Freelance writing is the best at-home business to start if you don’t have a ton of money or time to dump into it… especially now. I’ll share 7 reasons why.
1. Service provider=direct line to cash (best at-home business!)
It’s much faster to “monetize” an online service provider business than any other kind of online business. If you want to write a book, it’s going to take awhile to get any returns, and that’s not even going the traditional publishing route. Trying to make money from writing a blog will take you a minimum of nine months, and that’s swift.
When you’re a freelance writer, no single client is going to determine your success or failure. If you need to leave a client, you can. If you need to get more clients, you can. You pitch, write, and get paid pretty quickly.
2. Copywriting and content creation are extremely valuable
There are more businesses than ever before trying to figure out how to move online, especially since the pandemic. To build an online presence, they need copy. Copy and content are even more valuable now, and writers are needed to provide it.
3. Low starting costs
There’s a low barrier to entry in freelance writing. In general, you don’t need special technical knowledge, a degree, or a ton of experience. You do need to be able to communicate effectively with words, especially if you get started as a content creator.
I recommend getting started as a freelance blogger because it’s a low risk proposition for you and your clients. It’s often the kind of work that’s recurring. People don’t need just one blog post. They need ongoing blog content.
The starting costs are very low. You need to have an internet connection, which most people have anyway. You need to have a computer, and most people already have that. So, $0.
If you don’t have a computer, it’ll be really tough. It’s hard to do any kind of freelance writing from your phone. If you have a tablet with a keyboard that you can attach to it, you’ll be a bit better positioned. The keyboard really is critical.
4. Low overhead costs for the best at-home business
The costs to keep your business running are low. I bootstrapped my business. My only expense, other than professional development books, was a tiny bit of legal setup.
I paid $10 for a domain. When you do your website, you can get hosting for about $3 a month. That’s if you have a website, which you don’t have to (see Number 7 on the list). I eventually did sign up for an invoicing service, for $5 a month. But you don’t have to!
5. Most software is free
Google docs and sheets are free. Gmail is free. Facebook is free. There are free grammar checkers on the internet. So with low starting costs, low overhead costs, and free software, you can keep more of your profit/revenue in your pocket.
6. Don’t need a website to get started
You don’t have to have your own website as a beginner. You do need a portfolio, which you can set up on a free site, such as Contently. There are other free sites as well.
7. Set own hours, workload, and future
You can set your own hours, manage your own workload, and determine your own success. It’s all up to you!
You are completely self determined. Your deadlines aren’t necessarily self determined, but to some extent you can agree or not agree to a deadline. You can decide how much work you’re going to take on. You can decide when you want a day off.
That’s not to say it’s always going to be simple, painless, or carefree. There are always trade-offs. You might have to trade your Netflix binge every evening for your writing work. Or, you might need to trade a couple of hours of sleep in the morning. If you’re homeschooling and you usually roll out of bed whenever you wake up, you might have to start setting your alarm for six so that you can do your work before the kids get up.
It isn’t without sacrifice. But when it comes to being able to have this kind of control over your own future and your own success, isn’t it worth a little bit of sacrifice? I think it is, 99 times out of 1oo.
Questions about the best at-home business?
If you have questions about any of this, come join my free Facebook Group, The Ink Well Guild. Even if you don’t have questions, we are a great group of writers to hang out with online. We give each other support and celebrate our successes.
