Your Creative Contractor - Samantha Slankard

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in freelancing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Samantha Slankard, a freelance writer and social media manager based in Orlando, FL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I support small to medium-sized businesses with their content needs across all marketing mediums!

Tell us about yourself

I started freelancing out of necessity. I quit my job at a marketing agency without any other job lined up due to pure burnout. I spent about a month building a website and learning everything I could about freelancing before I started cold-pitching clients. It was a bit of a slow burn at the start, but once I got the hang of things and became more confident, opportunities came flooding in. I absolutely love making my own schedule and controlling my workload. It really helps me to work when inspiration strikes and relax when I can't put words to a page.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is reaching a level of success I didn't know was possible. And I'm not necessarily talking about finances. I had a pinch-me moment recently where I took a second to recognize that I was feeling confident in my craft, proud of my clients' results, comfortable with the amount of work I had, and carefree with my income. I definitely work to live, so it was really eye-opening as a business owner to feel accomplished with the life I had created for myself.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things is keeping track of all the things. As a business owner, you have to not only be skilled at your craft, but you also have to be a good communicator, keep track of invoices and expenses, track your time, stay on top of bookkeeping, pay quarterly taxes, etc. The business side of being a business owner doesn't come naturally to everyone, and it was definitely a learning curve for me at the beginning, but it's definitely important to be good at wearing many hats.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My top three tips would be to utilize Facebook groups for networking and opportunity scouting, invest in the resources that are going to move your business forward (AKA, upgrade to Canva Pro), and spend time each month brushing up on your skills.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.samanthaslankard.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orlandofreelancer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ORLfreelancer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-slankard/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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