I keep getting reminders in my email that I need to pay all my annual dues for my website, my business license, my taxes, etc. and that can only mean one thing: I’ve been doing this for a year now.

Even though I’ve only been doing this freelance thing for a year, I can tell you that I am SO GLAD I started this gig at the age I did. Starting a business in your late 30’s comes with a lot of perks:

1. You can afford it. Starting and running a business ins’t exactly cheap. There are a lot of services to pay for to do this right: website, quickbooks, licenses, marketing, and more. To be able to afford these expenses up front, it took a lot of stress out of the equation.

2. You have some valuable life-lessons out of the way already, particularly when it comes to clients. I think that having more experience dealing with people and different personalities has been enormously beneficial because you can spot a not-so-ideal client quicker. Being a little older also means you care less what other people think of you so you have less of a problem letting a project go because you know this client is going to be a bad fit for you.

3. You have the freedom to step away. I’m not relying on this side-hustle for income so when I need to take some time off, I can and in the case of the last few months, I did.

Ultimately, regardless of your age, I think there are some valuable things that anyone interested in freelancing should know:

1. TRUST YOUR GUT. I know you’ve heard it a million times but it’s the truth. If something seems off, it is. Don’t risk your time and reputation on a project that is going to be a total nightmare.

2. YOUR TIME HAS VALUE AND THE LONGER YOU FREELANCE, THE MORE VALUE YOUR TIME HAS. By being a creator, you’re already doing something that 99% of people will never do. There is value in that. When someone is paying for your content, they’re not paying for the one piece you’re making for them. They’re paying for the hours and hours and hours you’ve spent learning to make that content.

3. BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF. There are a lot of ups and downs that come along with freelancing. When those downs come, beating yourself up isn’t going to do you any favors. Just roll with it and remember that without those downs, the ups are never as good.

In the end, we’ll all choose to run our businesses a little differently but if you can trust your gut, value your time, and be patient with yourself, I an assure you that your first year will be one to remember.