So, you’ve got a skill, passion, or expertise you want to share with the world, and you’re ready to turn it into an online business. Whether you’re into coaching, teaching, or offering marketing services – you’re ready to REALLY put in the work this time, turn your dreams into reality, and start generating a remote income… so that one day, you can travel the world AND make money at the same time. Keep reading for a step-to-step guide to start your service-based online business!
If you’re first trying to start freelancing, the overload of information on the web can be overwhelming. Should you start by investing your time and money in a detailed business plan, a positioning strategy or a sales plan? Personally, we suggest sticking to the basics: register your company, figure out your unique value and make sure your potential clients can find you online. The most important thing in the early stages of entrepreneurship is to bring in your first clients and deliver value to keep them happy. Ofcourse, one blog article would never be enough to cover everything you need to start a successful business. This article simply functions as a step-by-step guide to help you figure out where to start and in which order we suggest should your priorities be.
First things first: what do we mean by ‘service-based online business’ and why are we focusing on this model? When we say ‘service-based business’, we are referring to any skill that helps you add value to your clients and you can exercise fully online. This includes, but is not limited to: teaching, copywriting, coaching, developing, online marketing, online advertising (on freelance basis). Online business models that don’t fall into the category ‘service-based’ are affiliate marketing, trading, dropshipping or selling courses. If you’re interested in one of these business models, you’ll find plenty of information online – but since we are mostly experienced with service-based business models, for this blog we will stick with the things we are familiar with.
The advantage of an online skill is that you don’t need to physically be present to add value for your clients. This means that you can practically travel all over the world and work remotely from anywhere – as long as you have a stable internet connection and a laptop. Once you are ready to start your travels, we recommend using an international simcard like Airalo to stay connected in more than 200 countries.
Please do keep in mind that, since there’s a lot of people trying to build an online business these days, it can easily take you some months or years before you can actually make a living off your business to travel the world – full-time or part-time. However, with consistent effort, determination to keep going, and a personalized approach, we believe anyone actually can indeed make it happen!
Unfortunately, if you’re trying to start your online service-based business, you probably won’t be the only one. In order to be a step ahead of the competition, it’s important to have an idea of what makes you stand out from the crowd. What makes you different from the other developers, designers, marketeers or coaches out there? The answer to your question is your Unique Selling Point (USP): the reason why potential clients should choose to work with YOU rather than your competitors.
Your unique positioning can be done in multiple ways:
Once you’ve figured out what it is that makes you stand out, it is key to build your brand around these USPs. This starts with the name. The name is the first thing people will know when they hear about your business, so it should be catchy, reflecting your USPs, easy to pronounce and easy to remember. Other important aspects of your branding involve the logo, graphic design and professional photography.
We take care of the entire brand development process for freelancers, start-ups and SMEs. We start by defining your USPs and continue to build a unique, consistent brand on these USPs. Check out our website for more information: www.bridge-marketing.nl.
You’ll be surprised how many people try to start their business without officially registering. The exact rules around registering your business will depend on your country, so it’s best to check the website of your government. But generally speaking, the moment you start earning money in return for your services, it’s best to think about making it official. Having a registered business will also show your clients and prospects you’re serious.
Your website is the first thing your potential clients will see when they look up your business online. Before you can start building your website, you have to take care of some technical and legal stuff: registering your domain, selecting a hosting provider, installing a privacy and cookie policy, and installing the necessary security measures.
Web hosting simply means your website is placed on a server (a piece of ‘online space’), so that other people can reach it from the internet. We will also walk you through the entire process of hosting your website. We provide advice on the legal requirements, we help you install the SSL-certificate, and we help you purchase the hosting package (we highly recommend NameHero or SiteGround, as they both come with fast hosting and 24/7 support).
A professional, functional and user-friendly website for your services inspires trust among your target group. Research shows over and over again that potential customers are much more likely to purchase a product or service from a company with its own professional website than, for example, from someone who is only present on social media. We can help build your website for you against a price that will depend on your personal wishes and the functional requirements.
Our websites are fast, compliant and responsive on all devices. Have a look at our portfolio to see for yourself: https://www.bridge-marketing.nl/project/
After all this work on your website, ofcourse you want to make sure your potential customers can find your website. In 2024, SEO is more than just using the right key words: it’s making sure your website content is easy to read, helpful, and targeted. This is why, in addition to building your website, we offer complementary SEO copywriting services: webpages and blogs that include the relevant key words, utilize linkbuilding, reflect your USPs, speak to your target group and end with a clear call-to-action.
Reaching your target group is one thing: appealing to them is a job in itself. In the service-based market, you can stand out from the crowd by demonstrating your expert knowledge on the service you provide. We help you show your expertise through blogs and webpages, social media marketing, whitepapers and email marketing – in a personalized way what fits you and your desired clients. Feel free to reach out to us to discuss the possibilities!
Unlike having a job, entrepreneurship means you have to do EVERYTHING yourself: paying your taxes, saving up for retirement and days off, making sure new projects keep coming in… Probably not the most fun part of the job (unless you’re an accountant or appointment setter, in that case I hope you do like that part of the job), but a necessary part of your ticket to freedom. For every aspect of business that isn’t your scope of work, it’s up to you to decide whether you will take care of it yourself, or outsource to an expert.
In the future, we might create a more in-depth whitepaper on how to actually get your first clients. Please reach out to us if this is something you would be interested in – and let us know if there’s any specific questions you’d like to see discussed!
Although it can surely be tempting to just quit your job, book your plane ticket and fly off towards your digital nomad adventure, fully trusting that God or the Universe has your back – we personally would never recommend this to anyone. In our experience, your revenue will likely fluctuate in the beginning, and it can easily take years before you’ll company will generate a consistent and reliable income. However, as you’re slowly getting the hang of it and sales start flowing in – it’s up to you when you feel like you’re ready to conquer the world!
Is a laptop job not your thing, but would you still like to travel regardless? Working travel does not have to be limited to the classical digital nomad lifestyle. Check out this blog for different ways to work abroad in your country of choice!
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