The 15th rolled around again. Time for their freelancing vs entrepreneurship lunch meeting.
Jo entered the café to find Sam already sitting at their regular table, drink in hand, glancing at the menu.
Jo apologized. “Sorry, I’m a tad late. I had to finish that article for the magazine, as they needed it by noon.”
Sam nodded at the server to order a drink for her flustered friend. “Relax” she urged, as Jo sat down, took a deep breath, and accepted the soda that arrived at their table.
“I’m dying to know, did you finish your new online course? Have you released it yet? Is it selling?”
Sam nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, it’s all up and running like clockwork. My idea has paid off. There’s a huge demand for the topic. I can’t believe how many people have signed up already! Thank you so much for encouraging me to keep going.”
As she spoke, her phone dinged for the fourth time since her friend had arrived. Another sale.
“Worth taking the risk then! I’m so pleased. I know you invested a lot in that venture.” Jo couldn’t imagine herself gambling on anything so uncertain. Although her income as a freelancer wasn’t totally reliable, her clients kept coming back for more.
She glanced at her watch, “I can only stay for an hour, as I have one last page to write for John this afternoon.”
“How’s he doing? Visitor numbers growing for his site?” Sam asked, aware of how many web pages Jo had written for her client.
“Yes, he’s regularly getting over 1,000 visitors a day now.”
Freelancer vs Entrepreneur: A Controversial Topic for Sam and Jo
“Just think if that was your own site,” Sam suggested, knowing it would fall on deaf ears.
Jo gave it a moment’s thought. “Freelancers get paid a lot of money if they have the required skill sets. Mine are in demand, and I’ll keep raising my prices while my clients are prepared to pay. If I start a new business online I won’t get paid to begin with. That’s a financial risk I’m not prepared to take right now.”
Sam sighed. They had this freelancing vs entrepreneurship discussion every month.
“You should start viewing your skills as an investment in your future, Jo. At the moment you exchange time for money, but what if you broke your arm and couldn’t type? Have you ever thought of converting from freelancer to entrepreneur gradually?”
Jo replied, “I guess I could already call myself a freelance entrepreneur. I gave up my day job to write full time, and my business idea is paying off.”
Sam changed tack. “I admire you for saying goodbye to the 9-5, Jo. More people are seeing the benefits of having an online business now, but they don’t all have what it takes to do it. You and I both understand the independence and flexibility this lifestyle offers.
However, while you go back to building John’s business for him after lunch, I’ll be visiting my new baby niece for the afternoon. I have systems in place to ensure my business earns money, even when I’m not there. It’s all automated! If anything crops up that needs my personal attention, my assistant will let me know. ”
Jo felt a twinge of jealousy. If she took the afternoon off, she would have to work late into the evening to keep everything on track.
Could she build a business bigger than she currently had, without having to work even more hours? She had the basic skills in writing and keeping on top of her paperwork. Maybe she could learn about domain names, keywords, HTML and CSS.
Intermission: Freelancing vs Entrepreneurship vs Solopreneurship
Before we reveal the exciting turn Sam and Jo’s conversation is about to take, let’s examine the differences between freelancing and entrepreneurship. We’ll also introduce a third concept that sits between them — solopreneurship.
What Is a Freelancer?
Definition: Freelancers take on work for other businesses, which is charged by the hour or by the project and paid for upon completion.
Pros: You get to do work you enjoy, work that relies on your specific skill set.
Cons: You’re trading time for money and only get paid once for each piece of work.
Best for you if… you want to escape the rat race fast without large upfront money or time investments.
What Is an Entrepreneur?
Definition: Entrepreneurs set up their own business and expect to take on employees as it grows.
Pros: You can delegate everyday tasks, while you work on introducing exciting new ideas to grow the business.
Cons: It may be that not all the ideas you come up with will succeed!
Best for you if… you can afford to take risky financial investments and be prepared for it to take time before you reap the benefits.
What Is a Solopreneur?
Definition: Solopreneurs run their businesses “solo,” according to their own schedule and without being tied to one location.
Pros: You get to follow through on your own ideas and decisions. You have no employees to manage.
Cons: It’s just you. If you don’t get things done, no one else will.
Best for you if… you like your own company, don’t want the hassle of employees, and are prepared to take on all the necessary roles in running a business.
Food for thought? While you digest that information let’s return to the café where our two friends are lunching.
Sam’s Offer: Exploring the Transition From Freelancer to Business Owner, Risk-Free
Sam took advantage of Jo’s momentary silence.
“I have an idea. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I would like to do something for you.
“I use Solo Build It! to build my business. They offer a 90-day money-back guarantee. I would like to set you up with an account.
“You can then try it out, read through the extensive Action Guide and learn about finding keywords, etc. Set yourself a task each day and spend an hour or so on it. If, by the end of the 90 days, you don’t want to take it further, let me know and I’ll cancel the account and get my money back.
“If, on the other hand, you like what you see, and decide to move ahead to set up your own Solo Build It! site, then you can pay me back once you see a growth in income. No risk! What do you say?”
Jo sat, staring at her friend, thoughts circling in her head. What a fantastic opportunity! Instead of finding a new client to replace John, she could spend the hours she had devoted to him to learn more about the Solo Build It! process. A quote from Jim Rohn came to her mind…
“I’m working full-time on my job, and part-time on my business!”
Sam spoke, interrupting Jo’s thoughts. “What other things do you enjoy, apart from writing?”
“Animals!” came the swift reply. “Pets and wildlife. Although I also love crafting when I get the time. Oh and then there’s the local history of the area and…”
Sam laughed and put her hand in the air. “Hold those thoughts! You can test them all out to see which has the most potential as a possible future online business. I take it you accept?”
Jo was nodding vigorously. Her mind raced with ideas. But then her expression changed.
“Oh no! What have you done? How am I going to spend the next 6 hours concentrating on writing for John’s site, on a topic that really doesn’t interest me in the slightest? I’m beginning to see the difference between freelancers and entrepreneurs now! Thank you for the encouragement. Maybe by the next time we meet, I’ll have my own site online!”
“There will be a lot to take in, so don’t rush. If there’s anything you don’t understand, there are numerous ways to ask for help so you won’t be alone if you can’t get hold of me.”
Jo sighed with relief. The more she considered Sam’s offer, the more excited she became.
However, a quick glance at her watch informed her that she needed to move. Maybe next month she could enjoy more time with Sam, as she shared her own exciting news about what she had been working on.
It isn’t just Jo who can take advantage of the Solo Build It! offer. You can too!
Maybe this is the right time for you to investigate the possibilities of becoming an online solopreneur and setting up your own business.
Carol Leather
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Try it. Simply follow the Video Action Guide. 
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