I’m a little late to the party here (IT IS January 12th, after all) but I’ve been thinking a lot about goal setting for 2019. I’ve been spending more time writing in the last year and a half, and while I’ve written many thousands of words, my goal this year is to treat my writing more like a business and less like a hobby.
Here’s my plan to solidify my business this year:
Tackle time management! At the start of every month, draft a list of goals, prioritize them, and tape them to the wall near my desk. When new projects come up, evaluate whether they fit into my priorities and goals. If they aren’t a priority, SAY NO! Act on goals, don’t react to whatever’s happening at the moment.
New invoicing procedure. As a budding freelancer, I was just typing up invoices in Microsoft Word and emailing them. If a payment was late, it was difficult to track it down. This year I’m going to try using PayPal’s invoicing system. It looks pretty professional and can save me time on seeing what’s been sent and whether it’s been paid.
Diversify my client list. I LOVE my work with Kids and Race, but if I’m treating this as a business, I need to make sure that I don’t have all my eggs in one basket. I’m actively seeking new clients for blogging and web content. Hit me up at strangekaty @ gmail.com if you’re interested.
Track hours more closely so I can get better at estimating projects.
Fill out a business plan by the end of summer to help me clarify my mission statement and goals.
That’s it! My business mantra for 2019 is “Act, don’t react.” My personal mantra for 2019 is, “Not today, Satan.” I want to continue getting better at saying no so that I can say yes to the right projects.
