Do you find yourself dreading the alarm ringing on a Monday morning? Perhaps you begrudge working late some nights when you would rather be doing something else. Working in a career that you are not passionate about or completely satisfied with can be all-consuming, especially when you feel like you have no choice but to work each day to earn a living. However, a lot of people have an ambition or a dream to work for themselves at some point in their lives but consider it too out of reach. But, what if you could take the steps to be your own boss?
While, of course, it might not be possible for you to give up the day job just yet, sometimes you can take actionable steps to make sure that this dream becomes a real possibility. Many people would love even the slightest option of this in the future for many reasons, so if you can take steps now to make it happen then why wouldn’t you? With that in mind, here are some of the ways you can do it.
What Is the Ultimate Goal?
First of all, you need to take some time to consider what the ultimate goal is when it comes to your future. Working for yourself can mean various different things. It might mean that you no longer want to work for a company, but still feel passionate about your job role. It could be that you have had an idea for a business for some time. Or you finally want to monetize a hobby that you have had under wraps for a while. Whatever the incentive is, take some to write down your goals. A great tip is to make some notes on where you plan on seeing yourself in five and ten years’ time. What does your life look like? Make sure you take the time to be detailed as this can help you put the necessary plans in place to make it your reality.
Consider Starting a Business After Hours
Maybe you have a dream to develop and sell your own product? Or perhaps you have a vision of your own boutique shop selling various different lines of products? Do you have a unique service to offer? All of these things are actionable during your spare time and could be worked on to get them into a position where they become your full-time job and career. You could start a blog if you enjoying writing? Take on different projects for work such as social media management or virtual assistant services. Putting time and dedication into something will be rewarded in the future.
What about a Career in Freelance Work?
If you have services and skills to offer such as creative writing, content creation, website development, or management, to name a few, then why not consider a career in freelance work? Of course, the pay can vary from month to month, and there many ways for improving your freelance career. There is even a dashboard for freelancers that could prove very useful. But it can often be a viable and flexible working choice for you and your family. Many people choose this option if they love the work they do, but want the flexibility of working for themselves. You will be surprised how you could manage by cutting out the middle man and working for yourself in your chosen field.
Keep on Learning
Another thing that you could consider doing would be to continue learning. It might be so that you enhance your skills and qualifications so that you can better improve your prospects. Or maybe it is to think about doing an online course while you are still working your job. This could give you the opportunity for better prospects and career options if you finally get the skills and qualifications that you need to pursue the chosen career. Or start that business once and for all. The more you learn, the more confidence you will feel in yourself and the choices you have made. What have you got to lose?
Monetize a Hobby
Maybe the answer lies in how you spend your spare time. Perhaps you have a blog that you love to keep updated. Maybe you like to bake cakes for friends or family. Whatever your hobby is, could it be monetized and turned into a small business that you can do from home? A blog, for example, could earn money through advertising and sponsorship. If you have a decent domain authority and a good readership this could work out well for you. The same can be said for social media. You might also want to look at your creative skills. If you are regularly called upon to bake a cake, make clothing, knit a jumper, etc then why not make some money from these ventures? It also helps that you are likely to feel passionate about it as well. So it won’t feel like work.
Use Your Personal Social Media to Build Up a Customer Base
If you already have a decent social media following then use this powerful marketing tool to your advantage and start to advertise what you can do. Show off things you have made or have to sell, maybe offer up some services for free for close friends and family in return for reviews and statuses on their social media pages. It can be a great way to build up a database before you have even begun.
Take Advantage of Selling Platforms with a Big Audience
Finally, there are websites like eBay and Etsy that have done all the hard work for you. These are genuine selling platforms that will enable you to reach a larger audience quicker than you may do with your own website and eCommerce shop. Using these platforms first again helps you develop a customer database before taking the plunge into full-time work and dedication.
Let’s hope these suggestions help you to work for yourself in the future.
Featured Image: Bench Accounting on Unsplash.
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