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This episode, Stephanie Sample explains how to build a business plan, what to include in your business plan, and how to avoid burnout.
Stephanie Sample is the Founder of Fundraising for The Future, a 6 figure business with a calculated profit margin and clear business goals.
Stephanie explains why freelance grant writers need a business plan, the most important aspects of building a business plan, and what to include in a business plan.
She also talks about why freelance grant writers should have an anchor client, how to screen your grant writing clients, and ways to avoid burnout.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to build a nonprofit consultant business plan.
- Why freelance grant writers need a business plan.
- Why freelance grant writers should have an anchor client.
- How grant writers can get accountability and find community.
- What nonprofit consultants should include in their business plan.
- How grant writers should screen the clients they work with.
- The processes grant writers need in place to hire subcontractors.
- How to price your grant writing services.
- How nonprofit consultants can avoid burnout.
About Stephanie Sample
In 2016, after 4 years of full time grant writing as an employee, Stephanie Sample launched her independent grant writing business, Sample Consulting Studio. In 2018, to support her vision of an abundant 5 month maternity leave, Sample began subcontracting projects to grant writers while she welcomed her daughter to the world and adjusted to motherhood. In 2019, SCS grew to include 2 subcontractors with 12+ grant writing projects monthly and in 2020 Sample rebranded her business to Fundraising for The Future. Today, FFTF is a team of 4 serving nonprofit and for profit clients across New Mexico and the United States with grant writing and business plan development.
FFTF is a healthy 6 figure business with a calculated profit margin and clear business goals. Sample is passionate about collaborating with nonprofit consultant support organizations, and supporting new entrepreneurs and business owners in mapping their business growth plans. In addition to running FFTF, you can find her training nationwide on topics from fiscal sustainability to the impact of organizational culture on agency growth. When not at her desk, you’ll find her lifting weights, cooking for her family, or reading.
Connect with Stephanie:
Quotables:
- “There’s something so satisfying about building a business plan because it is a process of imperfection and forecasting. There’s no way to know so you have to make educated estimations and think clearly about what you want.”
- “If you don’t know how much time you’re spending and you don’t know what it costs to run your business you can get your pricing honed in but you’re still going to be losing money and working for 60 hours if your expenses aren’t honed in.”
- “Even if you’re not charging hourly, track your time and use that data.”
Resources mentioned in this episode:
OTHER RESOURCES:
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Thanks for listening!
Warmly,
Holly Rustick
Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.
What is Grant Writing & Funding?
Quit your toxic nonprofit job and replace your full-time income while writing grants part-time, from home! Join our students in the Freelance Grant Writer Academy to create Financial Stability and Flexibility through writing grants for causes you are passionate about: https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy
World-renowned grant writing expert and Amazon bestselling author Holly Rustick provides coaching that helps new and experienced grant writers replace their full-time income while writing grants part-time from home (or anywhere they want to live or travel in the world).
She coaches changemakers to master grant writing and start to grow 6-figure+ grant writing businesses on part-time hours via her signature group program, “Freelance Grant Writer Academy."
As an unapologetic feminist, Holly’s work in coaching female grant writers to master grant writing, find their cause-area niche, and navigate value-based pricing and nonprofit sales is breaking glass ceilings for women all over the world.
Every week, she coaches thousands of people through the top-ranking podcast, Grant Writing & Funding, books on grant writing, and inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy.
Holly has 20 years of experience in grant writing, and began her freelance grant writing journey back in 2005. While teaching in Kuwait and Indonesia, and then earning a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy in Belgium, Holly saw the light of setting up a virtual-based business in grant writing back in the mid-2000s. Having secured more than $45 million of dollars for nonprofit organizations, and then setting up a multi 6-figure freelance business, Holly has a mission to help female grant writers break out of toxic nonprofit J-O-B-S and create high-level income while freelance grant writing.
Inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy, students have secured more than $225+ million in grant funding and $4+ million in revenue in their grant writing businesses within two years.
To amplify this work, she is past-president of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce and was appointed to the Guam Business Advisory Task Force as an advisor to the first female governor of Guam. Holly lives on the island of Guam with her beautiful daughter, Isabella.
If you are interested in replacing your full-time income while writing grants part-time from home (or from anywhere in the world!) join the Freelance Grant Writer Academy!
www.grantwritingandfunding.com.