The Business of Authority
The Difference Between Freelancers and Business Owners
Episode Summary
What is the key difference between freelancers and business owners?
Episode Notes
What is the key difference between freelancers and business owners?
Talking Points
- Freelancers are business owners, they just don’t always know it
- Freelancers end up spending their time working in their business instead of on their business
- The difference is a difference in mindset. To be a business owner, you will need to think like a business owner
- Freelancers who want to grow have to start thinking about business like a business – including marketing, finances, vision, and strategy
- If clients can’t tell the difference between you and a cheaper freelancer, they will go with the person who is cheaper
- To build a successful business, it’s important to understand what really adds value to your business
- You need to have a strong story in order to reach clients
- You have to be able to say no when asked to do something that’s outside of your expertise or the scope of your business
- Your authority needs to be part of your branding and marketing
- Putting the time into building the business
- The three personality types that every business needs
- The entrepreneur personality is the one that can’t be hired out
- Working for a small agency before going solo can help you understand more of how the business end works
- People who want to start an authority business need consulting skills
- When you own a business, you set aside time to work on your business no matter how busy you are with client work
- The time commitment involved in building a business
Quotable Quotes
“As soon as you hang your shingle out there, you started a business, whether you know it or not or like it or not.” –JS
“I think of a woodworker, for example, who makes beautiful furniture, but if you don’t have a way to sell it, if you don’t have a way to market it, if you don’t have a way to leverage the time that you put into it, if you don’t have a way to price it properly, then you don’t have a business. You have a craft.” –RM
“If you’re not making some enemies, you’re not making any allies.” –JS
“Freelancers, in particular, need to be reminded that it took a lot of courage to do that (leave their job). But the way to not have to go back and become an employee is to create a business around what you’re doing.” –RM
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