If you’re considering self-employment as a travel writer, but have doubts, you probably have a reason for holding back. However, there are solutions, and there may be a way you can pursue your goal of self-employment. Let’s explore what might be stopping you from becoming a self-employed travel writer.

You hate dealing with finances

For any business to be successful, your incomings need to be significantly more than your outgoings. Even if you manage to secure enough writing assignments and commissioned articles whilst travelling, a big part of ensuring everything runs smoothly is by sending invoices.

By using a free invoice template from FreshBooks, you can create an invoice much quicker than if you designed it yourself. Providing you have an internet connection and a charged laptop; you can fill out and send these professional-looking invoices from wherever you are. They have a range of designs to choose from, so you can match the one which best suits your business. Best of all, these are free, so you won’t have to dip into your travel budget.

You worry about paying your own taxes

Another good thing about invoicing clients is these invoices can help you when it’s time to file your taxes. You will already have records of the money coming in. This means more time pursuing your career and less time on paperwork. So, if you get and safely store receipts for all your spending, you’ll save time and stress when the time comes to think about tax. Then you can choose to calculate these yourself, or if you prefer to avoid maths as much as possible, you can pay an accountant. Remember to add this as an expense too.

You don’t want to give up your life to work long hours

The impression many people have of running a business is putting in long hours, never seeing family and friends, and having no social life. However, this doesn’t have to be true. It’s possible to start your own business travel writing part-time. There will be drawbacks to this, like not always being reachable and less chance of making as much money as you would from running a full-time business. However, the upside is you can make time for other things which are important to you. 

You also get to test whether there’s a demand for what a travel writer with your knowledge and experience has to offer. If there’s little demand, it might still be possible to continue part-time around other work, and it makes it more possible to have more working holidays. If the demand is higher than you expected, you can choose to give up your current job and before a full-time travel writer instead.

You don’t know how you will market yourself

Marketing yourself or your product is difficult for a lot of people. Some ways to do this is by joining specific Facebook groups, though these often have rules about self-promotion, but do hold some opportunities. You can also start your own website, use targeted paid ads on social media, advertise in publications specific to your business, and attend networking events or training seminars in your current location to connect with other businesses and learn about marketing techniques you might not have considered before for your travel writing business.

Although you shouldn’t rush into starting a business without planning, the things holding you back might have simple solutions. If you can find a way to solve potential problems, you’ll be ready to start working for yourself and seeing more of the world.