Comments on: Freelancing: When To Look, When To Leap http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/ Quit whispering, start yelling! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:28:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Janet http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-35 Janet Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:00:47 +0000 http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-35 Thanks! I am doing a lot of work on my site right now to add content and make it more robust. I'll be adding a blog pretty soon - I've already written a few entries in it but I want to beef it up so it's not bare when I incorporate it into the site. I wrote an entry about the Freelance plunge: http://blog.janetlackey.com/ Funny coincidence #2 - you're in Richmond, VA? I just got a call from a headhunter there this morning trying to prod me for a job at Capital One. Thanks for the exchange. I've subscribed to your blog - have a great week! Thanks! I am doing a lot of work on my site right now to add content and make it more robust. I’ll be adding a blog pretty soon - I’ve already written a few entries in it but I want to beef it up so it’s not bare when I incorporate it into the site. I wrote an entry about the Freelance plunge: http://blog.janetlackey.com/

Funny coincidence #2 - you’re in Richmond, VA? I just got a call from a headhunter there this morning trying to prod me for a job at Capital One.

Thanks for the exchange. I’ve subscribed to your blog - have a great week!

]]> By: Susan http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-34 Susan Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:49:59 +0000 http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-34 Yes, that's the best situation to help you make the leap. A longtime client of mine offered me what was close to one of my paychecks as a monthly retainer...for a lot less hours than I was pulling at my current job. It was a no-brainer in that way for me. Still felt weird, but now I can't ever imagine going back to working for someone else. Your site looks great. I noticed you did a site that a client of mine owns...small world! Yes, that’s the best situation to help you make the leap. A longtime client of mine offered me what was close to one of my paychecks as a monthly retainer…for a lot less hours than I was pulling at my current job. It was a no-brainer in that way for me. Still felt weird, but now I can’t ever imagine going back to working for someone else.

Your site looks great. I noticed you did a site that a client of mine owns…small world!

]]> By: Janet http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-33 Janet Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:37:57 +0000 http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-33 For me it was similar to your experience - balancing freelance with a full time job was becoming impossible as I began to average 35-40 hours of freelance every week.. 80 hour weeks were obliterating my sleep cycle and not allowing me to give everything the attention I needed. Like you, I had been weighing the risks for years. Going on my own has always been my dream, but I hesitated about the lack of stability. However when a longtime freelance client propositioned me a few weeks ago for my dedicated to his projects that will in return pay a set retainer, I realized this was what I had been waiting for. That retainer will cover my essential expenses - it's not something I would want to live off of solely but it's a stable base that will keep me from stressing out. My husband is a web developer and has been self employed for almost three years now, so his knowledge has been helpful in preparing for the financial/tax side of things. For me it was similar to your experience - balancing freelance with a full time job was becoming impossible as I began to average 35-40 hours of freelance every week.. 80 hour weeks were obliterating my sleep cycle and not allowing me to give everything the attention I needed.

Like you, I had been weighing the risks for years. Going on my own has always been my dream, but I hesitated about the lack of stability.

However when a longtime freelance client propositioned me a few weeks ago for my dedicated to his projects that will in return pay a set retainer, I realized this was what I had been waiting for.

That retainer will cover my essential expenses - it’s not something I would want to live off of solely but it’s a stable base that will keep me from stressing out.

My husband is a web developer and has been self employed for almost three years now, so his knowledge has been helpful in preparing for the financial/tax side of things.

]]> By: Susan http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-32 Susan Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:28:59 +0000 http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-32 Thanks for stopping by, Janet. :) I think the biggest challenge is that income is either flooding in, or it's very quiet. I'm a good budgeter by nature, so I've handled it fine, but it can be hard to feel so impatient when you're waiting for an invoice date to hit or a check to show up. Consequently, the work is feast or famine. I've had days where I've been utterly insane. I blink and it's 8pm, and then other days where it's 2pm, and I'm sweating because things are a standstill. The most important think you can do? Ride the waves. Don't panic. Remember that for every stretch that feels thin, you'll have stretches where you wish you had two seconds to breathe. Did you have something that was your tipping point for going out on your own? Thanks for stopping by, Janet. :)

I think the biggest challenge is that income is either flooding in, or it’s very quiet. I’m a good budgeter by nature, so I’ve handled it fine, but it can be hard to feel so impatient when you’re waiting for an invoice date to hit or a check to show up.

Consequently, the work is feast or famine. I’ve had days where I’ve been utterly insane. I blink and it’s 8pm, and then other days where it’s 2pm, and I’m sweating because things are a standstill. The most important think you can do? Ride the waves. Don’t panic. Remember that for every stretch that feels thin, you’ll have stretches where you wish you had two seconds to breathe.

Did you have something that was your tipping point for going out on your own?

]]> By: Janet http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-31 Janet Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:22:08 +0000 http://voxfortis.com/blog/2007/freelancing-when-to-look-when-to-leap/#comment-31 Well put. This rings true to me as I am about to take the plunge myself. Tomorrow marks my first official day working for myself. Since the short time you've made the switch, what have been your biggest challenges and rewards? Well put. This rings true to me as I am about to take the plunge myself. Tomorrow marks my first official day working for myself. Since the short time you’ve made the switch, what have been your biggest challenges and rewards?

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