!