Freelancefolder

Feeling Guilty About Taking Time Off

Posted May 6, 2010 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

One of the coolest perks about being a freelancer is that there’s absolutely no nine-to-five and no one around to scream at you if you’re late to work. I’m definitely not a morning person, so this was a big factor when I decided to go into business for myself.

The problem with this though is that we’re so ingrained to “work, work, work” that this perk begins to become a liability. You start feeling guilty because you’re at the nail salon on Thursday, playing with your kids at Chucky Cheese’s on Tuesday and hanging with friends on Friday. I mean, everyone else is working, shouldn’t you be too?

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Freelancer Road Trip: Essential Supplies

Posted April 26, 2010 in Lifestyle

One of my freelancing resolutions is the separation of work time and vacation time.

I know this is one of my problem areas, but I do feel the need to work on a pretty constant basis in order to hit client deadlines. When the opportunity came up to head on a 15-hour road trip to the beach, I took it… with the caveat that I’d be working on the trip down and sporadically while at the beach. I loaded up my bag with the essentials to get some work done on the road.

I thought my list of goodies would help other freelancers gearing up for a road-trip-mobile-office.

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3 Tips to Help Your Family Benefit from Your Freelancing at Home

Posted April 22, 2010 in How-To, Lifestyle

One of the prime benefits of working at home as a freelancer is the ability to engage with your family in ways you never can working elsewhere. Ironically, this can also become detrimental to your family relationships if you have workaholic tendencies or take on projects that require extremely long hours and make you even more unavailable than if you were working a 9 to 5 job.

Balancing your work at home life with your other responsibilities can raise unique challenges and requires a constant attention to the elements that you can dictate to make your family the priority you desire them to be. This post will share some tips to help you not only find that balance, but to reap maximum benefits for the ones you love while giving your work the time and attention it requires.

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“Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” for Freelancing Parents

Posted April 20, 2010 in Lifestyle

Don’t look now, but April 22, 2010 is “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” in the United States.

If you’ve never heard of it, “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” is a national program that encourages workplaces, parents, educators and mentors to give children the opportunity to see a parent or another adult at work.

This post will explain how you can participate in the program as a freelancer. We’ll also discuss some of the benefits the program offers to children.
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Why You Should Listen to Your Inner Voice

Posted April 18, 2010 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

Are you doing what you really want to be doing?

Are you absolutely sure?

If you’re like many freelancers, you’re voraciously reading everything that you can get your hands on so that you can learn to be the best at what you do. Along the way, some of us take that all of that “success” advice too much to heart. We forget why we started freelancing in the first place.

You’ll know it’s happened to you if freelancing starts to feel more like a chore and less like a passion. Whenever this happens, it’s time to listen to your inner voice again and remember why you started freelancing in the first place.

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The Fear of Freelancing: Why You Could Be Hurting Yourself

Posted April 13, 2010 in Freelance Stories, Lifestyle

Several months ago, I wrote up a six month plan to become a freelancer. Even though I thought that this plan was pretty rock solid I still got several commenters who mentioned they wouldn’t start freelancing.

Why? Not because they loved their 9-5 jobs or because they thought the idea of running their own business was a bad one–but because they were scared. Several people asked the same questions over and over:

• “How much savings did you have?”
• “How did you pay your bills?”
• “Weren’t you scared to leave your guaranteed paycheck?”

Thousands of people who have the potential to make it on their own don’t and they don’t for one reason–fear.

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Seven Benefits of Hiring Your Children

Posted March 30, 2010 in Business, Lifestyle

Do you remember the day your child was born? Took her first step? Went to school for the first time?

Of course, you remember these milestones and cherish them as a parent. It’s amazing to watch a child grow from a completely helpless infant to a teen or young adult with his own opinions and ways of doing things.

Maybe your child is even old enough and capable enough to help you in your freelancing work. That’s right, how about contracting your child to work for you?

If you’re self-employed or run your own business, at some point you’re likely to receive the advice to hire your own children as a means of getting a tax break.

However, hiring your children has benefits beyond taxes. It’s excellent training for your child, and gives you practical help. Most of all, it can be good for your relationship.

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15 Reasons Why I Utterly Refuse to Give Up on Freelancing

Posted March 23, 2010 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

Freelancing is hard.

Not only do you have to face feast and famine cycle, do everything yourself, struggle to maintain a good work/life balance, and have a plan in place for emergencies–you might have to deal with difficult people.

Whew!

Is it any wonder that some freelancers fail?

We’ve already explained why freelancing may not be for everybody.

I’ll never give up on freelancing, though, for reasons that are personal, professional, and people-related. Here’s why I won’t give up:

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How to Tell When It’s Time to Take a Break

Posted March 8, 2010 in Freelance Stories, Lifestyle

I threw my neck out something fierce not long ago. I don’t know how it happened. I must have been fighting this big monster in my sleep, rolled over so I could grab a rock to clonk him over the head with, and was suddenly awake, clutching my neck in pain. Either the monster got me or I twisted my head so fast in my sleep that I pulled a muscle.

Either way, I was in serious pain. And I had work to do the next morning.

I had clients to call and clients to email. I had to delegate some work to my assistants. I had to manage my team. I had to be there, damn it. Without me, my business grinds to a halt. It’s the siren song of the freelancer: if I go away, even for a minute, my business goes up in smoke.

Guess what? It’s not true.

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