Open laptop, notebook, coffee mug on desk.

Photo by Nick Morrison

I think every copywriter, designer, or developer working full-time should have a side hustle, in other words, some freelance work.

Why?

The first obvious reason is to make more money.

Secondly, to build a stronger network outside of people at your job.

Thirdly, you should learn how to manage and run your own business. Learn how to write strong estimates, create invoices, and handle the bookkeeping.

Why should you learn this? Because at some point, one way or another, you’ll likely be working full-time freelance or starting your own creative agency.

You’re Getting Older. Pay Attention to Your Birthdays

The creative business is notoriously youth-focused and no place to grow old. Many creatives got their first job in their early 20s and then moved on to other agencies or companies, making more money along the way. But a few things start to happen once you hit your mid-30s or early 40s.

You’re getting expensive. As you worked your way up the ladder, your salary jumped. You’re nicely into six figures. And that’s good, until one day, the agency loses a major client and has to shed some overhead.

All of a sudden that rich salary paints a big target on your back. The agency has a choice. They could get rid of three overworked juniors (highly profitable juniors, by the way) or you. It happens all the time, and through no fault of your own, you’re on the street.

Also, by your mid-30s, you may be in a supervisory role as Associate Creative Director (ACD) or, if you’re really good, Creative Director (CD)—top of the heap.

You’re not actually doing much of what you initially loved, be that writing, designing, or developing. You start to miss it. You’ve become a bureaucrat managing a department.

One last thing. Imagine you’re in that job but don’t have any ownership in the company. You’re not a partner, so you don’t share partner bonuses. You’re an expensive employee with nowhere else to go in the company. You’re top of the heap, remember?

Start Preparing Now While You Have the Time, Energy, and Enthusiasm

As soon as you get a full-time job, you should also be looking for some freelance work. Remember, though, your full-time gig gets priority. Don’t steal their time or slack off. Be a great employee, do outstanding work, build up a strong portfolio.

But at the same time, freelance.

Yes, you’ll be working longer hours, but it’s worth it.

“Freelance is Going Great. When Do I Jump?”

If you’re lucky and bright, you’ll find your freelance business starting to grow. You like it. It’s your baby. You’re doing interesting work, and it’s so much easier dealing with the clients directly (well, most of the time, not always).

Maybe you’re thinking of jumping to full-time freelance. How do you know when you’re ready?

First Rule For Jumping Full-Time Freelance—Money In The Bank

Take a hard look at your financials. How much does it cost you to live every month? Do you have a good grip on your cost of living? Rent or mortgage, food, transportation, clothing, entertainment, vacation, etc. Average it out. How much a month?

Before going freelance, make sure you have three to six months of expenses in the bank. Some people say six to twelve months. Pick a number you’re comfortable with. It should be money that you can easily access if you need it.

It also helps if you have a partner with a good full-time job who can cover some of the expenses.

You need to ensure you can survive if your freelancing goes quiet for a bit.

Second Rule—Have a Sustainable Business

When you start freelancing, you tend to get projects through referrals, friends, or by accident. That’s how most of us start.

But if you’re planning to make this your full-time job, you have to be sure you have an ongoing flow of projects.

That might mean you have a few freelance clients with lots of work for you (that was my situation).

Or you’ve tapped into a way to bring steady business from a variety of clients to your door.

Whichever way you choose to build your business, remember you’re counting on it for your income. Think seriously about how you’ll get ongoing work.

Third Rule—Have a Plan for Running Your Business

Think of what you’ll need to run your business full-time. Here are some starting points:

Write out a plan for how you will grow and operate your business. Force yourself to think it through.

Have a plan for managing your bookkeeping and accounting. I’ve always had an accountant from day one of freelancing. He not only did my accounting, but he also acted as a business advisor. Forever grateful to that man.

If you want to handle your bookkeeping, figure out how you’ll do that. As a full-time freelancer, you’re running a business. Either you wear all the hats or get someone to wear some of them. But don’t ignore it.

You’ll have questions about running your business. It’s helpful if you can turn to someone you trust, be it an accountant or mentor. Think about who that would be.

Work hard on building your network. Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. I think you should have a couple of freelance designers and developers who you could call to be part of your team when required. You’ll run into clients who want you to do “the full job”, say build a website. My suggestion—form a virtual agency with other freelancers on an as-needed basis.

Last Rule—Start Thinking About Your Own Business Now

Plan ahead. Don’t be forced into a decision because your company let you go. You might be working for the greatest company in the world, you may love the people you’re working for, but they’re running a business, and if that means they have to say goodbye to you, be assured they’ll do it. It’s not personal, it’s business.

So even if you don’t want to jump now, even if it’s five or ten years on the horizon, start planning now.

Time flies. Birthdays come and go. And one day, you’ll wonder, how did I get here, and where am I going?

Here are some more freelancing tips for beginners.

There’s much more about freelancing in both of my books.

Book covers of How to Start a Successful Agency and How to Become a Successful Freelancer

New Book For Freelancers

I’ve just published How to Become a Successful Creative Freelancer. It’s the essential business guide for freelance writers, designers, developers, filmmakers, and photographers.

Whether you’re just starting as a freelancer or have years of experience, you’ll learn a lot from this book.

It’s broken down into easy-to-understand chapters with strategies and tips you can use today. Not just “what to do”, but also “how to do it”.

It’s available now in Kindle ebook and paperback on Amazon.

Want to Grow An Agency? The Agency Book is For You

If you’re looking for tips on how to build and grow your agency, you’ll want to read How to Start a Successful Creative Agency.

Available at Amazon (Paper & Kindle), Kobo (ebook), Apple Books (ebook), and Gumroad (PDF).

The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.

Testimonial: Your Content Rocks

I just wanted to thank you for writing your book. I’m finding the advice in it invaluable. I’m a stay-at-home mom with a baby who runs her freelance agency from home.

I launched my agency in 2019 just before Covid struck, which was timely! I made so many of the mistakes highlighted in your book before I had your book!

Your content rocks, thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Roza Delespierre, Digital Brand Strategist, Paris

Want a Free Taste First?

Sure! Sign up in the footer below for a free PDF of Chapter 14, Working With Clients.

This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.

Questions?

If you’re on Bluesky, I’m ‪@strotebook.bsky.social. Ask me anything.

On Twitter, I’m @StroteBook. D.M.s are always open.

On LinkedIn, I’m Andy Strote. Ask away.

When Will You Be Ready to Turn Your Side Hustle Into a Full-Time Job?