6 Ways an Online Business is Your Ticket to Go Exploring (+ How to Start One Yourself)

When I was at a 9-5, I constantly felt stuck. All I wanted to do was be out in the world and go exploring. But instead, I was staring at the three fuzzy grey walls of my cubicle. So, after meeting up with a friend in Spain who had taken the risk on himself and left traditional employment, I knew I had to do that for myself too.

Now, the entrepreneurial road was windy. I started as a contractor for a company that placed groups at hotels for meetings and events. Then I walked away from a multi-million-dollar business deal that fell into my lap because the brick-and-mortar setup didn’t align with my desire to go exploring the world. Finally, the pandemic forced me to get creative, and I started a freelance writing business.

It provides you with location independence.

In my opinion, the greatest part of owning an online-based business is the sheer freedom that comes along with it – one of those freedoms being location independence. You can work from anywhere in the world you desire, which inevitably means more opportunities to go exploring.

While I love having a home base, and my 75-pound lapdog isn’t suitable for plane travel and digital nomad life, you can take your business wherever YOU want. Which is a beautiful thing. As long as you’re willing to deal with working across time zones, you’re golden.

Ultimately, down the road, my husband and I have a goal of owning a second home in Spain. This way, we can split our time when it’s too cold to be bearable here in Connecticut. With an online business, that option is a reality I could have never dreamed of before.

You make your own flexible working hours (so you can go exploring whenever).

Next up, running an online business gives you the freedom to set your own working hours. This means you can take breaks and explore new places during the day without being tied down to a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. While my husband has a remote job where he can work from anywhere there’s the internet, he’s still bound by the needs of his employer and a set work schedule. So, going exploring isn’t quite as easy unless it’s outside of traditional business hours.

Low overhead costs to get started make it more accessible.

People think that starting an online business is expensive. That the costs are too prohibitive for the “average person” to get started. Let me tell you, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Realistically, you could get started with less than a few hundred dollars in your pocket. In my first year, I paid for a few courses, my domain, and a professional email address. With that, my expenses came in just under $1,200. Spend that extra cash you’re going to end up pocketing from a successful business for bubbly on the road!

Unlimited earning potential so you can travel more comfortably.

I now make more than I did in my 9-5, which I now love to spend on luxury hotels and fun experiences. But beyond that, I’m not searching for the cheapest tour on the site. I’m seeking unique experiences with locally owned businesses that may need to charge a little more to be sustainable, and I’m able to donate to causes that I come across on the road. So not only am I able to travel more comfortably than ever before, but I also feel like I’m able to have a more positive impact on the communities I’m visiting.

The opportunity to work with individuals around the world.

In my business, on any given day, I’m working with individuals in Costa Rica, Nepal, the U.K., Canada, the Philippines, and more. And I didn’t have to work for a huge global company to achieve that – I work for myself, and I still engage with global business owners daily. I now have connections all around the world, and that’s so freaking cool to me.

Finally, go exploring internally – which isn’t encouraged as much in the 9-5 world.

My biggest struggle in a 9-5 was giving my everything to a large company that seemingly didn’t give two shits about me (excuse my French). With that came deep struggles with anxiety and depression that I wasn’t able to fully work on until I had the time freedom in my business to identify and work on remedying it. This is honestly one of the biggest gifts of entrepreneurship – the time to go exploring figuratively. Figuring out what you want out of life, identifying the why behind your internal mental health struggles, and being able to work on them. It’s such a gift.

Plus, just by default, if you’re using your business to travel more, traveling and exploring new environments can broaden your horizons, challenge your comfort zones, and lead to personal growth. This personal growth can then fuel new ideas and perspectives for your online business!

5 Tips for Starting Your Online Business for More Time & Financial Freedom to Go Exploring

So, if this sounds good to you, you may be nodding but internally saying, “Okay, welp, how the hell do I get started?” I’ll help you with that. These are the tips I wish I had when I started freelancing with zero experience. Follow these, and your online business will be up and running in no time.

Tip #1: Discover Your Area of Expertise

To embark on the freelancing journey without prior experience, the first step is to reflect on your expertise. Ironic, isn’t it? I often initiate my clients’ journeys by having them identify their Zone of Genius (a term coined in the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks – a must-read for any entrepreneur) through an exercise.

Here’s a prompt you can work through to start figuring this out:

• What are five tasks you genuinely enjoy but others dislike?
• What are five things you excel at?
• Where do these areas intersect?

Your Zone of Genius lies at the convergence of your passion and expertise. In my case, writing blogs for event companies and mentoring aspiring freelancers are where my Zone of Genius(es) lies. I’m pretty good at the technical side of getting a business launched, which many find daunting, and I have a knack for writing, which others may have to work a little harder to perfect. This realization propelled me into the realms of freelance writing and business coaching.

Make sense? Now it’s your turn!

Tip #2: Discover a Freelance Platform and Create a Profile

Once you have defined your Zone of Genius, it’s time to monetize it so you can go exploring comfortably!

My top tip is to find a suitable freelance platform, such as Upwork (where you apply for available job postings) or Fiverr (where you create and sell your projects), and set up a profile. If you feel inclined, you can create profiles on multiple sites to determine which aligns best with your work style. However, keep in mind that this can be labor-intensive. Especially during the initial phase of growing your client base and portfolio. If you choose to create accounts on multiple platforms, save time by duplicating your bio and relevant information. Don’t reinvent the wheel for each profile.

On these platforms, the key is to connect your portfolio and website (which I’ll chat about next) and craft a bio that resonates with your target audience.

To identify your target audience, refer back to your Zone of Genius. In my case for coaching, it consists of struggling entrepreneurs or solopreneurs who are pressed for time. Hence, my talking points revolve around how I can save them time, resources, and frustration while also creating compelling copy that engages their audience and improves their ranking on Google, ultimately reducing their need for prospecting.

Tip #3: Create a Portfolio Tailored to Your Target Audience

Now that you have determined your Zone of Genius and established a profile to engage with your ideal clients, it’s time to build a portfolio. If you’re starting out with no prior experience, there are several ways to approach this:

• Draw from your professional career: Identify aspects from your 9-5 job that you can showcase and share, even if you need to keep some pieces private due to nondisclosure agreements.
• Develop a project you’ve been eager to work on: Is there a website, blog, operational strategy, or similar project you’ve been longing to create? Go ahead and bring it to life!
• Design a piece that addresses a problem faced by your target audience: Identify five pain points your client’s experience and consider the transformations you can offer. Create a web template, workbook, brochure, or any other relevant asset that can help them achieve their goals and add it to your portfolio.
• Produce a piece that resonates with you personally: What content would appeal to you? Remember, your ideal client often resembles your past self from a few months or years ago. What would have caught your attention back then? Create it and showcase it!

Building a portfolio is likely the most time-consuming aspect of starting your freelancing journey with zero experience. However, demonstrating your expertise is crucial! Trust me, you’ll frequently refer to it to engage potential clients.

Tip #4: Launch a Simple Website

As an Upwork freelancer, approximately 98% of my clients mentioned that they visited my personal business website before hiring me. Adding a website to my freelancing arsenal resulted in securing more projects, attracting organic traffic, receiving inquiries through my contact form, and ultimately experiencing significant business growth.

Now, when you’re considering how to start freelancing without experience, the prospect of juggling multiple tasks can be overwhelming. I’ve been there. Here’s my top tip: simplify things in the beginning. You don’t need (and honestly shouldn’t invest in) a custom web design or an overly expensive copywriter (and I say this as a professional copywriter myself). What you do need is a foundational online presence that establishes you as an authority.

Here’s what I would recommend putting on your website to get started:

• A little more info on you: People want to know who they’re hiring. I get so many jobs just because I vibe with the team looking to hire someone. They say, “Oh, I see you like Mexico City-style street tacos. Us too! Let’s work together!” Okay, maybe not in those words, but I do bond over fun facts I have on my website literally on the daily.
• Your newly minted portfolio (told ya we’d be doing something with it!): After people see who you are, they’re going to want those proof points of your work. Link to your portfolio, or you can actually host your entire portfolio or just a piece or two directly on your site.
• A Calendly link to schedule a discovery call: How are you moving business forward? You’re getting on calls! I prefer Zoom since I think talking to people “face-to-face” makes it easier to sell. You can more easily gauge how they’re feeling and cater the conversation to landing the gig. Through Calendly, you can integrate your Google Calendar and set timeframes where you’ll take calls. It automates calendar invites and saves a whole boatload of time (and, not to mention, makes you look super profesh).

Piece of cake! Once you’ve laid the groundwork, you should be able to set up your website within a few hours. Kickstart your freelancing journey today!

Tip #5: Believe in Yourself and Personal Growth

I’m saving the most crucial tip for last. While some may argue that self-belief alone is insufficient, it is, in fact, everything when it comes to being an entrepreneur. This holds particularly true when starting freelancing without prior experience—it all revolves around self-trust, self-belief, and unwavering confidence, which stem from your mindset.

I’m here to tell you that this journey will be challenging. Imposter syndrome may rear its head, and you may question why you embarked on this path. However, once you overcome these obstacles and establish a thriving business that allows you to take a two-week vacation without requesting time off or worrying about splurging on luxurious accommodations, it will all be worth it.

Here are a few of my favorite books to aid you on your entrepreneurial journey:

“The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss (The OG Online Business Book to Start a Biz That Let’s You Go Exploring)

This book is a staple on almost every freelancing and entrepreneurship reading list. It offers actionable tips and strategies for making money online with less effort. Who wouldn’t want that? Make sure to get the expanded and updated version.

“High-Performance Habits” by Brendan Burchard

Freelancing isn’t solely about your skills. At one point, my business coach emphasized that entrepreneurs should treat their minds and bodies like professional athletes. You’re playing a unique and rewarding game, but it can get messy. Many of the habits outlined in this book are precisely what will prime your mind, body, and soul for ultimate freelancing success.

“Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer: The Evolution of a $1M Web Designer”

It may seem counterintuitive that I’m recommending a book advising against thinking like a freelancer when you’re trying to figure out how to start freelancing without experience. However, I genuinely wish I had read this sooner. Many freelancers get stuck in a cycle of on-demand work, leading to a feast-or-famine mentality that keeps them bogged down. Approach freelancing as a business owner; it’s the only way to grow and scale. This book will provide invaluable guidance.

As for podcasts, I highly recommend:

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Along the way, you’ll need some inspiration from success stories to keep your excitement and motivation levels high. In this podcast, Guy Raz interviews the leaders of highly successful entrepreneurs and explores their journeys.

Introvertpreneur: The Podcast for Introverted Business Owners

There’s a common misconception that extroversion is a prerequisite for freelancing success. As an introvert myself, I find this podcast invaluable. It has helped me embrace my introverted qualities and leverage them to grow my freelance business. Don’t let being an introvert hold you back—step into your power!

Remember, freelancing is not just about acquiring skills; it’s also about personal growth and mindset development. Believe in yourself, invest in your personal development, and watch your freelancing career flourish. Let your online business allow you to go exploring just like you’ve always desired.