Freelance 101:
Chronicles for the Self-Employed

by Leanne Rollins, Membership Manager

The lure of the full-time paycheque

I love the world of freelance writing. For nine months straight, I’ve enjoyed a steady stream of new, returning, and apparently satisfied clients. Why then, when a very satisfied client presented me with a full-time job offer was I actually tempted? For four days, I agonized over my decision—captive employee or freelance?

Finally, I took a large step backward to really examine my motivation for considering this offer. In the end, my list of pros and cons was heavily weighted towards the pros of freelancing. In order of importance to me, here’s why.

1. Fresh new challenges

I am a born problem solver. I’ve always maintained there’s no challenge too big. I’ll tackle pretty much anything, even the problems no one else will touch. As a freelance writer, I encounter a new challenge every single time I take on a new project, whether the project is a few days in duration, or several months long, I’m happiest when I’m learning something very technical, very complex, or very problematic.

When I was a captive employee, I got to know the software very well. There was always something new to learn, but there was a lot more time available to learn it, and there was always someone else to rely on if I couldn’t figure something out. As a freelancer, I’m hired to be the expert—to solve the problem when no one else can or wants to. In the small software shops, most developers are grateful to have a writer available to tackle the gruesome task of developing the supporting docs. I also like the variety of tasks I am hired to accomplish—everything from installation guides to marketing collateral, to technology articles, to full user guides and help systems. Most small shops also ask me to develop the style sheet as well as the look and feel. From week to week, it’s something just a little different, which allows me to fully exercise my skill set and my brain.

2. Lack of politics

Not all office politics are bad, but in a full-time role, politics are constant and inescapable unless you live under a large rock. Unfortunately, I tend to jump right into the political maelstrom even when I have no business doing so. I’m just too nosey I guess. After many months away from the fun of office politics, I’m still not ready to get back in the game. As a freelancer, I remain blissfully unaware of the political maneuverings within my clients’ offices. As far as I’m concerned, everyone gets along, everyone wants to help, and everyone works for the greater good of the project. Period.

The client who offered me the full-time position was actually a remote office that reports to a head office in the U.S. From the first time I set foot in the office, it was immediately apparent that the relationship between the two offices was strained and uncomfortable. Since I was just the freelance writer, this was only an impression. But during an ‘interview’ it became obvious that the politics were ripe, and you’d better have a whole lot of patience to deal with it. In short, I have very little patience, and what little I have is allocated solely to my poor children.

3. Flexible schedule

Those poor children also run me ragged. To make a long story short, my van is on the road no less than three times a day doing pickup and drop-off from daycare to JK. If you add in my need for at least one hour of exercise every day, there’s not a whole lot of time left to work during daylight hours. My schedule is a little wacky, which works for me because I am at my most productive between 7 pm and midnight. But most full-time jobs simply do not offer this level of flexibility, not even if they insist they can.

In this case, my client insisted I only needed to put in an appearance for meetings, and at other times at my discretion. It sounded too good to be true, and that’s because it was. How long would it be before I started to feel guilty because I had to duck out in the middle of a meeting, or felt awful because I was out on a run when someone from work needed me immediately? When a client hires a freelancer, the expectation of availability is entirely different. They know I have other clients and other demands on my time. What they care about is not when I perform the work, but the quality of the work and, of course, the timeliness. Best of all, they don’t care where I work. Every Friday, I head to Williams on Northfield for a change of scenery, a salad, and a smoothie. I have my laptop out and I’m hard at work in my ‘office’. How many full-time employees can do that?

4. Potential income

Money became a pretty important consideration in this decision. My family is moving over the next few weeks, and with a new house comes unforeseen expenses. The lure of a steady income was almost enough to get me to sign that offer—both my accountant (my husband) and my banker found this prospect appealing. We ran the numbers and realized that in a period of nine months, I have already earned more than my last full-time salary. There’s still three months left in the year! Who knows how much more I could earn? The potential of all that lovely work and accompanying lovely money is very appealing. With a full-time job, you’re pretty much capped and you know how much you will earn in a given year. I guess I like surprises a little more than I realized.

I have yet to experience a lull in cash flow, but it is bound to happen. Will it be next month or maybe in six months? We decided it was worth the risk. If ever I can’t find work for a lengthy period of time, I can try to convince a client to take me on full-time. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

In the end, I decided to turn down the offer for myself and for my family. I’m enjoying myself way too much to sign on full-time, at least for now. My friends tell me they’ve never seen me so happy in a job. They’re right—and I’d have to be certifiable to give it up so early in the game.

Once again, let me know if there is any topic in particular you’d like to me to cover next month. Email me at leanne@leannerollins.com with your input.

About Leanne Rollins

Leanne recently became a self-employed contractor, escaping management roles for the first time in years. This newfound freedom has allowed Leanne to take on extra-curricular activities such as a more active role in the STC. When not writing or playing with her kids, Leanne enjoys running and soccer.