Freelancing misnomers and assumptions
How many times have you been in this situation?
You're out to dinner with family or friends and someone asks, "So, what are you doing for a living now?"
For some reason, people love to talk about what they do for work. Everything we do and are is externally identified by what we do for a living.
So you answer with, "I'm freelancing now. I work from home on the internet."
And that's where it all starts to go downhill…
Must be nice…
Photo by Anomalily
"Wow, it must be nice to work from home and do nothing all day!"
I'm sure it is nice to do nothing all day. But ask any successful freelancer, and they will tell you that their schedules are just as jam-packed with stuff to do as anyone else – more often than not, moreso. Between juggling various projects, being their own customer service, marketing team, accountants, and so forth, freelancers have a lot on their plates.
Here are my answers to some of the more common questions and statements I've had the pleasure of hearing.
Q&A with Danalyn
"You're not doing anything, are you?" (on the phone)
You know, I'm really not doing anything right now. But my doing nothing is paying me per hour, so unless you want me to start billing you more than Miss Cleo, I'm going to have to take a rain check on this phone call.
"That must be easy money, huh?"
Yes, because instead of strolling into the office and maybe doing 3 hours of work and getting paid for 8, I actually do get paid for each hour I work…and only the hours I work.
"You must be rich. Can I borrow $100?"
Sure. But only if I can borrow $200 from you.
"It must me nice not having to pay taxes"
I bet it is. Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury.
In fact, I pay more taxes than you do. It hurts. Especially when I have to fork over almost half my earnings to Uncle Sam because of that wonderful thing called the freelance tax.
"So, are you one of those envelope stuffers or something?"
Yes. Once a month, when I drop off the rent.
Do you need help finding a "real job"?
Well, since the money I make doing this is real enough to pay the bills, I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer, though.
LOL yes, everyone just loves how you must have the easiest job ever when you work from home. Like you say, what they don't realize is, when you don't work then you don't get paid it's so simple.
the real job thing kills me too. of course, I'm not in your same situation though. although I do work from home, I do have to go into the office once in a while. what a drag.
When I would tell folks that I was self-employed, usually the next question out of their mouths was "What else do you do?" As for working at home, they do make the assumption that I don't have anything else to do, except chat with them on the phone.
I guess it's just a part of our culture.
It's always beaten into our heads that we have to grow up and "get a good job"…and for some reason, that means 8-5 in an office somewhere. People just have a hard time coming to terms with the concept of working from home, and that it is possible.
I dunno. It's strange.
LOL! I love this Danalyn. I've been with oDesk full time since Nov/08 and my kids do this to me all the time. Much as I love them, they don't take my "job" seriously. I'll get a phone call – "can you drive me to work, Mike has the car" or "I have a hairdresser appt. – can you drive me?" NO! I am WORKING, call a cab! Or one of them drop in for a "coffee" in the middle of the day – they all work but some work shift work or have their days off during the week rather than the weekend. If I take all this time to "visit" during my work "week" – I end up working seven days a week playing catch-up on weekends. Definitely a problem and kind of irks me that people don't take you seriously at all when you say you "work from home". And even though I live in Canada, I too, pay income tax and pay into Canada Pension – and you're right – it ain't cheap! Plus I have to save every receipt imaginable for my taxes so I can use my home office as a deduction – rent, gas, heat, lights, ink cartridges, printer paper, phone bill…it's a PAIN!
Mari
Oh yeah, my mother-in-law calls all the time asking if my husband can help her around the house. Then, when he tells her he's working because we have bills to pay, she acts all hurt and insulted (although it doesn't last long…she forgets easily). Sometimes he caves, though, and runs over there the next day. Sucker!
Mine's worst. A neighbor commented seeing me working at night through my bedroom window. I said, "Oh, I was working…" Then she replied, "Oh, I knew it! I told my husband that you are busy chatting away?"
When exactly did working become synonymous to chatting? DUH!