Now that election season has officially drawn to a close here in the U.S, it’s time for us to also bring an end to our ongoing debate with Men with Pens. We have a few more things to say on the subject, and since we called them out, it seems only appropriate to offer them the opportunity to get in the last word if they so desire. So, this will be our last post in this series on “how much does it cost to start a freelance business.”
First of all, I have to point out that—as is so often the case with debates—I think we all ended up practically “arguing” the same point, just in different words. I agree with the way James phrased it:
“We’ve determined (all four of us) that it’s possible (but not preferable) to start a freelancing business on less than $500.”
Yep. We agree on that. You can totally do it with less than $500, but you’d better have a backup plan.
So, here’s where I get a little rant-y. I hope you’ll bear with me, as I think I actually have two mini-rants brewing at the moment.
Point #1:
Tamara and I absolutely know that we are privileged. The mere fact that we live in North America means that we are privileged. Also, the reason that I mentioned our working spouses was to be clear to everyone that we knew we were in a fortunate situation. Of course, that’s not to say that we are (as Tamara so eloquently put it) “a couple of rich bitches who decided to take up freelancing because we got bored of sitting around and having our nails done.”
We started freelancing because we needed money and wanted to earn it on our own terms. When we decided to start our business, Tamara’s husband had taken on a second job, and I was trying to figure out which maternity outfit was going to work best for my upcoming job interviews. She even took a part-time job at the beginning to help her family meet expenses. So, while we are absolutely a couple of fortunate people, we want to be clear that this wasn’t just a lark or a hobby.
This leads nicely into my second rant…
