Full Time Freelance

by Catherine L. Tully

freelance life

Everyone has different opinions on the best way to go full-time as a freelance writer. Some say jump right in and hammer away, while many people advise a more careful approach of starting out part-time and then gradually switching over.

But this post isn’t about that. It’s about the things you need to have to go full-time freelance. In my opinion, if you are going to take the plunge, you can’t do without these….

+ A CPA or accountant. Sure, you can try to file yourself, but who has the time? Plus, an accountant or CPA will know all the up-to-date info and be able to advise you if you aren’t sure about how to approach something.

+ A backup system for your computer. If you are doing this full-time and your entire livelihood is on your machine–you’d better have a backup plan.

+ A dedicated office area. If you are doing this for a living, act like it and get an official office area set up.

+ A business bank account. Keeping business and personal finances in different accounts is of the utmost importance if you want to avoid tax issues down the line. Don’t mess around with Uncle Sam.