When I got my first paid writing gig, it was in a field I was really comfortable in.
It was a passion of mine at the time (combat sports) and I was already keeping a blog about my life training a martial art, so it made perfect sense…since I was already comfortable there, why not base my career on combat sports and martial arts!
Well I found out why real quick. There was no money. (I swear literally everybody was broke.) The things people sold were low dollar and most of the people in the industry were
slow to pay for quality.
When I talk to new freelancers, I hear a lot of my former self out there…they’re in niches that make them comfortable…maybe because the
niche comes naturally, because it’s accessible, or because it represents an opportunity to help.
In most cases, I know they need to step out of their comfort
zone if they want to build a profitable, sustainable freelance career that won’t leave them burnt out from low pay and frustrating clients.
That doesn’t mean doing
something they hate or going back to school. But it does mean they should consider niches and specializations that are common and where money gets spent…things like pet care, parenting, education, automotive, video games, consumer electronics, or anywhere they have work or life experience.
Those might not be the first things that come to mind, but they’re the kind of things you should always be thinking about as a freelance business owner.
Megan
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