Ah, the joys of freelancing.

I woke up this morning to a power outage. Awesome! So, here I am at Panera Bread. That’s right, I’ve come out of my cave — ready to face the world. If you’re a freelancer, you probably understand. If you have a home office, everything is readily available and after a while, going out can sometimes be more of a pain than not. So, while I sit here sipping on my coffee at Panera (yummy, by the way), I figured I’d share some thoughts with you on the freelancing life.

There are plenty of stereotypical comments regarding the freelance life that can be a tad annoying. I hear them all the time. Here are a few:

“You can roll out of bed whenever you like – you’re so lucky!!!”
“Oh, you get to wear pajamas all day. Your job is so relaxed!”
“Your job is so easy! You have no one to answer to.”
“If you feel like it, you can just take the day off. I wish I could do that!”
“You’re always on Facebook and Twitter! How does that classify as work?!”

Those are just a few of the things I hear on a regular basis. Some of which are partially true. Sure, if I like, I can wear pajamas all day. I’ll admit it, I’ve done that before. Why not be comfortable, eh? At the same time, if I’m fully dressed, hair done, make-up on, I tend to feel a bit more productive. I mix it up. Some days are more relaxed than others. Still, it doesn’t mean I’m lazy and wear PJ’s at all hours of the day. Sure, if there is a lull in my job queue and I’m waiting for the next project to begin I could take the day off, but wouldn’t it be smarter to work on marketing myself to ensure there will be more work around the bend? That’s where Twitter, Facebook and social networking in general can play a part. For me, these services have helped my business. I’ve actually received project inquiries while promoting my services on Facebook and Twitter — something that’s not usually considered by those who view the freelance life as is illustrated by the quotes above. Yes, for every perceived idea of what the freelancing life entails, there is the other, more likely, aspect that is the usual route taken to ensure future business.

It’s interesting, to me, that people think that we, as freelancers, have such a different schedule than the regular work force. To be successful, freelancers should be available during regular office hours, market themselves on a constant basis, be extremely organized, be aware of customer service, and be ready to tackle tasks that aren’t necessarily a part of their marketable skill such as accounting, bookkeeping, etc.

Would you be inclined to hire someone that has hours from 5PM-1AM instead of say 9AM-5PM? It would be a bit annoying wouldn’t it? Imagine needing to contact that person if there was an emergency during your business hours — hours that most businesses run by for ease of client-to-client communications. Sure, they’d eventually get the message, but you wouldn’t get your response until the following day during your business hours. Puts a bit of a crunch on scheduling, doesn’t it? From my experience, that’s usually not acceptable protocol in my field — by both the client and the freelancer. In my opinion, it’s easier for all to have set business hours. Still, as a business owner, you may put in those extra hours (I know I have to sometimes) after regular business hours are finished. Yet, it is still assumed (at times) that because freelancers don’t have a “boss,” per se, that all schedule/orgainization is dismissed. Pajamas, crazy hours, random days off… ah, what a life, eh?

As a business owner, I would not fully reach my potential unless I was a very organized and schedule oriented person. Those characteristics have definitely come in handy and are, in my opinion, features required in running a business. In addition, I am the only party who is held responsible for my business’ actions which is quite a responsibility. Not for someone who aspires to work without a set schedule or who is not prepared to take on all aspects of running a business.

For some, like me, the freelance life is definitely a better choice than working in-house. I’m the sort of person that enjoys the responsibility of being in control regarding creative projects as well as business practices. I feel good about my work style and have learned a lot along the way that has molded me as a business person. Working as a sole-practitioner allows me a certain sort of freedom I can’t obtain in-house. I think this is where the misconception regarding the unruly schedule/relaxed hours regarding freelancing comes in. Because freelancers don’t generally work for a company — IE are independent contractors rather than employees — it is assumed that we have many more freedoms than those that do. I think this is a partially true statement, but it should be noted that there are also benefits of working in-house that freelancers go without. While each position (contractor or employee) offer different benefits/drawbacks, it’s all about personal preference and what you are better suited to do.

Would you rather go to a job that offers medical benefits (up-front), a steady schedule of set hours, an IT department when things go awry with your computer system (no cost to you), office politics (good and bad), and the peace of mind of a regular paycheck whether you’re busy or not? Or are you the type of person who would rather work for yourself? This option entails full responsibility and overhead for your business (accounting, hiring IT, bookkeeping, marketing, etc.), keeping regular business hours, being prepared to work more than the regular 9-5 day (I guarantee you will put in more than the 8 hour day sometimes — especially when you start out), purchasing your own insurance, and taking responsibility for the fact that while you may be your own boss, customer service is an extremely high priority. Each time you are hired for a job, you are constantly making your best effort to ensure your clients are happy with your services. Each avenue has it’s pros and cons. It all comes down to you, your needs, and what work style works best for you.

Freelancing can definitely be a challenge, but one that keeps things interesting. Each day is different. Today is a good example. Here I am, working from a coffee shop/café. While it may seem like a relaxed, web surfing sort of day to a passer-by, it’s a regular work day for me. Freelancers must be able to adapt to unforeseen situations and environments. You know, like lack of electricity! But hey, that’s the beauty of my job. I can do it just about anywhere. No office required!

Are you a freelancer? If so, what are your thoughts on scheduling and organization? Do you feel that they play as important a role in your business as I do? I think that each freelancer is different. The above is my opinion regarding what works for running a business based on my personality and work style, but I’m sure there are business owners out there that do things more organically and are very successful. What’s you’re experience? Share in the comment section below.

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