Quick Note: Summer is Over, so Back to a Normal Schedule

It’s the last week of summer vacation.  Even though it’s been a great summer, I think the kids and I are ready for school to begin. With the end of summer and the beginning of school, I also readjust my work schedule. In the summer, I work in the early mornings and late evenings because the days are filled with kid activities. We’ve gone to the beach, pool a bunch of times, camps, zoos, museums, and the list keeps going. It has definitely been a summer to remember.  As we all know, all good things must come to an end, so it’s time to head back to my “normal” schedule.

With the kids in school, I’ll have time to begin writing more than ever and network like a pro. Fall is my favorite season, so that helps as well.

I hope that everyone had a lovely summer.  What exciting things did you do?

Freelancing vs. Contracting

I am currently freelancing since the kids are on summer vacation. School is starting soon, and the kids will not be home for the majority of the day. It’s been making me wonder if I should consider getting a contracting position. I plan on buying a bigger place next summer, and with that, I want to save some money before making that giant leap. My freelance writing career is picking up, but there are some things that I miss about going into an office. With these thoughts, I can’t help but wonder what are the pros and cons of freelancing and contracting?

Before I get into the pros and cons, I want to tell you what I think is he difference between freelancing and contracting. For me, freelancing is when you work from home and are not on anyone’s time. You have different clients, and you usually work on a 1099 form. You wear different hats because you are your own marketing, technology, human resource, and everything else department. With contracting, you are usually dedicating your time to one client, work on a W-2 form, and you only focus on your area of expertise.

Here are my pros and cons for each one:

Contracting Pro: You have the ability to socialize with others

A freelancer’s life can be a pretty lonely one. You don’t work with anyone else, so unless you leave your home, you don’t have the ability to socialize. Humans are social creatures, so it can sometimes drive you a little batty. As a contractor, you have to work with other people, so this means you have time to be social.  Companies try to keep morale up by hosting several events, when you are contracting, you will be able to attend those.

Freelancing Pro: No one is clocking your time

When you are freelancing, you have the ability to set your own schedule. I read this time management book called Time Management from the Inside Out, Second Edition: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule — and Your Life. In it, Mortgensen discusses how you should set your schedule to your biorhythm. Not everyone has the same one. This is why a 9-5 job doesn’t work for everyone.  I am a night owl, so I usually are ready to work from 4:00 p.m. onward. I love the freedom to decide when to work. I feel that as long as I get eight hours (or more) in during the day, no one should tell me when to work.

Contracting Pro: You have access to expensive applications and tools

One of the great things about contracting for a company is that you are able to work with all the applications that are probably to expensive for you to have on your personal computer. This is a plus because you are able to learn how to use these applications without having to pay for it yourself.

Freelancing Pro: You can download whatever you want

In the majority of the offices you encounter, you are not allowed to download whatever you want on your computer systems.  It can be really annoying at times, but it’s understandable because if you download the wrong things, you can cause major upheaval on the computer’s network.

Contracting Pro: You get to dress up

There are times that you want to get all dolled up and get out of the house. When you go into an office, you can.  Whether it’s business casual or business formal attire, you are able to get out of the sweats and look your best.  Wearing a great outfit can definitely boost up your morale.

Freelancing Pro: You get to dress down

However, sometimes you really don’t feel like getting into those high heels and skirt. When you are freelancing, you are able to slip on your slippers and your sweats, and work while you are comfortable. I tend to dress up even though no one is going to see me because then I can feel my best while I am still at home.

Regardless of whether freelancing or contracting is right for you, there are pros and cons for each one. You have to decide what is right for you.  I think that I would consider a contracting position with one company if they were flexible, allowed telecommuting, and I was able to learn something I had never learned before. Until I find that, I will keep loving the freedom I have as a freelancer.

Photo Credit: Office Space…sith?, originally uploaded by MrMeanMustard.

Learn to Say No, Even in Business

I’ve always had a problem saying no to people. I feel horrible when I disappoint someone, so I am constantly saying yes. Saying no is something that I am learning is not such a bad thing to do at times.

Before I became a full-time freelance Technical Writer, I was blogging for several blog teams. In addition to that, I was also guest blogging.  One thing about blogging is that it takes time, unless it is a subject that you consider yourself very knowledgeable in.

I quickly came to realize that the money in blogging wasn’t really worth it.  Here was the breakdown:

1. You get a topic that you do not know whatsoever.  You just faintly know about it because you read other feeds that cover it, or you hear it on the news.
2. Due to the fact that you don’t know it, you have to do extensive research. Research is not something that takes five to ten minutes.  It usually takes about an hour or two for you to familiarize yourself with the topic.
3. You have to check sources to ensure that they are credible.  Also, if your client wants SEO titles and descriptions, you have to deliver on that as well. Tackle on another 30 minutes.
4. You begin writing, but you are constantly checking yourself, so it takes longer than expected to write the article.  The writing part takes about another hour.
5. You edit, edit, edit.  As much as you edit, you still feel like you’ve missed something. Add 30 minutes.

Total Time = 3-5 hours

Even though I decided in the Spring to not blog for anyone but myself, I still agreed to do it for a non-profit organization. During the same time, I was writing my handbook, working on my workshop, and meeting with a few individuals on other ventures. I learned that I do need to begin saying no to jobs that I don’t feel comfortable undertaking because I only disappoint the client and myself. Being that I was overly busy, I didn’t take the time that I should have on the blog post. Therefore, it turned out to be a disaster. The only good thing that came out of it was that I learned a little bit more about a topic that before I had no clue about. However, I was upset that I let the non-profit down.

Learn to say no. People don’t like to hear the word, but it’s better than placing yourself in an awkward position that you will later regret. The only thing that will suffer is the quality of your work, your integrity, and brand. My mother made me feel better. She said that everyone makes mistakes, and all you can do is learn from them. She continued by saying that from now on, I will know to focus on the things that I want to work on, like technical writing and proposal writing.  Those are my two greatest loves, and I can talk about those two subjects to death. I have been doing it for over nine years, so I can quickly write an blog post about it because I know so much about the topics.

When you are starting your own business, it is especially hard to say no.  You want to make money, and you want to get your name out there.  Nevertheless, you have to still remain true to yourself. I love blogging, but about the subjects that I love writing about.  I had this conversation with a blogger who was starting out. I told him that if he didn’t know much about the topic, it was going to take a long time to write the blog posts. He later contacted me, and told me that he found that to be the case. I think that from now on, I will say no.  It’s better to disappoint the person for the first five minutes than in the long run. It is a great business lesson to learn from the beginning.

Flexibility is a Must-Have Trait as a Solopreneur

As I sit here waiting for my rescheduled meeting to start, I can’t help but think about how flexible you must be when you have your own business, especially when you are a one-man show.

There are some people who have a hard time adapting to change. It’s something that I learned to do at an early age. Not everything occurs as planned, so you have to learn to make quick alterations if you want to be successful.

Learn to smile and go with the flow. If it weren’t for understanding this, I would never be sitting out on this beautiful day, drinking the best mocha frappe I ever had.

Posted from WordPress for Android

Summer Fun for the Kids; Working for Me

The kids are out of school and enjoying their summer break. I remember how much I loved summer when I was a kid, so I am glad to see that they seem to as well. However, while they are enjoying their summer, I am enjoying writing for my clients.

During the summer, a freelance writer, who also happens to be a parent, has to make some changes to her schedule. You don’t want the kids to be cooped up in the house doing nothing but watching TV and playing video games, but you also don’t want to disappoint your clients. Therefore, you gotta do what you gotta do.

The kids know that there will be times where I will have a Do-Not-Disturb sign on my door, so they have to find something to entertain them quietly while I work away.  With time management, teaching, and organization, kids and writing can co-exist together.