Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in freelancing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Natalie Gates, a website copywriter based in Campbell River, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a website copywriting and brand messaging strategist for small, client/service-based businesses.
Tell us about yourself
Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to write for a living in some way. When I got older, I dreamt of freelancing and travelling. After working in PR/marketing and doing some journalism on the side, the pandemic hit, and I was laid off from my job. That was the perfect push I needed to start my own copywriting business. Little by little, I built something I love that supports me. These days, flexibility, the ability to travel while I work, and the fellow creative business owners I get to write for motivate me to keep doing what I do. Plus, I love copywriting because it's the perfect combination of research, psychology, and creativity. Embodying another brand's voice and then seeing the final piece come together is one of the most satisfying feelings.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
In the past 6 months, I spent a month working from Argentina and 3 months working in Spain. I feel really proud that I've been able to build a business that supports those goals of mine, allowing me to meet other business owners far from home.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It can be really hard to switch off fully, especially if there's something at your desk still nagging at you. It's so easy to feel like your business is a total embodiment of you as a person, even though it's not.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
It sounds kind of obvious, but make genuine connections with other business owners, whether it's on social media, in groups, or in person. Whether they're in your city or on the other side of the globe. Just be curious and open yourself up to others without expecting it to go anywhere. The best connections I've made have kind of been accidents. Some have led to awesome projects and steady work, and others have provided a sense of community and understanding. You really can't do it alone.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.nataliegates.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieGatesCopywriting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordsbynatalie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natkatgat
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-gates-94163b109/
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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