How I Started My Freelance Marketing Business

It still seems a little surreal to say that I am a business owner.

As I wrap up my first year in this role, I am floored by the progress I’ve been able to make. I mean, people – I built something from nothing! And with a very limited budget, too, I might add.

Did you know 20% of small businesses fail in the first year? Yikes!

When I started out, I had concerns in the back of my head that maybe this wasn’t right for me or that I wouldn’t be able to stick with it…

… could I trust myself to be home every day with no one looking over my shoulder?

… would I get bored working on the same clients’ writing every day?

Surprisingly, the opposite is true.

In fact, the success I’ve experienced has opened up this thirst to do more, and I find myself encouraged and motivated in new ways. This new independence and reliance on myself fill my cup with a daily dose of adventure.

If you’re like I was and contemplating a freelance marketing business (or any small business), then read this blog to learn how I went from a decades-long corporate marketing career to a successful freelance writer and marketing consultant in less than one year!

Networking

When I was considering the idea of becoming a business owner, the first thing I did was reach out to some of my peers who had traveled similar paths. We caught up over lunch and coffee.

I asked a ton of questions, like

· What kinds of clients are the best clients to have?

· Where did you find your clients?

· How much do you charge?

· How do you stay motivated?

Those I visited with gave me things to consider and some fantastic advice. But, best of all, they all offered me encouragement to stop questioning myself and to just leap.

Planning

After the peer conversations, different ideas began to spark inside my head. It was clear to me that this wasn’t just another one of my crazy ideas that were going to die in time, so I began to chase it.

I started by planning

· What services to offer

· How much to charge

· How to brand

· How to find clients

· What type of clients to seek

· What legal and financial resources were needed

Then, I went to work building my website, ordering business cards, creating flyers, and bringing it all to life.

The Announcement

The day I was set to announce my new adventure on Facebook and LinkedIn, I was nervous. Of course, I didn’t think I would be confronted by negativity, but I also didn’t know how excited people would be for me. Would they think I was just completely losing my mind? But to my pleasant surprise, many were excited for me.

After my announcement, a handful of my connections reached out for marketing support. A few of them were small business owners that I knew personally, and I couldn’t have been more excited to support them in growing their businesses.

Filling the Calendar

Unfortunately, a handful of small business clients were not going to keep me afloat, so I had to find a way to fill up the calendar with other work as well. If you know me, then you know that I’m not a salesy person, and I can be extremely humble about my work. So, I did not want to reach out to people and cold sell my services.

I turned to the LinkedIn job board and found a few fantastic freelance opportunities with different marketing agencies. These relationships have been great for me and have helped to provide me with a solid source of steady income so I can feel comfortable taking on one-off opportunities here and there as they come to me.

And thankfully, they have continued to come my way! Today I am working with a wide variety of clients connected to people I have worked with in the past. I am so grateful to all of those connections for reaching out and putting their trust in me to provide them with the best marketing support I can.

What Comes Next?

With Year 1 almost in the books for Springbrooke Marketing, I’m working to solidify some plans for what comes next. Blogging more in 2023 is definitely on my list! (I really let that fall off the radar – whoops!) I also hope to continue to help the clients I have grow their businesses in new ways by bringing creativity and amazing content to the party.

Thank you to everyone who supported Springbrooke Marketing in my first year of business! Watch for more to come in the next year!