The development of online marketing has changed the game for writing jobs all over the world. The demand for copywriters is on the rise, and for those who enjoy writing and are good at it, there’s much more room to make money as freelancers or in-house writers in advertising companies. However, some writers get fed up with freelancing, either because of insufficient amount of money they make or the attitude of the clients, agencies and companies they’ve worked for. Furthermore, some of them simply strive for more and want to launch their own business – in all these cases starting an independent copywriting agency might seem like a reasonable idea. So, let’s take a quick look at some pros and cons of such a move.

Not many things are “free” in freelancing

The most appealing thing about any freelance job is the apparent independence – you decide on your own work hours, who you will work with, and which projects you will undertake. Also, your expenses are virtually non-existent: you need a laptop, an internet connection and a bit of peace and quiet. Sounds ideal?

Not really. As with any other job, you’re never really independent to the full extent. Your deadlines will often be outrageously short, and finding enough work to put the food on the table might be a real struggle sometimes, especially for inexperienced writers. There are numerous online platforms where copywriters can find clients, but the competition is sometimes fierce. So, in order to build your reputation, you’ll have to accept working on projects that are ridiculously underpaid and completely out of your niche. There are very few freelancers in the writing business that have a stable and constant income, and too often they have to write about stuff they’re not interested in one bit or they know nothing about.

What about an agency?

While freelance writing is a purely creative job, being at the head of a copywriting agency is more of a multi-dimensional undertaking, with creativity and writing skills being just some of its aspects. Running an agency is a true business endeavor and a big challenge that might be interesting for anyone with an instinct and drive for entrepreneurship. Again, the apparent independence is what’s so attractive about having your business of any kind. There’s more room for improvement and, of course, more money to be made.

Naturally, the crucial thing is to have a good and versatile team around you. With the right people involved, you’ll be able not just to cover more different areas and manage more workload, but also to raise the quality of your work. A team of writers is never a mere collection of individuals – a group brainstorming can produce much more than what all of these writers could produce by working separately. With the right creative profiles sitting in the same room, and as long as they’re compatible, you can create a kind of a synergy that triggers the best ideas to pop up constantly.

So, what about expenses? They’re not huge either. To start a copywriting agency, you’ll need a few computers, and depending on the initial extent of your business, you might need a few offices, an accountant, some sort of project management software, and a reasonable advertising budget. It’s not really a colossal risk if you decide to cover all these by yourself, and even taking affordable cash loans for this purpose is a sensible idea.

The business side

However, the biggest potential obstacle you can come across when starting a copywriting business is the same thing that’s so interesting about it – its business aspect. Being a prolific and creative writer doesn’t necessarily mean you have a talent for entrepreneurship, and you’ll never know how good you are at it until you actually take a plunge. Entering into this business, you’ll need to have an already developed network of valuable contacts, or to have someone who can connect you with important business people. Remember, being surrounded with a talented team of writers means nothing if there’s no one willing to pay for that talent – this is not always about being good or bad at something, but about knowing the right people. Getting through to potential clients is the most difficult part of making this business profitable, and you need to make sure you’re well-connected from day one.

All in all, whichever of the two paths you choose, be prepared to work hard and don’t expect too much independence on either side. You’ll be fulfilling the wishes of clients who pay for your services and there’s not much artistic or business autonomy in it. The crucial factor in deciding which way to go should simply be your drive and motivation to start and run a business of your own. This is a way full of risks, uncertainties, and responsibilities, but if you believe you have what it takes, you should go for it.