What I’m about to share with you is financial freedom, because at this point in the virtual realm, we’re all potential brands, media companies and startups. The tens of millions of Lone Freelancers out there sprinkled across the modern world know what I’m talking about. Here’s how to get it done in 4 steps:
Step #1: Stashing 10% into a Development Fund
After you read this article, set up a development fund for yourself. That is unless you’ve got roughly $4000 sitting around waiting to be invested. If not, set up a new bank account or whatever it takes where you can start funneling 10% of your earnings into. Here’s how it breaks down.
- $300 for 2-3 sessions with a brand development consultant who can help you really hone in on a precise unique selling proposition, decide on a good domain/logo, provide a plan of action, advise you on which services to market, and give lessons in self-branding, etc.
- $500 for a few sessions with a professional photographer to get at least 10 super high definition quality/edited images with you in them. You don’t have to be the star of the photo, just present. Some will be used within the design of your website, while others will be used throughout your social media platforms and anywhere else you want to expand a presence. Try to capture who you are, not what you do. And, don’t forget to tell the photographer to add your name in the initial “meta-data” of the digital photos because that’s important from the search engine perspective.
- $2000 for a professionally done, valuable website. This is inclusive of many things of course like the web copy for your site if you can’t write it, a custom blog, custom forms, great design features and you get a ton of usability for two grand these days. A $2000 user-experience is a good one, better than average.
- $1200 is left so it can be there for expenses that come up along the way including monthly fees for your website, fixing small design problems, purchasing extra services, buying marketing tools like information products or web content, etc.
That won’t be the end of the investment. That’s just a basic wrap-up of what it takes to get started. Running a personal brand and a conventional web-company are incredibly similar is almost every respect.
Step #2: Gather a Team of Specialists
Once you’ve got the plan in hand you’re going to need to build a team. All through the development stage and afterwards you’re going to need to pay the rent and eat so you’ll be working. Therefore you need at least a competent virtual assistant (VA) and project manager to oversee things for you and funnel the work you need to worry about directly to you.
What kind of people will you need to depend on? This could include web designers/developers, graphic artists, content creators, a social media manager, your VA/project manager, an MBA, etc. Once your team is built, get your platform created.
Step #3: Build Your Platform around Your Personality
Not your skills! Unless you’ve got some extremely rare skill-set, then chances are tons of people can do what you can do. Whether that’s programming Apps, copywriting or SMM, SEO, etc. Seek to make your company a window into your own life. Let people see who you are. Expose yourself and be someone that folks want to work with! Your human personality is the most valuable asset you possess in the virtual world, both as an individual and a professional.
Step #4: Build Strategically & Incrementally
After the platform is constructed and your sales model/funnel is functioning properly it’s about slow and steady growth. Everything you do, as the brand owners, is branding you from this point onward. Focus on developing your platform/brand identity into something your ideal clients want to be involved with. It’s about human interpersonal engagement. Good luck!
Featured images:
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
By Ali Asjad
Ali Asjad is a content strategist based in Stockholm, Sweden. He helps companies in vast and varied verticals be more successful and visible online. Circle him on Google+ to further the conversation.
