Working for yourself full-time can be a great thing. There’s nothing like striking out on your own to develop your skills, and the freedom you’ll gain over your time, income, and opportunities is incomparable.  

Still, working for yourself is hard – in ways you don’t always imagine when you’re starting out. So how do you know if you’re ready? Start by asking yourself these five questions.

Why am I doing this?

What’s going on in your life that makes you want to take the leap? And if all those situations suddenly changed – if you had a brand-new boss, a raise, and a corner office – would you still want to work for yourself? Pay attention to your answer. You should be ready to make a commitment that lasts through changing circumstances.

How long could I realistically live on the savings I’ve built up?

Figure out how much you think you’ll need…then double it. Particularly in creative industries – where you’re offering a service, rather than a product – the line from successful client acquisition to actually seeing a check in your bank account can be a long one.

Am I ready for EVERY aspect of owning a business?

Making a living from the creative work you love doing is great. But remember that you’ll also have a whole new list of responsibilities aside from the creative stuff. Make sure you’re ready to handle more complicated taxes, find a space (or work from home), and – of course – get out there and find some clients.

What’s unique about me? How can I brand that?

You know you’re a great copywriter/graphic designer/web developer. Remember, though – there are a lot of talented creatives out there. What sets you apart? How can you cohesively and visually represent – aka brand – the things you alone can offer?

Who’s in my corner?

Although you may now be a business of one, success doesn’t happen alone. Think about the network you’ve built over the years…who do you know whose skills are the perfect complement to yours? Now’s the time to brainstorm the partnerships you can build based on those relationships.

Need help figuring out how to brand your services? I’m all ears! Drop me a line: hannah@hueandtonecreative.com.

Welcome to Hue & Tone! The new, relocated home of Hannah Pomphrey Graphic Design, with expanded capacity and a whole lot of new ideas. As I return to full-time design + creative, I wanted to share a bit of my freelancing story.

I fell into freelancing by accident…actually, I didn't even realize I was falling in.  When a friend’s parents asked me to create a logo for their new business, I jumped at the chance – I had just finished my first internship at a graphic design firm and was eager to have a project all to myself.

It wasn’t until my first “client” gave me a $100 “tip” that I realized I had just found my new side hustle. After a little bit of planning, I set out with my VistaPrint business cards in hand to find myself some new clients. I cold called and did pro-bono work for local non-profits until I found enough momentum to begin working almost solely on referrals.

Recently, I took a break from freelancing full-time to try out a 9-5 as a Marketing Specialist. I packed up my mismatched furniture and my massive shoe collection and relocated to Greensboro, NC with the intention of settling into my much more “normal” 9-5 job.

Turns out, this 9-5 thing isn’t for everyone. Even the parts of freelancing that I thought weren’t for me – the irregular income, quirky clients, and doing my own taxes -- were some of the things I missed the most. While some might call irregular paychecks and lulls in work terrifying, it now seems like some much needed work-life spice.

After only four months in my regular 9-5 job, I’m excited to establish my freshly rebranded business in my new hometown.

Follow along on Facebook and Twitter as I continue to chase my small business dream!