Omaha City Wire

Finding the right words can be difficult for even a professional writer, but it can be an even greater challenge to find the right market for your own freelance writing business.

Brittany Wren has faced both challenges and many more on a daily basis as president and owner of Stingray Writing, based in Lincoln. A content marketing industry specialist since 2015, Wren launched her own company in August 2022 and has been building a roster of clients and experienced freelance writers ever since.

Stingray Writing is a boutique consultancy that offers content marketing, search engine optimization, editing, social media, and communication services to enterprise companies, tech startups, and non-profits. “My writing is well-researched and polished, and my editing is very thorough,” she says. “My customers know they can trust me to deliver high-quality work, and they enjoy talking with me because I care about and understand them.”

Freelance writing is a competitive market, she says, but it is one with few geographic boundaries. A writer in Nebraska can work for clients around the country or around the world by utilizing the Internet, email, and telephone for communication. Several of the writers who have come aboard Stingray Writing are based outside Lincoln, Wren says. She also estimates that about half of her clients are local and half outside of Lincoln.

“I want to help businesses and non-profits create high-quality content so they can earn trust from their audience and rank well in search engines,” she says. “I'm excited to offer these services from the Midwest. Many big brands overlook our area and assume Nebraska is not a talent pool, and even local companies sometimes hire agencies in New York or other places to fill their marketing needs. My business offers the same depth of expertise in content marketing at more reasonable rates.”

She also utilizes the Internet as well as referrals from satisfied clients to garner new clients. “There is a lot of competition out there,” she says. “The challenge is differentiating my business from other content services.”

Networking is a key element of success for any new small business, and Wren has relied on several entities to help grow her business, including SourceLink Nebraska.

SourceLink Nebraska is a statewide platform that connects entrepreneurs and business owners to resources that help start, scale, or accelerate businesses. The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) is the host for the program.

In November 2021, SourceLink Nebraska launched its website, sourcelinknebraska.com. Serving as infrastructure for business development resources, the website has grown to showcase nearly 950 resource partner profiles, along with startup guides, growth guides, capital guides, and a connection to a video library for entrepreneurs and business owners. Additional resources include event listings for entrepreneurs and business owners across the state.

Wren says she has been able to connect with several small business resources through SourceLink Nebraska, including the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and its consultants at the NBDC.

Most recently, she has been working with PTAC Consultant Quentin Farley to expand her access to government contracts through targeted requests for proposals (RFPs), as well as funneling bid opportunities suited to her business services directly to her inbox.

“New business owners need access to free legal resources and experienced, technical support in gaining customers,” Wren says. “Through SourceLink Nebraska, I was able to connect with Quentin, and he has been helping me understand how to look for and bid on government contracts, which will eventually help sustain my business in the long term.”

Original source can be found here.