🎧 Freelance Playbook: Business & Money Mastery. Creating a Strong Foundation.

Jon Garcia
Jun 25
5 min read

Updated: Jul 25

Written by Jonathan Garcia For mixers, engineers, and artists who want to protect their time, grow their income, and build a real business that breathes.

🚀 Intro: From Fear to Foundation

Starting your own business is exciting and, yeah, scary sometimes.

Usually that fear comes from your fear of the unknown as a new business owner. I’ve been there. If you’re a freelancer in the music industry, engineer, mixer, producer, or a freelancer in any industry trying to get serious about your work, this post is for you.

These are lessons I wish I had six years ago. Things that would’ve saved me time, money, and stress. If you already know or do some of these, Heck yeah. Drop a tip in the comments. If something new clicks? Even better.

The truth is: the road to entrepreneurship isn’t easy. But the ones who are prepared and surrounded by a strong, informed community. Survive and thrive.

🧠 PART 1: MINDSET SHIFT

You’re not “just a freelancer.”You’re the CEO of your creative business.

🎯 Core Beliefs

You are a business. Not a hobbyist.
Clients pay for clarity, reliability, and taste.
Protect your time, energy, and income like it’s your gear.

This is such an integral part of the entire operation. Growing up I was raised in my fathers pizzeria running the shop by 14. So business was instilled upon me young which made me understand and know everything is attainable with some discipline and hard work. Shouts to the dealers pushing quality products to their clients. Running a business and putting on for the ones who need it. Always respect the hustlers. Do More, Do Much More.

🧱 PART 2: BUSINESS STRUCTURE

🔹 Sole Proprietorship

Default setup (no paperwork needed)
No legal separation between you and business
Taxes filed on your personal return (Schedule C)

🔹 LLC (Limited Liability Company)

Legal protection: separates business and personal
Boosts professional credibility
One-time setup + small annual maintenance
Still taxed like a sole prop unless you choose S-Corp

🧩 Jonathan’s Rec:

Start as a sole prop while you're testing the waters
Switch to LLC once you're making consistent income or investing in gear/assets
Add a DBA (“Doing Business As”) if your brand name differs from your legal name

Ex: LLC = Dealer Made Music LLC, DBA = Mixed by Jonathan Garcia

This can be confusing to understand. To know which business type is right for you I recommend doing the proper research and analyzing your business honestly to make the right choice.

💼 PART 3: EIN, BANKING & ACCOUNTS

🔐 EIN (Employer Identification Number)

Free via IRS.gov
Required to open business bank accounts & file business taxes

💵 The 5-Account Money System (Based on Profit First)

Income Account – All payments land here. Don’t spend from it.
Owner’s Pay – Your salary (30–50%)
Operating Expenses (OPEX) – Gear, plugins, subscriptions, ads (20–40%)
Taxes – Save 25–30% of total revenue
Profit – 1–5% to invest back into your growth or studio

💡 Just getting started? Use 3 accounts: Income, OPEX, and Business Credit Card.

You don’t need 5 accounts for your business but this is an incredible way to maintain and understand all parts of income and outcome of your business. If you don’t set up 5 I do recommend at least 3. The Income Account (Business Checking), OPEX Account (Business Savings) Business Credit Card.

💸 PART 4: TAX BASICS

📅 What You Owe

Federal Self-Employment Tax (15.3%)
Federal Income Tax (variable by bracket)
State + Local Taxes (varies by state)

✅ What You Can Write Off

DAW, plugins, sample packs
Studio rent, acoustic treatment
Phone, internet, Zoom (pro-rated)
Travel, networking events, conferences
Ads, website, promo videos

🧾 Pro Tips

Use QuickBooks Self-Employed, Wave, or Keeper to auto-track
Save all receipts (digital or screenshots)
Hire a tax pro before year-end if possible

Keep your income and business expenses as clear as possible! Don’t try to write off things that aren’t real business deductibles like coffee with the mates, or dinner with mom. Always report your income from your business to the IRS. Find a CPA in your area that you trust and talk with them about your business ventures. They can help a lot. Pay quarterlies on taxes for your business when you’re able to. It will help for the upcoming tax season.

📦 PART 5: CLIENT OPERATIONS

Recommended Tools

File delivery: Google Drive, Box, Dropbox
Secure Preview: Fromsmash, Samply
Project & Revision Tracking: Google Sheets, Notion, Trello
Canva: Rate cards, invoices, branding
Payment Portal: Stripe / Paypal / Waveapp

Best Practices

Always get paid before you start: 50% upfront minimum (100% ideal)
Always send an invoice, even for friends
Define: turnaround time, revision limits, file formats
Use clear naming (ex: Artist_Song_Mix_v2.wav)

Start creating and learning systems and processes for your business. How do you get work? What are the steps after you get and begin work? How do you handle delivery and what happens after the work is finished?

🔥 PART 6: GROWTH & BRANDING

Build Reputation Before Followers

Be early. Be clear. Be professional.
Finish on time, and go the extra mile.
Word of mouth > viral post.

📸 Starter Brand Kit

A name you stand behind
Logo or consistent visual look
Link-in-bio or one-page website
Social presence: BTS, testimonials, creative clips

Your branding is one of the most important parts of building your business. How you brand yourself is how you are perceived to the world and what’s going to attract your clientele and connect them to you. What colors speak to you and represent you? What types of fonts match your style and vibe? Are you clean cut and modern or edgy and vintage? Pinterest is a great tool I’ve used to help put ideas together of how I imagine my brand. I also recommend hiring someone to help with this such as a website builder or graphic designer. Think about even creating a logo for your business. All of this tied in with your true authentic self will help you stand out in a sea of competition.

⏩ PART 7: YOUR NEXT 5 MOVES

Are you mentally ready? Do you know your systems?
Open 3–5 business bank accounts
Track every dollar in/out
Define your services, pricing, policies
Keep mixing, producing, recording, being creative. Keep learning. Keep showing up. Be the best you you can be. Be the leader your business deserves.

🖊 Final Word

This isn’t just about making money. It’s about owning your time, building trust, and creating freedom through your craft and community. It’s not always easy. But it’s always worth it.

Let me know in the comments if this helped. Or what YOU wish someone told you when you started.

More coming soon!