Deciding your own working hours, planning your own working day, making almost every decision yourself and being able to be as creative as you want to be: self-employment, a dream for many, the reality for few. It is one of these weird things in life that a lot of career girls would like to do, but most of us don’t dare to take that step or risk to actually do it.

There are a lot of elements you need to think of if you want to become self-employed. Deciding your focus and protecting yourself (e.g. legally) in any way possible are just two of the things on the list.

CGD gives you 5 rules for the starting self-employed, that will help you to get ahead of the game.

#1 – Make clear goals

Passion is important, but it doesn’t pay your bills. Before you start, make sure you have a clear vision on how you want to keep your business up, running and alive. Make clear goals, because without goals it is easy to lose focus and get distracted.

Know your target audience, what they want, where they are and how you can reach them. A business plan sounds old-fashioned, but can be oh-so-important, especially for starters.

#2 – Organize your administration

From the very first minute, your administration should be spotless! The contracts, bills, terms and conditions and all other important documents should all be so well organized that you can show them at any moment to anyone if you need to.

#3 – Start small

Especially when you have so many good ideas, it is hard to start small. Be realistic and don’t start off by renting expensive office space if you don’t need it. Try to safe and reduce costs as much as possible. You can be creative, for example by working in the Starbucks or rent a desk in a shared office. You will meet new people, build your network and maybe even new potential clients.

#4 – Stay active!

It is very important to stay active when you are self-employed. Attend network events, make yourself an everyday to-do list and evaluate every week how far you have come. Once you start being a bit more passive, it is hard to get back on track.

#5 – Learn to say no

Personally, I find this the most difficult one, while I know how important it is. Say ‘no’ to the things that have nothing in it for you, that are not relevant for you or cost too much energy and therefore, will make you lose focus on the really important things.

And besides all the above, enjoy it, because being self-employed is one of the most fun things you can do!

Are you self-employed or thinking about becoming self-employed? Share your story and don’t forget to vote for us as ‘Best Life Improvement Blog’ in the Bloglovin Awards!

Featured image: The Devil Wears Prada