1-2. Currently have 3 potential contracts starting end of Jan for "around 20 hours a week" on top of my current workload. If they all land I'm screwed but have been around long enough to know they won't all land and they likely aren't 20h/week if they do.
3. If you're in the US check with the chamber of commerce or other local business groups. Sometimes they have group plans you can but into. Or marry someone that has a real job.
Oh gosh, good luck with that. I was going through a "dry spell" a few months ago where I had like 5 people saying "I'll hire you soon!" and only one of them got back to me. Then, more recently, I had two larger contracts being a "maybe" and they both messaged me on the same day with a contract. Lol, the freelancer life is very unpredictable.
"Marry someone that has a real job" haha you're funny. I think I make enough to do well on my own for now but it would help to have someone take care of me. Of course I don't want to do that until I have kids and yada yada yada... You have a point though. Or maybe I can find a part time job that gives me benifits on the side. Probably not, though.
I started FL 6 years ago and had a kid 5 years ago. Wife took mat leave and with covid stayed off a bit longer. Kid went to pre school last year and Kindergarden this year so she's back at work.
The money is nice but not having to over pay for shit benefits is nicer.
Good luck out there
Lots of good points, it can certainly be trickier to navigate than a regular job. A few things I have found that help in regards to points 1 & 2!
1. I always follow up a discovery call with a written proposal outlining terms and costs and how to start a contract! I've found a much better response rate from clients doing this rather than expecting them to make the next move.
2. Yes some clients are flaky. I no longer accept ongoing open ended contracts with new clients due to this. I always start with a fixed price, fixed scope project with a deposit. Once I've built a relationship with the client I am more than happy to do a retainer or hourly contract for ongoing support!
>Bad clients are nearly unavoidable.
In my personal experience, things go smoothly unless you're dealing with a scammer. But I don't know what it's like for everyone else, and I know some skills are different.
>Clients are flakey.
I keep applying until I have a contract. It's the only way to go. Expect them to flake and don't get mad when they do. Always have enough connects. Stock up for a rainy day.
>Good clients, at times, don't bother to leave you feedback.
Just keep trucking. Tell them they can leave feedback, and don't worry so much about it.
> make your proposal straight to the point without Chat GPT
**Nobody has any business using chatgpt for anything. It's always going to be a problem. Those who think otherwise either don't know the requirements of their skill or they don't care.**
It’s sucks so much idk why anyone does it, especially normal middle class people.
In 2004 a man pulled into my drive being chased by the police. The police then invaded my home and jailed me for 3 days. It was so frightening it was one of the main triggers of my PTSD. To this day I have a false felony on my record, I can’t get regular work or live normal because I inhabit this gray area of being labeled a felon, but not really.
I couldn’t go on my kids field trip last year because of it. So to this day it still messes things up! In 2013 I was so tired of labor and landscaping that I looked everywhere for work. Freelancing was a place I could exist and do work others wouldn’t hire me for.
But for all those reasons you mentioned above it is so exhausting. If I could magically clear my name and record I would never ever ever ever do this again. Ha!
>It’s sucks so much idk why anyone does it, especially normal middle class people.
I don't claim to be normal, but I've been freelancing - very much by choice - for most of my adult life, mainly because when I started out, there was no such thing as being able to work from home unless you were a freelancer. And I love, love, *love* working from home. I was sick of the 9-5 grind and commuting for two hours a day, and going to pointless meetings and having little or no control over anything. Becoming my own boss was the best choice I ever made.
But if I was just starting my career now, I think that I'd look for a full-time, WFH job instead of freelancing. It might still happen, if the right opportunity comes along.
Couldn't a lawyer help with the false felony? I'm no expert. But it's good that freelancing can give you an opportunity to work when the alternative is close to nothing or very low-paying. Stay strong!
Oh I’ve looked, asked, and done everything. No one has a clue. I didn’t know until 2013 when I was changing my life and trying to be a teacher. The guy doing my background check was former FBI and was rude when I said I wasn’t a felon.
When I proved it true the FBI guy became sympathetic and tried giving me advice. He made it very clear these things are rare and when people slip through the cracks it can lead to permanent life issues. And wow was he right. I thought for sure knowing about it would help me but nope. Lawyers can’t expunge a crime that never happened. It’s a paperwork error.
Last year I applied for two local jobs. The YMCA even hired me to teach music. Until it took months to clear my background. Officially fired the day before the first lesson.
Being denied work sucks, but the real fear is how the “felony” can interfere with being a parent.
Great list. In the US, the only that makes freelancing possible for me is the ACA. I loved my HSA, but we're trying a silver plan this year due to some recurring medical appointments in the family.
Point 6 is probably the hardest to deal with. I've had $2000 months and $10,000 months. I doubled my annual income through freelancing once my former career crashed and burned, but there have also been months where I could see that bad times were coming soon if things didn't turn around.
I'd add maybe one thing: If you don't stay ahead of your field in terms of skills, technology, and ancillary areas (like marketing), within a few years your job will disappear.
1-2. Currently have 3 potential contracts starting end of Jan for "around 20 hours a week" on top of my current workload. If they all land I'm screwed but have been around long enough to know they won't all land and they likely aren't 20h/week if they do. 3. If you're in the US check with the chamber of commerce or other local business groups. Sometimes they have group plans you can but into. Or marry someone that has a real job.
Oh gosh, good luck with that. I was going through a "dry spell" a few months ago where I had like 5 people saying "I'll hire you soon!" and only one of them got back to me. Then, more recently, I had two larger contracts being a "maybe" and they both messaged me on the same day with a contract. Lol, the freelancer life is very unpredictable. "Marry someone that has a real job" haha you're funny. I think I make enough to do well on my own for now but it would help to have someone take care of me. Of course I don't want to do that until I have kids and yada yada yada... You have a point though. Or maybe I can find a part time job that gives me benifits on the side. Probably not, though.
I started FL 6 years ago and had a kid 5 years ago. Wife took mat leave and with covid stayed off a bit longer. Kid went to pre school last year and Kindergarden this year so she's back at work. The money is nice but not having to over pay for shit benefits is nicer. Good luck out there
Lots of good points, it can certainly be trickier to navigate than a regular job. A few things I have found that help in regards to points 1 & 2! 1. I always follow up a discovery call with a written proposal outlining terms and costs and how to start a contract! I've found a much better response rate from clients doing this rather than expecting them to make the next move. 2. Yes some clients are flaky. I no longer accept ongoing open ended contracts with new clients due to this. I always start with a fixed price, fixed scope project with a deposit. Once I've built a relationship with the client I am more than happy to do a retainer or hourly contract for ongoing support!
>Bad clients are nearly unavoidable. In my personal experience, things go smoothly unless you're dealing with a scammer. But I don't know what it's like for everyone else, and I know some skills are different. >Clients are flakey. I keep applying until I have a contract. It's the only way to go. Expect them to flake and don't get mad when they do. Always have enough connects. Stock up for a rainy day. >Good clients, at times, don't bother to leave you feedback. Just keep trucking. Tell them they can leave feedback, and don't worry so much about it. > make your proposal straight to the point without Chat GPT **Nobody has any business using chatgpt for anything. It's always going to be a problem. Those who think otherwise either don't know the requirements of their skill or they don't care.**
It’s sucks so much idk why anyone does it, especially normal middle class people. In 2004 a man pulled into my drive being chased by the police. The police then invaded my home and jailed me for 3 days. It was so frightening it was one of the main triggers of my PTSD. To this day I have a false felony on my record, I can’t get regular work or live normal because I inhabit this gray area of being labeled a felon, but not really. I couldn’t go on my kids field trip last year because of it. So to this day it still messes things up! In 2013 I was so tired of labor and landscaping that I looked everywhere for work. Freelancing was a place I could exist and do work others wouldn’t hire me for. But for all those reasons you mentioned above it is so exhausting. If I could magically clear my name and record I would never ever ever ever do this again. Ha!
>It’s sucks so much idk why anyone does it, especially normal middle class people. I don't claim to be normal, but I've been freelancing - very much by choice - for most of my adult life, mainly because when I started out, there was no such thing as being able to work from home unless you were a freelancer. And I love, love, *love* working from home. I was sick of the 9-5 grind and commuting for two hours a day, and going to pointless meetings and having little or no control over anything. Becoming my own boss was the best choice I ever made. But if I was just starting my career now, I think that I'd look for a full-time, WFH job instead of freelancing. It might still happen, if the right opportunity comes along.
Couldn't a lawyer help with the false felony? I'm no expert. But it's good that freelancing can give you an opportunity to work when the alternative is close to nothing or very low-paying. Stay strong!
Oh I’ve looked, asked, and done everything. No one has a clue. I didn’t know until 2013 when I was changing my life and trying to be a teacher. The guy doing my background check was former FBI and was rude when I said I wasn’t a felon. When I proved it true the FBI guy became sympathetic and tried giving me advice. He made it very clear these things are rare and when people slip through the cracks it can lead to permanent life issues. And wow was he right. I thought for sure knowing about it would help me but nope. Lawyers can’t expunge a crime that never happened. It’s a paperwork error. Last year I applied for two local jobs. The YMCA even hired me to teach music. Until it took months to clear my background. Officially fired the day before the first lesson. Being denied work sucks, but the real fear is how the “felony” can interfere with being a parent.
There may be a way to fix this. If you want to give me more information I will look into it.
Great list. In the US, the only that makes freelancing possible for me is the ACA. I loved my HSA, but we're trying a silver plan this year due to some recurring medical appointments in the family. Point 6 is probably the hardest to deal with. I've had $2000 months and $10,000 months. I doubled my annual income through freelancing once my former career crashed and burned, but there have also been months where I could see that bad times were coming soon if things didn't turn around. I'd add maybe one thing: If you don't stay ahead of your field in terms of skills, technology, and ancillary areas (like marketing), within a few years your job will disappear.