Make Money Online.
Do Work You Love.
Live on Your Own Terms.

Learn the skills to build an online business, start a freelancing career, or both. Get paid for doing what you are passionate. Work with clients you respect and who respect you. Achieve the freedom and flexibility to set your own hours, be your own boss, and live and work from anywhere.

As seen in:

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Hell yeah, I want to quit my job.
How will you help me do that?

Hey there, cupcake. Are you considering giving self-employment a try? Do you want to do something more meaningful with your life than working for someone else?
Would you like to get paid for doing what you love? Here’s what I can help you with to get there.

nick schaferhoff
online business advice

Online Business Advice

That’s sort of a given, isn’t it? I mean, just look at the main headline above. Building an online business is pretty much the premise of this entire website. If we don’t discuss it, what even is this?

Exactly! Therefore, here’s some of the stuff you can look forward to learning more about:

  • Should you even be an entrepreneur or freelancer? Is this lifestyle really for you?
  • What kind of online business should you start? What options exist in the first place?
  • How to generate business ideas and check them for viability
  • Learning the necessary skills to be a successful entrepreneur and/or freelancer

Tips for Freelancers and Freelancing

I distill down everything I have learned from my years of being self-employed into actionable advice and practical nuggets of wisdom. That or die trying. That means, you may or may not be able to learn from me:

  • How to define your target group, find clients, and communicate with them
  • Setting prices and increasing your rates
  • Continuing to improve your freelancing skills to stay competitive
  • Productivity tips to be an effective freelancer without burning yourself out
tips for freelancers
how to build a website tutorials

Tutorials for How to Build a Website

No matter what online career you choose, sooner or later you are going to need your own website. How else are clients and customers going to find you? Is there even still a real world out there at this point? I haven’t looked out of the window for a while.

Besides important philosophical questions like that, let’s talk about:

  • What do you need to start a website?
  • Choosing a hosting provider and registering a domain
  • How to create a website from scratch without any technical skills
  • Building traffic and growing your site

Content Marketing Tips and Tricks

In online business, there is no “build it and they will come”. You need to actively pursue your audience and lead them to your site. Besides threatening violence, content marketing has shown to be one of the most effective way to do so. So let’s talk about how to use it to market yourself, your website, business, and services with tidbits like:

  • Creating a content marketing strategy
  • How to craft content that ranks well and builds traffic, trust, and sales
  • Search engine optimization tips for absolute beginners
  • Building and maintaining an email newsletter
content marketing tips and tricks
self development life advice

Self-Development / Life Advice

Finally, I talk about the psychological side of business and self-employment. Because it’s tough out there sometimes. Like could-I-please-talk-to-an-adult-I-don’t-think-I’m-the-right-person-for-the-job tough.

To help you through those times, I’m sharing what I have struggled with, how I deal with difficulties, and – because I am a bit of a self-development addict – some of that sprinkled in as well.

In concrete terms, what you can expect is:

  • How to deal with the stress of being self-employed
  • Coping with anxiety, uncertainty, self-doubt, and the fear of failure
  • Staying motivated to work on your online business and career
  • How to network and connect with people who are on the same page as you

Who the hell am I to tell you how to live your life?

If you’ve made it this far, you might be asking yourself, “who is this guy?”. A valid question. Something that’s important to know is that I’ve been successfully self-employed for more than a decade, exclusively making money on the Internet. The past ten years, I was able to work when I want, with whom I want, and from where I want. All I need is a laptop and an Internet connection and I can make a living.

Before that, I was a startup founder, which, quite frankly, I royally fucked up. Luckily, that business taught me enough web design/blogging/marketing skills that I could translate them into a career. I now make thousands of dollars every month getting paid for things I would happily do for free.

And that’s what I want for you. I want to help you build a business for yourself and make money online so you can live life the way you want to. I want to give you the tools to achieve the freedom you seek and deserve.

Sounds good? Then continue reading.

In the meanwhile, if you want to know more about this pretty face, please refer to my About page, where I indulge even further in the hobby of talking about myself.

Kind Words From Customers

Besides giving out advice to strangers, I also run a successful freelance business. If you think you may want to hire me, here’s what some of my existing clients (whom I totally didn’t bribe in any way) thought about our time together.

“Nick is one of the sharpest and most dependable writers I’ve worked with throughout my 10+ year career in content marketing.”

ben sailer director of inbound marketing wordpress.com

Ben Sailer

Director of Inbound Marketing, WordPress.com

“Nick has been an incredible asset to our team. His turn around from content ideation to delivery is amazingly fast based on the quality of content we receive. He is just a joy to work with.”

emily schiola editor torquemag

Emily Schiola

Editor, Torque Magazine/WP Engine

“Nick consistently delivers high-quality work on time, all while maintaining a pleasant and professional attitude.”

donna cavalier wordpress.com managing editor

Donna Cavalier

Managing Editor, Automattic/WordPress.com