Would you consider doing an article about the financial and/or tax aspect of being self employed? Or maybe a “Things I wish I had known when starting out” type article?My freelance art has started to pick up (and by pick up, I mean I’m actually getting paid for stuff! Success!), but I am a little lost on the finance area. I’ve done some searching, but every article or book I’ve read seems makes it sound pretty complicated. I need a Megan-simple finance lesson!
I love all the behind the scenes data you post here, a bunch of articles have been really fascinating and informative too :D. Thanks for taking the time to read my question. As always, you, all, are awesome-sauce!
Best,
Mallory
“But I’m only just now making money!” you might say. GREAT. You can make sure you start your nascent business with smart bookkeeping practices, knowing you’ve got your shit together. Get a bookkeeper.
Then get a lawyer.
“But I’m only just starting out,” you might say. GREAT! That’s the best time to find a small business lawyer: when you don’t need them! One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t get a lawyer sooner to help me establish my contracts and terms of service before I was confronted with situations that made me realize I needed them. “Oh I’m just starting out,” I told myself back in 2008. “Why would I need a lawyer?” Guess what? Looking back, that’s when I should have been talking to a lawyer to ensure I was doing what I needed to protect my business when it was still tiny.
If you’re making enough money that you consider your freelance work a part time job, you need a bookkeeper and a lawyer. You won’t use them much at first, but if you get your systems set up well right at the start, you won’t need to use them much at all… which is the way you want it.