Monday, March 15, 2010

What is freelancing?

The dictionary defines a freelancer as a person who works as a writer, designer, performer, or the like, selling work or services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer.

Any freelancer will tell you that it is so much more than that. A successful freelancer must be very disciplined with time because it is extremely easy to get sidetracked when you do not have a boss watching out to make sure you are doing your job. And if you are a parent as well as a freelancer, that becomes twice as hard. Kids don't understand deadlines! I once attempted to explain to my three year old that we could not go outside to play because I had to meet a deadline. That went over really well.....it ended with my sweet baby having a complete melt down and me feeling like the worst mom in the world. The poor little guy was bored, he is here alone with no other kids all day. Mom looks like a perfect substitute, but mom won't leave the computer and go push him on the swing. A deadline means nothing in the face of boredom.

Organization is another key. If you have multiple clients, you have to keep very close track of what you are doing for each one, as well as when it needs to be done. As a writer, I have let a client slip my mind, only to find that five articles are due....tonight. It's not a nice feeling to know that I will be burning the midnight oil once again.

I cannot tell you how many people have come to me and said, : I want to work at home too, hook me up!" Yeah, right.....a few weeks later I hear about how you can't make money working at home, it's all a scam. I do not help anyone get started freelancing any longer. This so called "scam" work pays my bills quite well. It has even kept us living the way we are used to when my husband has been out of work for over 6 months. But I work hard for the money I make. I not only put in a lot of hours producing quality work to ensure that my clients will continue to want my services, I also balance this around my home and my family. It would be so much easier to go to a quiet office each day, work my 8 hours and go home at the end of the day. Freelancing is not easy, not even close. But last week when the school called because one of my children was running a high fever, I didn't have to clear it with a boss, or worry about missed hours on my paycheck. I just simply saved what I was working on and headed out the door. For me, that makes it all worth it.

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