Recently I have been getting a lot of questions about starting a freelance business. It makes me so excited that people are considering starting there own little companies like I did because starting my business was the best decision I've ever made. If you've been thinking about starting your own Etsy shop, or a business similar to Exactly, then you've come to the right place.

| Set Boundaries |

When I first started my freelance web design business my only other priority was school. I would work and answer emails literally all day, all hours of the day . It nearly killed me. I realized I had to establish office hours. I built my office hours around my school schedule and had them end at 7 everyday regardless of when they started just so I could stop myself from working all night.

Part of setting boundaries is learning when to say "No". Figure out your limit. I know that I can only take on three clients a month or else I get too overwhelmed. Learn when it gets to be too much and don't be afraid to schedule a client for a later month if they can do it.

| Create a Website |

This piece of advice is mostly for you Etsy shop owners. Having a dedicated website to your business can make the world of difference when people search for you online. Even if you use Etsy for the e-Commerce portion of your business, make sure you set up a website talking about your mission, your products, or any other services you offer. Having a site will immensely increase web traffic to your products.

Stemming off of this: make sure your website is designed well. This is the web designer in me talking, but I know that if I don't visually like a shops website, or it's not very user friendly, I won't buy anything or even continue to look for something that could be useful.

Good content can be masked by poor design or website structure. Either hire a web designer (possibly me) or use a site lie Squarespace that makes designing a site super easy!

| Be Confident |

Confidence is key to obtaining and maintaining a strong clientele base. If people can tell that you're unsure of yourself or unconfident then they won't feel comfortable, or confident enough in you, to pay for your services or products.

Along with confident you should also be honest. Be honest with your client if you truly feel like you aren't skilled enough to provide the services they're looking for, or if you think your products are not right for them. You're more likely to be referred to other people if you don't make your current clients feel like you're lying to them just to get their money.

Have you started a freelance business? What are your tips?

xoxo

AME

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