Thank you Block Advisors by H&R Block for sponsoring this post.
Nearly everyone I’ve ever talked to about my left-of-center career has been enthralled. I usually get responses along the lines of, “I wish I could do that,” or “I always wanted to be a writer,” or the classic, “You’re so lucky!”

They aren’t wrong. I am lucky, but it’s not quite that simple.
Cobbling together a financial life as a self-employed entrepreneur is full of fringe benefits but also rife with complications. For every Instagram worthy photo from some faraway place I’m visiting as a freelance travel writer, there’s an invoice from some copywriting gig that I need to chase down, and the tax implications of all of it that, frankly, I rarely ever understand.

So many of the jobs we hold today didn’t exist when we were kids, so it helps to have years worth of experience at your fingertips by having Block Advisors by H&R Block in your corner. Whether you’re a content creator or copywriter, photographer or podcaster, run a burgeoning literary magazine or a lifestyle blog, are an influencer or freelancer, have dabbled in rideshare driving or use your own vehicle to deliver food, or if you’ve tried your hand at being an author or sell your handmade wares on Etsy, Block Advisors is an expert resource you can rely on for tax, bookkeeping, and payroll help for your small business(es) AND your side hustle(s), at tax time or any time!

4 Tips for Starting On Your Own Entrepreneurial Journey
I have done all of those entrepreneurial gigs listed above, and more! It’s been well over a dozen years since I have gotten just a single W2 to report my income. As a freelance writer, author, podcaster, and professional side hustler, I receive dozens of 1099 forms each January, have to track my invoices and make decisions about them (do I report when earned or when actually paid, for example), and need to know what I don’t know, ya know? Being a smart independent worker and small business owner means working with trusted experts in the areas you don’t excel, and often for creatives folks like me, bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll rank high on the, “I don’t understand any of this” list!
As someone who has embarked on many different entrepreneurial journeys since leaving the traditional workforce to focus on being a dad full-time in 2008, I’d like to share with you 4 tips for starting out on your own small business, freelance, content creator, entrepreneurial dreams.
- Focus On The Small Things You Can Control
I have never had the biggest reach, the most readers, or the greatest (or any) sales technique. And yet, I work constantly and make a decent living as an entrepreneur, small business owner, and a freelance writer. The reason: I focus on the small things I can control, things like being kind, timely, and considerate. And I focus first on developing human relationships instead of networking. Because I know that my network of clients will grow organically by being a caring, interested, and good person.

Also, please don’t email like you text! Instead, use salutations in your emails, say please and sign off with a thank you, and follow up with genuine concern and care if you happened to learn something about your contact (for example: they were about to move into a new house, send a kid off to college, get a dog, etc). Like Harry Styles says, treat people with kindness!
Block Advisors by H&R Block has the expertise and wealth of resources to help ensure your business(es) and side hustles thrive. How so, you might ask? Well, when you work with Block Advisors to sort your financial life at tax time or any time, you will be partnering with a small business certified tax pro who will provide you and your small business with the support you/it needs. No matter how many W2s and 1099s you receive, Block Advisors will help you dedicate the time, as well as much needed mental and emotional energy, to seeing your entrepreneurial endeavors not only survive, but thrive!
- Your Time Has Value, Value Your Time
It’s common to defer your own salary when you start a new small business, to help get it up and running, but an absence of a wage doesn’t mean your time doesn’t have value! Additionally, as a freelancer who must determine their hourly or per gig rates for work, you mustn’t neglect to value yourself, your skills, experience, and your time accordingly.
- Don’t Forget About Balance
As you launch new businesses and endeavors, the excitement of starting and the fear of failure can often coalesce to make you forget about balance. You will be tempted to pour all of yourself into your entrepreneurial journey to ensure it clicks, stays on track, and thrives but it’s imperative you do not let self-care wane or the needs of your family get pushed to the side.

Good luck with your small business or self-employed life! Remember to take care of yourself, use Block Advisors to sort your finances with aplomb, value your time, and be kind!