Why do you want to be a freelancer?

February 21, 2008

How you answer this question will help you answer many other questions—from which business you’ll ultimately choose to how you’ll market your services and even to what you’ll tell people when they ask you, “what do you do?”

Your “why” to this question will also influence how long you’ll persist when times are rough and how many difficult situations you’ll put up with.

So, what’s your motivation for starting a freelance business? Is it to…

- take care of kids or other family at home?
- do something you’re passionate about which you currently aren’t doing?
- fulfill a life long dream of starting your own buisness?
- get paid to do what you’re best suited for?
- earn more than you currently earn?
- supplement your current income?

Or maybe a combination of the above? It doesn’t matter as long as your reasons are clear. Having a clear reason to start and succeed as a freelancer will make you more likely to achieve your goals than someone who simply chooses a business opportunity on a whim because they “want to see what happens.”

Your answer to this question will also serve as a guiding principle that you can refer to again and again when you think your startup is going nowhere.

Based on personal experience, the annoyances and setbacks that come at first can seem overwhelming. But, keeping your eyes on your future goals can help you get past large and minor problems that can derail your dreams.

Tags: freelancing, freelance business, freelance startup