Every month we run
through a series of questions to help you run your freelance business like a bigger business — “self-coaching” your way to better results and a better life.
Hey! Happy Production Month!
As we head into the middle of the year, we’re taking a look at ourselves as workers. This week, that means asking whether our business can afford our labor.
If you look at this question and it doesn’t seem like something you can do, you probably can’t afford yourself as a worker.
Can I afford my salary?
So let’s use me as a an example. When I look up my production job as a business writer (BLS.gov, salary.com, etc.) I get a median salary of around $75K. That’s about $6,250 a month.
As a business owner—even of my very small freelance business—it’s my job to be able to bring in at least $6,250 monthly to cover labor.
Numbers like that one are why one of my early goals was to book $8K every month in sales...I needed to cover my salary, pay insurance, handle business expenses—just to break even.
So take a minute to look up the average salary for the work you do. Divide it out monthly so you get a smaller number you can work with in a manageable time block.
If it looks impossible...it isn’t! You probably just need to make a few changes in how you handle your marketing.
And if you want to talk out how you can start paying yourself? Come by the Academy boards and let’s talk it out!
Megan