Earlier this year, employee morale around my shop was low. I wasn’t happy, but I couldn’t figure out why. The more I thought about it, I realized that I wasn’t being a good boss, even though I am the boss.

I was requiring long hours, making do with technology that wasn’t working quite right and I’d completely neglected employee motivation. I started making a few changes and I’m happy with the results. Here’s what’s changed:

Bonuses: Honestly, the “bonuses” in my business are hockey lessons for Evan and Little Gym for Madelyn—not to mention the occasional trip to Toys R Us for the two of them. That’s great, but it doesn’t always give me the boost I need to do my job better. So, as a little treat, I renewed subscriptions to some writing magazines I like that I had let lapse. I love getting some monthly doses of inspiration delivered right to my mailbox. I also had an amazing illustrator create a new banner for this blog. I loved working with her and was inspired by the whole creative process. Now I just have to get it up!

Oh, and, my hubby and I started treating ourselves to take out a few times a month. After the kids go to bed, we order in, and sit down and have dinner together. We don’t spend a lot of money on eating out and would spend even less on it if I weren’t working, so this is a special treat for us. Plus, it is something I really look forward to each week. Sometimes it the little things that can make the biggest difference.

Create a Pleasant Work Environment: In my last full-time office job, the company kept the refrigerator stocked with Diet Coke. I can’t tell you how often I reached for a soda around 3:00 to give myself an energy boost. Those sodas made me happy, and a happy employee is a productive one. I keep my fridge at home stocked and I hit it frequently during the day. I look at the expense as a cost of doing business. Music, a (sometimes) clean workspace and an awesome office chair I splurged on last year also add to my work environment.

Create Convenience: There are little things in my home office I had learned to work around because I didn’t want to invest the time or money necessary to fix them. Of course, if I worked in an office I’d have been on the line to tech support months ago. I finally took the time to troubleshoot a few things and the end result made my life a lot easier. And, they were a lot easier than I’d expected to fix.

What’s next? I’d like to start making an effort to celebrate milestones. I don’t necessarily measure milestones like I did when I first started freelancing, which makes it hard to celebrate them, but I’m going to get better about it. Whether its meeting financial goals or turning in a certain number of features, there are dozens of ways I can measure success.

How about you? How do you stay motivated?

Years ago, I freelanced on the copy desk of a national financial magazine. I became a regular and put in a week or so of long days each month as they were putting the magazine to bed. Every so often a freelance writer with a column in the magazine would stop by for a meeting and to chit chat with people she knew in the office. In my mind, she was a celebrity. She worked from home and had a column (which she still has) in a national magazine. I secretly hoped to be like her one day.

Fast forward eight years later and here I am, a full-time, work-at-home freelance writer. I don’t have the column in a national, glossy magazine, but thanks to some creativity and hard work, I make a living based on the written word.

I truly believe that if I can do it, you can too. I often get questions from people asking how to become a freelance writer and the truth is, there is no set, magic path. I know how much I wanted there to be some formula I could follow, so I’m sure you’re hoping for the same thing. All entrepreneurs’ paths will be different because our strengths, interests, motivations and past experiences are different.

When I left my full-time office job nearly four years ago, I was determined to make my freelance business a success. I had researched how to build a successful freelance career, written freelance articles on the side for a few years and had talked with my then employer about freelancing for her. Yet, I was still worried that I wouldn’t have enough work to make ends meet.

If anything, I’ve been surprised by the abundance of work that is out there. As a freelancer, I write press releases, blog posts, speeches, feature articles, short news items and newsletters for a variety of clients. This work doesn’t just fall in my lap. It is a result of drawing on my strengths. I think one of my strongest attributes is my ability to pull together difficult data and making it reader friendly, which is why I spend a good portion of my writing time on complex fuel and transportation issues. There are plenty of times that I write about a subject that doesn’t interest me on a personal level, but I do it because it gets me to my goal of being a self-employed writer.

My advice to those who want to write is to sit down and make a list of your interests, strengths and everyone you know who could possibly provide you with work. By examining your skills and interests, you can see what you bring to the table that others don’t. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. You may not be able to pay your bills by doing only what you love, but with some creative thinking, you can cobble together an income.

If you haven’t read it, you may want to take a look at this post where I shared six tips for freelance success and this one where I shared my top three go-to sources for work. 

The most important tip I can offer freelancers is don’t be afraid to ask! All too often I think we shy away from asking someone about a potential project or story simply because we’re afraid. Don’t be. You might be pleasantly surprised. Undoubtedly there will be times when you strike out. When I first hung my own shingle, it pained me each time I saw a lull in my work, but I persisted and eventually learned to embrace the ebb and flow that comes with this lifestyle. Through trial and error, you will find the freelance path that works best for you.

Do you have any freelancing questions I can help answer? I’m happy to share what works for me.