From Freelancing to Founder: How I Turned My Talent into a Small Business
1. The First Step: Freelancing as a Gateway
When I started freelancing, I wasn’t set on starting a business. I just needed some additional money on the side. I signed up on sites like Fiverr and Upwork, and offered small services-writing, graphic design, and data entry.
My first clients were just random individuals online. I had very low prices at first, just to gain reviews and to get some experience. Each project improved my skill and knew what customers really wanted.
Lesson: Work with what you have. You don’t have to have a great plan to start.
2. Building Trust One Client at a Time
Getting repeat customers was difficult. But I did my best to perform well and deliver as scheduled. I slowly earned a set of repeat customers. I learned skills in communication, deadlines, and doing good work even when under pressure.
These could not be imparted by any training course. Real customers taught real lessons.
Tip: Your first 5 customers will teach you more than any online course.
3. A Shift in Mind: From Career to Brand
I had 30+ clients, and that is when things started falling into routine. Everyone kept asking for the same things-logo work, content, social media posts. That is when it hit me big time:
What if I do not think like a freelancer… but think like a business?
That is when things shifted.
I stopped selling “hours of my time” and started selling “packages of service”-i.e., a logo + branding package or a 5-post content package. This was easier to price, easier to market, and easier to scale.
4. Scaling My Small Business
I chose a name for my brand, created a domain, and created a simple website to showcase my portfolio. I crafted a logo, created a business email address, and created a business account.
I also stopped relying only on freelance platforms. Instead, I started getting clients from Instagram, LinkedIn, and word of mouth.
I was no longer a freelancer. I was a service provider with a growing brand.
5. First Hire, First Step Towards Growth
Once I was overwhelmed, I hired a freelancer first to help me out with small things-content formatting, design adjustments, or research. Assigning made me nervous, but it allowed me to focus on time to implement strategy, outreach, and bigger things.
I learned: entrepreneurship is assembling a team-one task at a time.
Reminder: You don’t grow by doing everything yourself. You grow by learning to let go.
6. Revenue Growth: From $100 to $2,000+/Month
I used to earn $100–$200/month for my initial few months. But when I devised suitable service packages, professional branding, and employed a team, my income exceeded $2,000/month within a year.
It wasn’t luck-it was consistency.
Do good work → Get referrals → Raise your rates → Repeat.
Please let me know if you’d like me to do something different.
7. Challenges I Faced
Well, of course, there were plenty of challenges:
- Clients ghosting after work was completed on them
- Price/packaging confusion
- Burnout from working too hard
- Unexpected legal and tax issues
But every fight made me stronger. I left, read books, sought help, and continued to show up. There is no trick, but there is a direct route: show up, get better, repeat.
8. What I Learned
If I had to do it all over again, I would:
- Make freelancing into a business day 1
- Work on 1 niche instead of doing everything
- Get an email list set up as soon as possible
- Put in writing each step so it’s easier to share
- Never ever stop learning
9. Final Words: You Already Have a Business
If you’re freelance, you already have a business-you’ve just not made it legal yet. You have skills, clients, and a way of getting paid. You just need structure, systems, and faith.
The good news? You don’t need an investor or an army. Just action, patience, and faith.
Hope you enjoyed it.
If you’re reading these lines, your journey has only just begun. Take it further.
Originally posted here: https://medium.com/@shifrathrajaa/from-freelancing-to-founder-how-i-turned-my-talent-into-a-small-business-0227cc6bb7e1