From Side Gig to 6-Figure Success — How I Built a Thriving Home-Based Business as a Busy Family Man I've made over $17,000,000 for clients worldwide and brought in multiple six figures for myself, all while barely leaving my kitchen.
By Svetoslav Dimitrov Edited by Maria Bailey
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
On a warm July day in 2014, I received a Facebook message from a former classmate. She asked me whether I'd be interested in translating for a local website she was working at. I didn't think too much of it at the time, but I gladly accepted, eager to earn my first bit of online income.
That "gig" barely lasted three months, and I made less than $1,000. But that was the catalyst for me sitting here today, having made over $17,000,000 for clients around the world and bringing in multiple six figures for myself, all while barely leaving my kitchen.
Not only that, but I get to plan my days around making memories with my amazing wife and my beautiful 15-month-old daughter. Before I tell you how I can live such a comfortable life, let's look at my struggles because it wasn't all sunshine and roses, especially in the first two years of my freelance career.
Overcoming the early hurdles
After the translation gig, I took a three-month in-house position in China, helping the company expand links with diplomatic missions. While I loved traveling and exploring the Middle Kingdom, I didn't love being back in an office. So, three months later, after I came back home, I created my first website, a travel and lifestyle blog. While it never made me more than $500 per year, it served as a portfolio when I was applying for content writing jobs on Facebook job boards.
Six months after creating the website and trying to compete with hundreds of others for every freelance gig I could find, I was able to secure a somewhat steady gig with a local online entrepreneur. That same guy later called me "The best copywriter in Bulgaria."
Whether he was right or not, it didn't matter. His statement gave me an enormous boost to my confidence. We even became good friends. One thing led to another, and two years after our first meeting, we launched an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).
The project didn't pan out as I expected, but I gained a ton of valuable experience. I was responsible for everything related to marketing — social media content, email marketing and landing page copy. I helped with the branding, led a team of content writers, and even provided some customer support.
Around the same time, I also made my first $1,000 in a month just by writing copy. Things started to improve, but they were still slow.
Related: These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey
The power of investing in your growth
After a much more successful 2018, I finally gained enough money to invest in my growth. That's why in 2019, I spent £1,000 ($1,300) on a copywriting course from a guy I'd been following for a couple of years. In 2020, I invested in his group coaching program, which I'm still a member of. On top of that, I joined a paid mastermind and bought another course on how to write high-converting sales pages.
By the end of the year, I had invested close to $2,000 every month in coaching, mentorship, and courses. That allowed me to have my first five-figure month in 2021 and 7.5 times my income from 2020 to 2022. The truth was, had I invested in mentorship earlier, I'd have probably achieved those results much faster.
Related: 7 Ways to Maximize Mentor Relationships in Business
Five essential tips for running a 6-figure business from anywhere in the world
Nowadays, I regularly earn five-figure months, I choose whom to partner with, and I can work from any spot on the planet provided it has Wi-Fi. This allows me to help my wife take care of my 15-month-old daughter while having an amazing lifestyle where we aren't tied to any location.
However, it took me over five years to reach this level, and I could have never made it this far without a few things I did.
So, if you'd also like to run a six-figure business while enjoying the freedom and flexibility of working from home, the following tips will be helpful. Imagine being able to take a long lunch break to hit the gym or meet a friend for coffee, knowing you can catch up on work later in the day. Want to take a spontaneous weekend getaway? As long as you have your laptop and a reliable internet connection, you can work from anywhere in the world.
Let's dive into the tips.
Be consistent
I don't know any successful person who isn't consistent in what they're doing. For example, I've been posting on my Facebook wall almost daily since 2014. And I've been working out pretty much non-stop since 2012. These two things have helped me keep a positive mindset and build my personal brand consistently over time.
Related: Why Consistency Is the Key To Success, Learn From These Entrepreneurs
Don't focus on the money. Focus on the craft
Way too many people focus only on making money. This is putting the cart before the horse. Money is a byproduct of your skills. If you're not good, no one will pay you to do work for them. But when you get good, money comes easily.
Get a mentor
There's no faster way to grow in any career than getting a mentor or a coach. Learning from their mistakes so you don't make the same ones and following their expert advice can dramatically speed up your progress. And while it usually comes with a hefty price tag, every single cent invested in your personal development is worth it.
Trust the process
As a freelancer, you'll inevitably face the dreaded "feast-and-famine" cycles. Don't fight them; embrace them. They're part of the process. They help you grow faster, provided you learn the lessons from each period. Because if you don't? You're doomed to repeat those same mistakes.
Never get comfortable
Many folks make the critical mistake of getting comfortable. That's when they stop investing in coaching. They stop buying courses. And they become confident they know it all.
Sadly, that's also when things can easily go south. So, if you'd like to avoid such unpleasant situations, always be curious and open to learning new things.
Bottom line
These were the things that helped me build a consistent six-figure business I can run from anywhere in the world. I don't have any employees, I work less than 5-6 hours per day, and I don't even have a virtual assistant (VA).
So, if you'd like to achieve similar results, follow the five tips I shared above.
