Here in the United States, today is Independence Day. This is a great day to not only participate in all the festivities, but to also reflect on your own “independence.” How much freedom do you actually have? What would you like to change about your career?
If you're unhappy with your job or just want something more, there are many ways to gain more independence for yourself. One of the most effective and accessible ways to do this is by starting a membership site using a WordPress membership plugin like MemberPress.
So am I suggesting you immediately quit your job to start a membership site and just hope it makes money? Actually … no.
See the thing is, that in order to quit your job you need more than just a membership site: you need a business that is already generating or solidly trending towards generating enough income to support you. And that takes time to build.
I'm sure there are numerous ways to get into a position where you can afford to quit your job, but here are some tips I have from when I went through the process. Hopefully they'll be of some help to you too:
Create an Escape Strategy
Anything worth doing is probably going to require a plan. So when you are trying to get out of a job you don't like, you'll definitely need one. My plan involved writing software and developing a system to sell it, but your plan may very well be something different. Many of our customers started their businesses by producing free content, such as a video series on YouTube, a podcast, or even a simple blog. The idea here is to start producing content and establishing credibility as an industry thought leader. Once you start building a following, you can start a membership site and start monetizing on all that juicy content. Finally, once you hit a target income, you can quit your day job. But don't jump the gun without a solid strategy in place.
Set Aside Time Strictly Designated for Building Your Business
It can be rough to find time to build a business when you've got a full-time job, a family, hobbies, and a life. More often than not, the only time you have to work on your business is going to be after work and on weekends. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it sucks. But it's the price you have to pay if you truly want career independence. If you're not willing to buckle down and push yourself to work during your down-time, then you should probably just dig into your job and keep going there.
Keep the Faith
Once you activate your “escape strategy,” it may take some time (maybe even a few years) before you're able to quit. “Playing the long game” like this, with all it's ups and downs, can actually cause some interesting psychological effects. At times it will be fun and exhilarating, but at other times it will be depressing and difficult. This is where you need to keep your eye on the prize and keep going! As long as you see gradual improvement, you need to stay motivated to achieve your goals.
Reaching a place of independence can be hard, but once you get there it is the greatest thing ever. The ability to work on your own terms, is wonderful, but the best part is just the peace of mind that comes from taking control of your own destiny.
If you've been thinking about it and are willing to work hard on it, then you should start building your business today. The longer you wait, the longer it will be before you can claim your independence. Best of luck to you all! We can't wait to see what exciting membership sites you build!
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