Celebrating One Year of Debt Freedom: Top 3 Lessons I Learned

celebrating debt freedom

Today marks the one year anniversary of paying off all my debts! It’s been a crazy year, but I’m thrilled I can celebrate this milestone. During my debt-free journey I learned a lot -- about myself, handling my finances and seeing a goal through to the end. But I think the biggest thing I learned was how strange life would be after debt. My … [Read more...]

5 Steps to Realizing Your Business Dream

dream business

by Jen When I turned 40, something unexpected happened. I freaked out.  It happens to most of us at some point in our lives. We reach a milestone and suddenly find ourselves suffering from a bad case of existential angst. Something needs to change and it can no longer wait.  In my case, that something was a career (or lack thereof.) I had … [Read more...]

How to Successfully Transition From Free Work to a Paid Position

transition to paid work

This is probably one of the toughest things I’ve faced as a freelancer. In the beginning, building up my portfolio required me to work in positions that didn’t pay much -- or anything at all.  Once I established myself, I had to face transitioning from free work to a paid position. And now that I’m responsible for paying my bills as a … [Read more...]

How to Choose a Franchise Business

choose a business

There are many business opportunities out there that let you get on your own feet. After all, who doesn’t like being their own boss? Franchising is also one such business that you can invest your money into to. However, if you look around you’ll find yourself overwhelmed with options. It can get confusing. Even if you’ve chosen the … [Read more...]

4 Common Issues to Face When Building Your Business

build_brand

Creating and managing your own business can be hard, and at some point we have to face these issues head on if we want our businesses to succeed. Here are some of the common hardships that are involved in owning your own business, especially within the first year of open business. Health and Safety As with all businesses these days, health and … [Read more...]

How to Get a Blog Post Published on The Huffington Post

Get Published on Huffington Post

by Catherine I have to admit, I never thought I’d be writing a post like this, and I’m still recovering from the shock that the Huffington Post actually published my writing last week. Although I’ve been a freelance writer for almost 2 years now, getting published on the Huffington post feels real and (to be honest) a little terrifying … [Read more...]

Monthly Progress Report: Finish Strong!

crossing finish

April has been a month of beginnings and endings for me, and May is gearing up to be the culmination of all the changes leading up to this point. The hardest thing about quitting one thing to move onto another is finishing strong -- or more specifically not wanting to check-out even though you really want to. Every situation in life, whether it's … [Read more...]

Can Your Freelance Business Survive an Illness?

sick freelancer

Being a freelancer has its perks. You get to set your own hours and control your income. Plus, there’s no one looking over your shoulder eight hours a day. These aspects are appealing, but when you freelance, you also miss out on certain benefits, like paid sick leave. Like every other human being, you get sick from time to time. You may be … [Read more...]

7 Vital Steps to Take Before Becoming Your Own Boss

Growing-a-Successful-Business

April 30, 2013 will be my last day at the accounting job I’ve had for over ten years. The closer quitting time gets, the more excited about the next chapter I become. That’s not to say I’m not scared of the unknown, but since I’ve taken some smart steps to prepare, I’m a lot less fearful -- and stressed out. Oddly enough that’s … [Read more...]