One of the biggest benefits of working for yourself is the way you can adjust your work schedule. You can work all nights one week and all days the next. This sort of flexibility is not something that you will find in a more traditional position. In my opinion, the flexibility to adjust your work schedule when necessary is one of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer.
I am one of those people who like to stay on the same schedule as much as possible. This helps me to be most efficient while also ensuring that I am on the right track day in and day out. That being said, I am never afraid to adjust my schedule. For instance, if I need to leave the office in the afternoon I get up early so I still work the same number of hours. I don’t have to ask for permission, or worry that somebody is going to get upset about my new schedule. Again, this is usually not the case when working a traditional 9 to 5 job.
Like many new freelance writers, at the beginning of my career I was afraid to adjust my schedule. I wanted to work the same long hours everyday of the week. This worked fine, but I was missing out on the flexibility of being a freelance writer. You don’t have to work a different schedule everyday, but make sure you are taking advantage of the flexibility that is in front of you. It is a big benefit, and one that you don’t want to forget about.
There is nothing wrong with having a basic idea of when you are going to do your work. Just remember that you can tweak your work schedule from time to time to meet other requirements in your life. Flexibility and freelance writing go together hand in hand!Â
Many freelance writers find it difficult to setup their home office. For whatever reason this is the one detail that they get hung up on. This is not something that I readily struggled with when starting my freelance writing career, but I can see how some may find themselves in a different position.
It is very important that your home office is setup in the best possible way. After all, this is where you are going to spend a lot of your time. I am in my office more than 10 hours per day, and there is a very good chance that you will be in the same position once your career gets moving.
It is hard to say how to best setup your home office. Everybody has a different space and particular wants and needs. For instance, some freelance writers have an entire room to devote to their career. Others only have a small closet or a nook in the corner of their bedroom. As you can imagine, space greatly effects what you can and cannot do with your home office.
Experiment with different ideas before you settle on a particular home office setup. Move your desk around, try different areas in your home, and do anything else that will open your eyes to the possibilities that are available. You never know when you will find the perfect setup.
It is important that your home office is comfortable and setup just the way you want it. You don’t want to spend too much time on this, but make sure you are happy with the way things end up.
There is nothing more exciting to a freelance writer than getting paid. This shows that you are making progress, and that there are clients out there that are willing to work with you in an honest manner. Do you know what payment options exist? In my early days as a freelance writer I never really thought about this. Soon enough I realized that there were many options, and some that I had never taken into consideration.
I have found that PayPal is the easiest way to receive funds from clients. If both you and the client have an account this is an easy process. Once you receive payment you can then transfer the funds to your checking account, and then use the money as you see fit. The majority of my payments are made via PayPal, and despite the fees, I do not have any problem with this.
Many of my clients prefer to pay by check. You may not get paid right away with a check, but as soon as it arrives in your mailbox it is ready to be cashed. On top of this, you do not have to pay any additional fees when you are paid via check. While I usually opt for PayPal over a check payment, this is not something I will fight. This works out fine for me in the long run.
Finally, wire transfers are quite popular as well. I have a couple of clients that wire money from their account to mine every month. This is quick and efficient for the most part. The only thing that I don’t like about it is that my bank charges $10 for each transfer. This is not a lot of money, but it is something I always notice.
If your clients give you an option on how to get paid make sure you think long and hard before making a decision.Â
