{"id":468,"date":"2025-02-04T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T17:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/?p=468"},"modified":"2026-02-04T05:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T13:30:21","slug":"why-freelance-while-working-full-time-and-how-to-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/why-freelance-while-working-full-time-and-how-to-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Steps How to Start a Freelancing Business While Working Full-Time in 2026 (and Why You Should)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hiring freelancers is becoming not only more acceptable, but more attractive for many businesses. This creates an incredible opportunity for people with useful skills to start a freelancing business<\/strong> on the side, and eventually grow that into a sustainable self-employed career. That’s exactly what I’ve done with my content marketing consultant<\/a> business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fewer taxes, lower employee-related expenses, no healthcare, less office space, the list goes on. These are but a handful of the reasons many companies are seeking freelancer writers, designers, marketers, and developers to help grow their businesses. Plus for freelancers, there are so many great freelance jobs websites<\/a> cropping up meet this demand today, that the opportunities are only getting better and better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent study by the University of Phoenix, polling 1,600 adults under the age of 30, found that 63% of people in their 20’s either own their own business or want to in the near future. Of those who are not already entrepreneurs, 55% identified as wanting to be, one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do those of us, regardless of age, who want to be gainfully self-employed go about getting started with our careers as entrepreneurs? Well, choosing to start a freelance business is one of the most feasible, realistic, and attainable side businesses<\/a> you can start while keeping your day job (and the security that comes along with it).<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We all have bills that need to be paid and expenses that don’t just magically go away overnight once we decide to chase our dreams. Choosing to become an entrepreneur comes with great responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend reading this guide all the way through from top to bottom, but if you prefer to jump around, here’s a hyperlinked table of contents that’ll take you straight to each stage of how to start freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Steps to Start a Freelance Business While Working Full-Time in 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Define Your Goals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Find a Profitable Niche<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Identify Your Target Clients<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Set Strategic Prices for Your Services<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Build a High-Quality Portfolio Website<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Create Examples of What You Can Deliver (on Your Portfolio Site)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Thoughtfully Choose Your First Clients<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Mention Potential Clients in Your Content<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Learn How to Pitch Yourself<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Don’t Mix Your Day Job Priorities with Freelance Business<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    10 Steps to Start a Freelance Business While Working Full-Time in 2026<\/a><\/div>Click To Post on <\/i><\/a>
    <\/div><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, let’s dive into my guide to learning how to start freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But First… Why I Started a Freelance Business While Keeping My Day Job<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I grew my freelance business to over six figures in revenue on the side before quitting my day job in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I live in Los Angeles, which happens to have one of the highest average rent costs in the US. So for me, immediately quitting my day job to pursue my passion of working for myself was never going to be a feasible option. That’s why I chose to get serious about starting my business on the side<\/a> and building my personal brand as a content marketer\u2014all while I still had my day job to pay the bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since my eventual goal was to work full-time creating more in-depth content and courses for my blog and online community (my blogging goals<\/a>), I knew that if I could first transition over to a lifestyle of running a profitable freelance business, that could build up my savings and eventually afford me the flexibility to spend more time working on courses & the content I’d need to fully validate my ideas<\/a> in the short-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this sense, I viewed starting a freelancing business (in my case as a freelance writer<\/a>) as a necessary in-between step in my progression towards getting back to gainful self-employment, on my terms this time. This strategic progression is backed up by the journeys that many top entrepreneurs have gone on\u2014and you can learn more through my picks for the best business books<\/a> and top online business courses<\/a> for entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unlocking more of my time, which I wholeheartedly believe to be my most precious resource, meant I’d be able to get my passive income business off the ground much quicker than just squeezing in time around my day job. Freelancing is more flexible. And while it comes with a different set of stressors than your typical day job, it’s been much less stressful (for me) than working a traditional 40-50 hour per week job. Even if that job is remote<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like it or not, you’ll have to create<\/em> a decent amount of time in your schedule to start a freelance business (and grow it).<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Because I didn’t want to go into debt or seek outside funding to start my freelance business, I chose to start freelancing while keeping my day job, during my personal time before and after work and on weekends. That meant a lot of short-term sacrifices when it came to “fun” during the week and on weekends\u2014but it was well worth it in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Moreover, that experience has taught me an incredible amount about how much hard work it takes to launch a freelance business and to continue delivering high quality results for clients, while bringing in new contracts at the same time. It’s no easy feat balancing working “in” your freelance business with working “on” your freelance business, especially when you’re still learning how to manage opportunities that come your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fast forward a bit… during the average month today, I’m now able to earn anywhere from $20,000-$30,000\/mo<\/a> (often more) in dependable income\u2014now from a combination of my freelance clients, online course sales and other passive blog income sources here\u2014which all go a long way towards funding my future business endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Ryan<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Make no mistake, there’s no doubt that it will be difficult to keep up with your performance at the office\u2014and still find the time to put in meaningful work on your freelance projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But, when you’re running your own freelance business full-time and reaping the lifestyle benefits of hustling your way into self-employment, it’ll be well worth the extra hours right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Especially if like me, freelancing for you is a means to getting closer to your self-employed dream career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Want the really good stuff?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Join me today and I’ll send you my weekly tips, strategies, and detailed insights on starting a profitable side business.<\/p>\n\n\n