Half the internet would have you believe that freelancing full-time is the best thing you can do for your career. I, myself, have been guilty of writing a few of these pieces myself. The other half of the internet, has no problem telling you about the hardships of full-time freelancing. I’ve written a few of these too.
While freelancing full-time is certainly the best thing I’ve ever done for my career and my bank account, it’s not like I haven’t thought about moving on. In fact, I’ve seen several colleagues questioning whether or not it’s time for them to transition from freelancing full-time into something else.
If you’re in this boat as well, don’t worry, it’s normal. I also don’t want you to think that freelancing full-time isn’t a good move. It’s just that as humans we get bored and are always looking for ways to improve. Moving on from freelancing full-time is no different.
That being said, what comes next after freelancing full-time? Better yet, how can you still avoid getting a regular job which is why you started freelancing in the first place? Here are some ways people transition from full-time freelancing into something else.
Sell your knowledge.
The main way I’ve seen people move on from freelancing full-time is by beginning to sell their knowledge. After a few years of offering a skill, they move on to offering their expertise. The latter can earn you a lot more money.
There are several ways to do this including speaking, writing books, creating products and teaching. The key becomes to find the option that’s easiest to transition to right now.
Start offering consulting packages.
I’ve previously written on the notion of how freelancers need to think of themselves as consultants. Well, what if instead of thinking of yourself as a consultant you actually became one?
Chances are you already have some consulting gigs here and there. Your next step then becomes to create consulting packages and sell them. Because let’s face it, there’s more money in consulting than in full-time freelancing. I can charge $400 for a single article and $1500 a month for four hours of my time.
Additionally, if consulting is done on retainer then it’s easier to set up payment systems and manage the money. No more waiting for checks in the mail and no more feast or famine.
Start creating scalable offerings.
Another way to move on from full-time freelancing and into something with more predictable income is by creating scalable offerings.
For example, I’m in the process of selling seats to my first six-week group coaching program for online marketing and branding. In two weeks I was able to make nearly $10,000. I would have to do a lot of writing to make that kind of money with full-time freelancing.
This has two advantages. The first is I know what my revenue looks like for the next couple of months. My profits have also skyrocketed since offering this program. The second is I can repeat the process multiple times and continue making more money.
Final Thoughts
Moving on from full-time freelancing into something better is not uncommon. At the end of the day, most people want to move from freelancer to business owner and there’s nothing wrong with that.
