Can I Start Taking on Marketing Projects Without Having All My Business Shiznitz Together?
You can come up with dozens of reasons not to start accepting marketing projects from clients. Seriously. We can name off five here in less than 20 seconds:
- Your website isn’t perfect yet.
- You don’t have a process in place.
- You haven’t found the perfect creative freelancers yet.
- You don’t have an invoicing system.
- You don’t have a project management system.
It feels safe and warm and cozy to put off following your dreams and making the most of your natural talents until you feel 100% ready to face them, until everything lines up, until your personal to-do list is smaller.
But guess what? One hundred percent ready doesn’t exist for anyone. It’ll never seem like the right time because there will always be an excuse lurking in the corner of your mind.
Making a huge life change is hard. Following your dreams can be scary. But you can do it. You can run your own marketing business, your own solo marketing agency. You can start taking client projects — paying projects — from day one.
Below, we’ll calm your fears. Add a note in the comments below if you have others. We’re here for you!
What if I don’t have my brand developed yet?
That’s okay! If you have clients knocking at your door, answer with a confident smile. You’ll figure out your brand eventually, and you’ll have a strong reputation to uphold it if you get a few projects under your high-waisted belt.
What if I don’t have a freelance creative for the project?
If a client project demands you to find a new freelance creative — find them. They are out there somewhere, promise. Ask around your circle of friends and professional acquaintances first. If nobody pans out, check on LinkedIn, sites like Upwork.com and more.
Today, the marketing and advertising industry is full of freelance designers, freelance writers, freelance web developers and more. And if you’re worried about working with someone new, use this creative vetting guide to weed out potential bad fits.
Isn’t there anything I need to do legally first?
You do not technically have to register your solo marketing business as a legal business entity. You can work under your own social security number, under your own identity and file taxes as such. Especially as you’re starting out, you won’t want to have to visit with an attorney and you don’t have to. As you keep working and growing, though, you’ll want to explore the pros and cons of each scenario. And regardless, you’ll want to remember to save for taxes.
But don’t I have to have templates and processes figured out first?
What a perfect world that would be! But there is nothing wrong with trial and error, learning as you go.
What if I am just really busy?
The funny thing about time — you don’t have enough time until you make enough time. If starting and running your own marketing business is important to you, you’ll find the time to help clients on the side or full-time.
If you’re still nervous about taking on marketing projects from small business, non-profits and more within your community, check out the iMarketer Blueprint — your guide to starting and running your own marketing consultancy, working with freelance creatives, landing and impressing clients, and living a life you love, too.
The iMarketer Blueprint helps you do the heavy lifting of laying a strong business foundation quickly and helps you rock your marketing business.
[…] Being able to land that first client (or two, or three) also tells you something very important: There is a need for this, and YOU can fill that need. And don’t worry taking on clients before you’ve got all the business stuff in place; it’s never too early to get those projects going! […]