Welcome to The Loaf - making money & business more approachable for self-employed creatives & freelancers
The time has come.
After starting the Creatorbread Creative Grant Program in December, we've officially funded the first grant 🎉
The first recipient is Elizabeth R, a young creative who has a passion for making unique clothing & costumes for underrepresented communities.
A few examples of her work:
Recently, she helped create costumes for a low-budget horror film and has plans to continue growing her extensive portfolio as her goal is to build a career in TV and film.
The funds from the grant will be used to purchase a sewing machine and mannequin forms to help make the creation process easier:
“I just want to create freely without having to worry about financial restraint as much as I do. I have so many ideas but only a few get to exist in the tangible world, having a sewing machine would let me make costumes and garments in just a fraction of the time.”
Friendly money & business reminders for self-employed creatives
✅ Start preparing for 2022 tax filing
Why? If you've been self-employed for more than a year, you know how stressful April can be if you wait until the last minute.. And if you don't have an accountant yet, now is the best time to find one - don't put this off unless you plan to self-file.
• If someone paid you more than $600 last year, they should send you a Form 1099 by the end of the month. The deadline for them to send them out is January 31st.
• Even if you don't receive a 1099, you still have to report the income..
• Some things to start preparing & gathering: Profit & loss statement for 2022 business financials, all other income, all 1099s, charitable donation receipts, retirement contribution amounts
• Note: If you *accurately* paid quarterly taxes throughout the year, you technically shouldn't owe anything in April. If this is the case, the tax filing process is more of a documentation of income activities and a chance to get a refund. But if you didn't withhold & pay any taxes, all liabilities would then be due.
✅ Create a "new business" file
Why? If you provide a service or work with brands, you can save time with onboarding new business if you have all of the necessary info readily available
• For freelancers, this should typically be a Form W9, an invoice template, a blank agreement, and other deliverables - such as a service sheet or portfolio sample
• I keep my folder within Notion and also include links to things like HelloSign (for sending agreements), Canva (for designing agreements and deliverables), and Stripe (for billing)
• Shoutout to Kaitlyn Arford for the inspiration as this something I started doing a few months ago - it's been a huge upgrade in my freelance business:
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💰 50 online course ideas (and how to pick one that works for you)
🤌🏼 How to find unique content topics - h/t FTI
👀 20 harsh truths that most people will never realize
🎥 Watch: Seth Godin on self-promotion & finding success as a creative
✍🏼 Freelance Finds: Free access to 100 font families
Keep creating,
Treyton DeVore
