The push for working from home or starting your own business is on full blast right now. It isn’t for everyone. As someone just starting out in it, I wish someone would have told me a little more about what it is actually like doing this whole thing by yourself. Going into it I had a pretty good grasp, but still have been facing struggles starting out. Here are some things to think about.

Legal. I have listened to I don’t know how many podcast over how to make sure I was going to be as legal as possible. Things about taxes, LLCs, contracts, you name it I knew a good amount about it. I met with another freelancer to discuss the trouble spots they ran into. I even went to meet with a lawyer. But, when it came to moving states and becoming legal I ran into a few snags. The first snag I ran into was a small one that I was prepared for. Finding a lawyer. I was moving from a new state and trying to get in to just chat with someone. It took a little more time then I was prepared for. Once I got in to meet with him, he broke down the best plan for me. After the much needed advice, he confirmed what I already knew. I had LLC paper work to fill out and file. Paper work and waiting is the name of the game! Everyone has an opinion on what you should do legally with your business. You should meet with a lawyer you trust to develop a plan that is best for you. Even if you end up not needing them, having the correct knowledge will benefit you in the long run.

Anxiety. The word no one likes to talk about or thinks it makes you sound weak. I don’t think one can prepare for the way anxiety affect you once you start your one business. Even as I type this I don’t want to talk about how anxiety is a factor. For the simple reason is you don’t know what the future holds. Work can pile up, work cannot come in, billing, and meeting with clients the list goes on. These things add up and from time to time anxiety may win. Being patient, determined and having a good support system is the best medicine you can find. Because let’s face it…you are going to have days wear on you. You carry everything on your shoulders, but you can do it. You got this!

Confidence. You made the jump, now own it. This has been one of the harder things for me in this transition period. Owning the knowledge I have. People will challenge you, think you are not enough, be intimidated by you, underestimate you and even want you to fail, but you have to have the confidence to keep going. I have had all these and trust me I get down in the blues from them. But there will be people that want you to succeed, too. People will be cheering you on to you, to others, and silently. I am cheering for you! You have to have enough confidence in yourself and your work to hear the positive over the negative. You have to be able to even when you hear the negative things. I have had to put on my power jumpsuit look in the mirror and say I got this. You got this, too!

Vulnerability. I have learned that this is one of the best keys to success. You are just as human as everyone else. People want to connect with you in a human way. Be honest talk about yourself, share your struggles, share your accomplishments it makes you relatable. If you don’t know something, say it and if you don’t know how to do something, learn it. When in doubt say, “I need to research that more and get back to you”. People will appreciate your honesty and vulnerability.

Determination. You have to keep going. You are going to have good times and bad times. People are going to think you are crazy. I have had people look at me like I am crazy way too much. They will ask how on earth are you going to be successful. People are going to say it can’t be done. You will fail. You will fall on your face. The best success is simply the determination to keep getting up and to keep moving forward. Try, try, fail, rest, try and try again. Be determined to break barriers, be happy with what you do and to help others.

Community. You will stop your growth if you stay in your bubble alone. The silent killer to your career is to isolate yourself. Having a community of creatives is something that is crucial when you work as a party of one. It helps you push your work further, learn knew things, and give you feed back. Always be looking to grow your creative community! A community of people that aren’t creatives is great way to get an outsider’s prospective. Always be in a community or trying to grow yours.

Owning your own business can be amazing. You get to decide where you want to take your company and how it operates. It defiantly has its ups and downs. If you are looking to start your own business or work from home, I hope this prepares you better than I was. I think the switch is worth any headache I get. If you are looking to expand your community, drop your information in the comments. I would love to connect!