Great Home Based Idea #2: Freelance Writing
Freelance writing offers possibly the most accessible and rewarding opportunity for Moms to start their own home-based business. With more and more people entering the world of web publishing, blogging and the like, there has never been so much demand for skilled authors and people with the time and resources to produce good quality articles, reviews and stories.
What you'’ll need
First of all, you’ll need to equip your home office with the necessary tools of the trade. The most obvious pieces of equipment include your word processor or personal computer, and printer. Many projects will only ever be required in “soft copy” format (as a .doc file or similar), which can be easily transmitted via email or submitted to your clients’ web site. It’s therefore important to have a reliable Internet connection, as well as telephony for speaking with clients, discussing requirements & progress updates etc. VOIP services such as Skype can save money on call charges, but not everyone has a Skype connection, so expect to pay for some call charges along the way. Also, freelance writers can find themselves chained to their desk for long periods as the creative juices continue to flow, so be sure to invest in a comfortable chair!
You will then need to decide what type of writing you will target, as this will largely determine the amount of work you will command. If you wish to take on large documents, such as e-books, and are uncomfortable with writing on subjects you do not know too much about, it may be best to concentrate on one industry or subject. The added bonus of this is the increased likelihood of attracting more writing projects on this subject. For this reason, a good tip is to browse the projects listed on sites such as elance (more on this later) and see what popular subjects are commanding the most work. That way, you stand more chance of winning sustainable projects in the future.
Freelance writing, as with many home-based businesses, brings many challenges. It’s important to remember that you only receive payment on completion of projects, or for longer works, payment may be staged after various pages are signed off by the client. Cash flow can be a problem in the early days, so it’s a good idea to offset your costs with some short works such as web content and articles. Generally, these will consist of 500 or so words of text on a specific niche subject. You will often be able to research the subject on the Internet, so in-depth knowledge is not a must, and articles can often be completed in less than an hour. Rates vary greatly for this type of work, but it remains a great way to familiarise yourself with the concept of writing for money, and the process of building a quality product.
In addition, you can expect to experience distractions in the home, as well as suffering bouts of writers block. Luckily, the flexibility offered by freelance writing means that you can alternate between projects when this happens, or take time out to re-evaluate your approach.
Where to find work
One of the most popular places to find freelance writing work is the elance website, which brings together clients who require writing work, and freelancers who pitch for their opportunities. Generally, a project listing will give an overview of the size of the project and the subject matter on which you will be writing. There is normally a ball park figure around which the client is prepared to pay for the finished article. Once you find a project you are interested in, you can offer your services by providing a few sentences about your profile and approach to this project, as well as your best price for the work. In the early days of your freelance writing empire, it may be best to pitch your prices a little lower, until you build your profile and receive positive feedback for your work. This will allow you to pitch for higher rates in the future, given that clients will generally have higher confidence in your ability.
Benefits
One additional benefit of freelance writing as a home business is the number of tax deductions you can claim for your day-to-day operations. Amongst the items you can claim deductions on are; supplies and postage, research materials (such as magazine and web site subscriptions, book purchases etc.), phone calls and mileage, computer costs, home use (you can claim a portion of your mortgage or rent, provided you have a room in your property dedicated to your home office), writers association fees, and personal health & insurance costs. As with any tax-related issues, it’s best to consult an expert before claiming any deductions.
In conclusion, freelance writing can offer the flexibility that so many home-based workers, Moms and entrepreneurs seek from their own business. With the correct approach to pitching for work, a well-equipped office, and an ethic towards good research and quality work, anyone can succeed in this popular industry. See our section on article writing for more tips and further reading.
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