Fed up with the 9 to 5 job? Thinking about jumping into freelancing? Zen exists, but so do pitfalls. The road comes with bumps. Stepping one toe into the pool at a time is an easier transition to finding your Zen of becoming a freelancer.

Take for instance the example of Kelly James-Enger, who discusses her road to freelance writing in her book “Ready, Aim, Specialize!” She was a lawyer who decided to quit her day job and start querying magazines to write. Work came slowly and she eventually realized she needed to specialize in a niche to have success. So is the work of any writer. You don’t have to worry so much with specializing to start, but finding the one thing that you enjoy and do well is essential.

Learn

If you are not where you want to be, take classes and coaching to get there. James Chartrand of Men with Pens talks about this. She mentions her hard road from writing with content mills for low pay. She took classes and received coaching to get where she is now. If you have always wanted to create websites, but feel your skills are not up to par, take a class. Many local classes have computers and equipment that you can get experience while learning how to create a stunning website. You can even learn online.

If you enjoy speaking and coaching, take classes and sign up with a local toastmasters group. Arielle Ford did this when she started out. In fact, she may still speak at Toastmasters groups to warm up her speeches and refine what she wants to say at events. You can join Toastmasters free. Just get out there and do it a little bit at a time.

Set Up

Setting up your business takes a few minutes with today’s technology. You can choose to hire someone to set up your website or do it yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy right now. You can tweak it over time. The trick is to do it. Look at Tony Robbins, he started with an idea and has grown a multi-million dollar business today with plenty of avenues to monetize his knowledge.

Find Clients

Ask friends and acquaintances for business referrals first. You will find that many people want involvement in what you are doing. They will naturally drop your name to others in conversation and lead people to you. Create a signature file with your website and elevator pitch or tagline listed. More people learn about what you are doing. They will produce leads for you. If the going is slow, try joining the local Chamber of Commerce and speaking at events. Sometimes they have speed business events (like speed dating) where you switch tables and talk about your business with the other people in a few minutes.

Work Part-Time

On the road to having Zen in becoming a freelancer, working part time is necessary before building up a list of clients. Dave Navarro, the launch coach, worked part time during his breaks by responding to phone calls. He met with clients during evenings or weekends to start. Now he has several products and launched authors like Jennifer Louden and Andrea Lee. Doing work in the evenings and on the weekends can often be easier to start. You can set up thirty-minute calls for coaching sessions. When people want what you have to offer, they will adapt their schedule around yours to work with you.

Total Immersion

Once you build a client list, ask for referrals. Networking and word-of-mouth are the best ways to build a client base and steady business. Ask for testimonials from your clients. Put these on your website because they speak volumes to potential clients. If you find you are receiving more work than you can handle, your Zen of becoming a freelancer is almost here. Start asking your boss to cut back hours for you at your 9 to 5 job. See if you can start working from home or going part time for your day job. As you gain more clients for your business, you can start easing out of your regular job.

Once you have eased out of the 9 to 5 job and into freelancing, you will have busy days and slow ones. Zen comes from being your own boss. Realizing that you have a business and people come to you for help is thrilling. Make the most of it and remember to enjoy time to yourself and family during these times.

What do you consider Zen in becoming a freelancer? Do you throw yourself amid work or have a plan? Share your thoughts in the comments section for Freelance Weekly.

photo credit: craiglea123