If You Want To Own Your Time, You Need To Start Making Money Online
It’s much easier when you’ve got a plan.
I’m in between jobs.
But to be honest, I’m not looking for a job right now as I’m still studying. The money I earn comes from online writing.
The people around me have regular jobs and are spending hours working for someone else to earn their money. That made me realize that I don’t want that — I want to make and earn my own money.
It’ll only take a job that I really like, and I would never settle for less in my career.
Here’s why.
Don’t fall for the ‘get rich quick’ scams
When I first started trying to make money online, I was around 15 years old, and you might imagine that you come around the ‘get rich quick’ ads on the internet.
It takes you a while to realize that those techniques aren’t going to work.
There aren’t things such as free apps to make money by clicking on ads or downloading games.
The money is out there for everyone; you just need to know how to reach it.
Skip the shortcuts.
Build on your current job, then leave
Not all of us have the opportunity to start our own business right away because of various reasons.
One of them is having a job already because you need the money.
I understand you can’t just quit and start your own thing if you only have one income stream. The solution is in that sentence: create multiple income streams.
Also, build a backup in terms of savings and investment for tougher times; you might need it in months when you don’t have tons of customers or revenue.
If you do, you’re no longer dependent on that one job.
Imagine building new income streams on the side, and then being able to do that full-time.
That’s the moment you’re able to leave your daily job and go full-time solo.
Create a backup plan
The moment you go solo, it’s just you. No boss to guarantee your income.
Your income may plummet. Protect yourself from losing your income streams all at once.
Assuming you have plenty of experience in your past job, you can keep up with your skills and make a backup plan in case things go downhill.
Maybe you need to get back to working for a boss or need to do gigs you don’t like.
The most important thing about this is that you’ll need a plan.
Once you have one and things turn around, you can deal with it.
Know your own value, and stop saying yes to everything
When you’re getting started, you tend to accept any offer you get. To gain experience and to build a portfolio, sure that’s fine.
But there will be a day you need to stop doing that.
Not every offer is worth it, financially or for you, personally.
It’s tough for most people to turn down offers if they can earn some money with them. I used to be like that. Now I pick my jobs very carefully.
If I’m not feeling good about it, or really want to do it. I don’t do it.
Money isn’t everything. Time and freedom are.
Build a great network
Don’t depend on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Medium. Followers don’t mean a thing.
Make sure to collect people and their e-mail addresses.
Since the start of this year, I’ve got an e-mail where you can sign up for it. If platforms decide to kick you out, you’re still having a way to communicate to your audience.
Building a network isn’t just knowing people that you can use for your own career but also creating relationships with the people that follow you.
Try to interact with them and make sure they know you appreciate them.
Take your time
Don’t rush it. I tend to rush into things a lot, and it doesn’t help me.
I’ve been into content creation for a little over 1.5 years now, and I’m seeing improvement.
Furthermore, I feel much more confident writing and creating — that’s something you need to give time to. If you expect something spectacular to happen within a month, you’re setting the wrong expectations.
Sure, people can go viral within a week, but that usually makes them lazy and drop out eventually.
Consistency always beats quick virality.
Bottom line
I’d recommend you take these pieces of advice above into consideration before starting your own business or becoming a solopreneur.
It’s not easy, and it will not be for a long time.
But putting a plan on the table with a methodological approach will always benefit you.
Also, don’t worry about the things that go wrong; some things aren’t within your control and are only there to learn from.
Have fun.