Black Friday sounds like THE time of the year to start spending money, but what if this year you turned it around? Look, starting an online business without having a lot of money is possible thanks to the many resources available on the Internet. However, there are a couple of tools and services that you should invest some money in to make your freelance life easier!

Although I have way fewer expenses than brick-and-mortar businesses, I do feel that it is important to invest some money in tools and services which can make my freelance business easier to manage and also look more professional. So let me share with you my “Black Friday strategy.” Yep, I got a plan!

Start Planning Your Black Friday Strategy…

What I do is write down every resource, app, and course that I’d like to have or join – and wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to see if they offer discounts. You wouldn’t believe how much money I’ve saved these past years only with this little trick! I know you don’t need a quantum-physics-genius mind to develop such an easy plan, but I think that with all the nice and fun things you can get on Black Friday, it’s way too easy to forget about the boring business department, right?

And can you guess a practical side effect of joining subscriptions on Black Friday? Well, when you get to renew your subscription one year later, it’s usually Black Friday again, so you pay less – once more time! If you’ve been freelancing for a couple of years, I’m sure you have some subscriptions to renew sooner or later. What about upgrading to an annual payment plan on Black Friday? Just do the maths, and if they work, go for it!

If you aren’t freelancing yet – but you know you’re going to start in the near future -, why don’t you benefit from these great offers and enroll in that course you know you need? Or hire a web designer to finally get your website up and running? Do you need a nice logo? Go and look for Black Friday deals! And remember, if you join any annual subscription, write down the renewal date on your calendar – and repeat this process next year!

The Best Holiday Gifts for Freelancers (You!)

This is also a great strategy for Santa, by the way… Why don’t you let your boyfriend, husband, mom, or Santa himself, know about that discounted gadget you’ve always wanted to have?

Now, you might be thinking that this year would have the most boring gift-unpacking moment ever, BUT think about how professional your business would look in 2023 AND how much money you would save if you didn’t have to buy it all by yourself! Can you imagine having that awesome microphone you always wanted to record your very first podcast or to create an online course with studio quality? Sure, a nice necklace can’t be replaced by a microphone. But you can wait for your birthday to ask for a necklace, or even buy it yourself with the money you earned with that awesome online course you created! And don’t forget that these purchases would count as business expenses.

Besides, there are also tools that are not only useful but also beautiful, like the Work for You™️ Planner, created by yours truly as a roadmap to help you start freelancing.

6 Steps to Plan What You Need to Profit from Deals and Discounts

Convinced? Great! So this is what I’d like you to do:

1. Download the free Holiday Planner for Freelancers and write down every tool, service, or equipment you need (now or in the near future).

2. Research prices and note them down.

3. Write a number near the list of items, where 1 is the item you need most but can’t afford right now. These are the gifts you’ll try to purchase or receive this year.

4. If there’s any item that is way too expensive to ask Santa to load on his sleigh, like, say, a laptop, you’d better try your luck on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

5. Don’t limit yourself to physical objects: My last year’s best purchase on Black Friday was a yearly subscription to BluChic – my favorite place for feminine WordPress themes. I wanted it, and I knew I was joining them anyway, so I had to control myself and wait for Black Friday to attack! I hope this year they offer a subscription renewal treat as well!!

6. If you’d like to purchase a yearly subscription to a social media management tool, for example, take the time to test your best candidates before adding them to your wish list. You should consider – not only its price – but also its usability and functions.

Take your time to come up with the gift ideas that can help your online business

Can’t you think of anything yet? Think about all the costs you need to have to perform your work in the most professional possible way. For instance, if you don’t take your own photos for your site, stock images can be really expensive. So why not join a yearly subscription to Haute Stock, for instance? Their beautiful photos – and videos! – are specifically created for women entrepreneurs.

Are you taking your own photographs instead? Then, what about upgrading to a professional DSLR camera? Or just buy a clip-on lens kit for your smartphone? And don’t forget online courses! I’m sure there’s more than one course you’ve been willing to join, right?

And if you’d like a combo of social media resources and stock photographs, check out Social Curator!

If you’d like to take advantage of the bargain- and gifts-packed upcoming months to power up your freelancing equipment, feel free to download this free Holiday Planner for freelancers I created for you – and me! So what do you say? Will you go for that necklace, or are you taking your business seriously?

PS. What kind of Black Friday deals are you wishing for? If you think I’m missing something on the list, leave a comment below!

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