{"id":12768,"date":"2016-12-13T10:23:20","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T15:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=12768"},"modified":"2016-12-13T10:23:20","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T15:23:20","slug":"making-the-move-to-full-time-freelancing-7-tips-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/making-the-move-to-full-time-freelancing-7-tips-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Making The Move To Full-Time Freelancing? 7 Tips For Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Full<\/p>\n

<\/b>Sitting in an office and taking orders from someone else has its role in our culture. Most businesses need employees to run effectively and a salary with benefits is nice to have. <\/span><\/p>\n

But… what if you know it just doesn\u2019t feel right for you? You’ve decided that you don’t want that to be what your career looks like for the rest of your life. So you\u2019ve been considering a shift to freelancing full time. <\/span><\/p>\n

If this sounds familiar, you\u2019re not alone. Over <\/span>15 million people work as freelancers<\/span><\/a> in the United States and that number is only expected to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Over 15 million people work as freelancers in the US. Are you one of them?” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

The appeal is obvious freelancing offers a lot of perks. You can make your own schedule, cut commutes out of your life, and be your own boss. But the fantasy of having plenty of free time and working in your pajamas isn\u2019t the whole story. Transitioning to being a full-time freelancer takes a lot of work and succeeding as one in the long term takes even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re currently pondering the move to a full-time freelance career, here are some of the most important steps you should take to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"HostGator<\/a><\/p>\n

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1. Have savings to start, and make saving money an ongoing priority.<\/h2>\n

You should expect the first year or so to be the hardest. It takes time to build a freelance brand, find your first clients, and establish a reputation. During this period, it helps to have either some kind of part-time work to tide you over, or enough savings to live off of for a few months in case your progress is slow.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to potentially not bringing much money in during your first few months, you\u2019ll also have a few expenses you should take on, such as the cost of <\/span>building a website<\/span><\/a>, buying business cards, and potentially investing in relevant courses and books or memberships in local professional organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even once you do start to bring money in, you need to get into the habit of saving. For taxes alone, a standard rule of thumb is to set aside <\/span>around 30% of everything you make<\/span><\/a> so you\u2019re set come tax time. On top of that though, you want a steady emergency fund both for actual emergencies and to cover you during dry periods (which even the most successful freelancers have now and then) and a retirement account.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Transitioning to #freelance full-time? Set aside 30% of your income for tax time.” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

That sounds like a lot, and it is. But remember that <\/span>you\u2019re saving clients a lot of money<\/span><\/a> by taking on these costs yourself as a freelancer, and you should price accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Make sure you understand the legal definition of independent contractor.<\/h2>\n

Businesses have been known to abuse the independent contractor classification as a way of saving money on taxes. If a client tries to classify you as an independent contractor but expects you to do a full-time job onsite with set hours that makes it impossible for you to find other work, then you\u2019ll be hit with all the downsides of freelancing without the perks. \u00a0(Note: In some cases, this practice is legally legitimate if it\u2019s for a temporary or contract-to-hire position, but it\u2019s not a great way to launch a freelance career.)<\/span><\/p>\n

To be <\/span>properly working as an independent contractor<\/span><\/a>, you should:<\/span><\/p>\n