Want to build a business that gives you flexibility, fulfillment, and freedom?

You’re in the right place. Today I’ll share the steps to creating what I call a “Freedom Business.”

Ready to create a business on your terms? Let’s go!

You’ll learn:

• What is a Freedom business?
• How do you build a Freedom Business? (step-by-step)
• Examples of Freedom Businesses

What is a Freedom Business?

A Freedom Business is a business that gives you flexibility, freedom, and profit. 

It combines two things:

1. Use the skills you already have.
2. Focus on maximizing your profit per hour of work.

The easiest way to do that is to price as high as you can deliver on your existing skills. 

Or you can create digital products like online courses, that can be sold to multiple people at once.

But why build a Freedom Business? 

Here are a few reasons:

• Freedom: Nothing compares to running a business on your terms. No corporate ladder to climb or competitive rat race to join. You’re free to create your own career path. 
• Flexibility: You can work anytime, anywhere, and with any clients you choose. 
• Fulfillment: As your own boss, you make an impact in the industry, helping your clients transform their lives.

Ready to learn how you can start a Freedom Business, even if you have a 9-5? Let’s get into it.

How do you build a Freedom Business?

Let’s look at how to start a Freedom Business.

You need to follow six key steps:

• Set financial goals
• Choose the right business model
• Get good at storytelling (branding)
• Build relationships
• Focus on a few things
• Build a system

Let’s dive into each one.

Set financial goals

Here’s the thing about becoming an entrepreneur: 

It’s easy to get caught up in the success stories of people making a million dollars in one year. 

But that’s just unrealistic. 

Yes, you can earn great income, but it’s not going to happen overnight. 

It took me ten years from when I started my first ever business to make my first million. And it wasn’t even the same business that brought me that success. 

So how do you set realistic financial goals?

Well, don’t set a goal that’s so challenging you won’t achieve it.

For example, if you’ve never worked with a client, you probably won’t make $30,000 next month.

But if you have made $10,000 in one month, it’s totally achievable to scale your business to making six-figures in the next six months. 

Why? Because you know how to bring in clients and deliver a service. You just need to scale.

If you’re planning to quit your job, setting financial goals is even more important – but don’t overcomplicate it. 

Here is what I call the 3-2-1 rule for leaving your corporate job:

When you have:

• 3 months of consistent business sales 
• 2X your expenses from your business
• 1 year of expenses saved

…you’re ready to quit your job. 

Now, you don’t need to hit all three of these. Just one will make your business way more likely to succeed. 

Those numbers might seem scary now, but with the right business model it’s completely achievable. 

Let’s talk about how to choose one next.

Choose the right business model

What if I told you that you could launch your business TODAY?

Well, you can. The right business model will allow you to use your existing skills to create a high-profit Freedom Business. 

Here are some examples:

• Coaching
• Consulting
• Freelancing
• Online courses

What do these all have in common?

You’re selling knowledge you already have. 

That’s how I started. 

With the skills I learned from my corporate job, I created a digital advertising consulting business. 

It took some experimenting to create a reliable sales system, but I was able to build the business to six-figures in four months. Soon after that, I quit my job.

That was just by offering the skills I’d learned from my day job to small business owners willing to pay for my expertise. 

Think of all the skills you’ve learned from your job, hobbies, and experiences. 

What business model and niche would work for your Freedom Business?

Need more help? Check out this video on choosing a niche:

Next up: The art of storytelling.

Get good at storytelling 

It’s a myth that your business has to be completely original to be successful. 

You don’t need to create the next Amazon. 

But you do need to stand out within your niche – especially if you’re offering a popular service like health coaching or freelance writing. 

So what sets you apart from your competition? Simple – your brand. 

Contrary to popular belief, your brand is NOT just your logo, colors, or font. 

Your brand is what people think of when they think of you. 

Take Oprah. You probably have a very clear idea of who Oprah is, what she does, and what she’s known for. 

Building your brand follows the same principle.

But how do you create a compelling brand for your Freedom Business? 

A simple but effective place to start is your story – not your life story, but the story of how you came to do what you do. 

Here’s mine: 

I was motivated to start my first business when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, my Dad collapsed from heart failure, and my sister almost lost her sight. I was devastated when I didn’t have the freedom to be there for them because of my work commitments. 

That drove me to create a Freedom Business and teach others to do the same so they could live more fulfilling, free lives too. 

Your story isn’t the only thing you need, though…You also need to build relationships. 

Let’s look at that next.

Build relationships 

There are influencers out there with millions of followers that can’t sell products well. 

Why? Because numbers do not equal connection. 

If you don’t have a relationship with your audience, they’re less likely to buy from you. 

So you need to show up and nurture your audience.

Make it a practice to build community, not followers. 

For example, responding to people’s comments helps them trust and connect with you.

You can also create content that sparks conversation and try to get to know members of your audience. 

Ultimately, your business is about the person you’re here to help. You don’t need a big audience to start your Freedom Business – but you do need strong relationships. 

Focus on a few things 

A common mistake new entrepreneurs make is trying to do it all. 

I get it. We’re constantly told we need to be on every social media platform, have an email list, network, podcast, and so on. 

But that’s a fast track to burnout – especially if you have a 9-5. 

The solution is simple. Focus on a few sales activities that will actually grow your business. 

The rest is just a distraction. 

For example, I didn’t have a website when I started this business. That’s because websites, logos, and elaborate business plans don’t bring in sales. 

Instead, try:

• Guest hosting on relevant podcasts in your niche
• Choosing one social media platform to create consistent, high-quality content
• Pitching your articles to popular industry blogs
• Collaborating on social media with popular accounts in your niche
• Reaching out to your network to let them know about your services

…and so on.

By focusing on one or two marketing strategies in the beginning means you’ll use your time more wisely. That way you’ll grow your business bigger and faster.

Next, let’s look at how to systematize your business. 

Build a system   

If you’re bringing in clients and getting good reviews – great news, you’re on your way to building a sustainable Freedom Business. 

But you’re not quite there yet. 

A true Freedom Business needs systems to streamline your time. 

That means automating your sales process to consistently bring in clients who are ready to work with you. 

To do so, you need a lead generation system – a system to consistently bring in leads without you having to actively find them every day. My favorite is search engine optimization (SEO) – optimizing search traffic so that people find you on search engines.

You also need a sales system. That involves automating parts of your sales process so you can make automatic sales. 

An example of a common sales system is an email funnel. That is a scheduled email sequence to nurture new potential clients and encourage them to book your services. 

And finally, you need delivery systems. These are the processes that make sure you’re delivering on what your clients pay you for. For example, you might systematize your coaching services by getting coaches who work for you or building an online course. 

With these systems in place, you can maximize your time on your unique tasks and automate or delegate the rest. Read more about systematizing your business here.

Want more tips on building sustainable systems? This video will help:

Examples of Freedom Businesses

Here are a few examples of Freedom Businesses my students have created after working with me:

• Cultivitae: Emily Liou was a successful recruiter for top Fortune 500 companies. Now she runs a multiple six-figure career coaching business helping people land the career of their dreams.
• Top Law School Consulting: Mara Freilich is a former lawyer who got into a top law school. She created her consulting business to help high schoolers get into top law schools with actionable advice. 
• Academy of Animated Art: Jasmine Katatikarn is a lighting artist with over 20 years of experience in feature animation. She wanted to make 3D animation education easier to access, so she built the Academy of Animated Art on the side of her main job to help people become 3D lighting artists.  

Next steps 

There you have it! You now know exactly how to start a Freedom Business. Ultimately, a Freedom Business offers you abundance – flexibility, a good income, and freedom to work where, when, and how you want. 

But there’s much more that goes into being a highly successful business owner.

Want to know what it is? 

Get my FREE strategy for building a six-figure online business: 

Read more:

How to Finally Go from Employee to Entrepreneur

The Best Online Business Ideas

How to Overcome Your Fear of Starting a Business