Comments on: Two Ways in Which I Wished I was Commuting Again

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:49:48 +0000

I’ve freelanced all my working life. The closest I came to the commute schedule was when I commuted in from the burbs to my Broadway shows — 3hrs. round trip. HATED it, even though I loved working on the shows.

I much prefer creating each day as it comes.

As far as payment, do you have the late fee clause in your contracts? I’m very strict about a 20% late fee in mine that grows with time.

Also, i make it clear that my phone is TURNED OFF — it’s in the contract. I check for messages twice a day and return calls. But I never pick up the phone. I screen all my calls anyway, and hardly ever pick up if the client calls off hours. That’s if I even remember to turn the phone back on.

All of these frustrations can be solved by tweaking your contract. It frees you up to actually deal with your life and your family and still keep decent, but flexible working hours.

Hope the kids feel better soon!

By: Patrice

Patrice — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:36:25 +0000

Regular office work where I commute everyday is something that I missed. I also missed the company of my office mates, the laughter during lunch breaks and coffee breaks. On the other hand, I would agree with you- although I am better off with what and where I am now but still I missed those days . But wherever I may be, there’s always an advantages and disadvantages.

By: LittleMissKnowitAll

LittleMissKnowitAll — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:37:43 +0000

I’ve not done this myself, but I have heard of some getting regular clients to set up ‘retainers’ of sorts. They pay a fee up front, which earns them a slight discount and a guaranteed rate. If they don’t pay in the end, the retainer covers the work. If they do, the retainer stands and deals stay the same.

For me, its the lack of boundaries that makes me think an office job would be nice sometimes. I love working from home and love the freedom, but sometimes the freedom means I spend time twittering or facebooking when I really should be researching. And my husband too loves to call–and if I’m working, he gets miffed. I’ve found that taking my laptop to a restaurant/cafe is extremely productive. I get my best writing and work done when I’m not at home!

By: Martin Reed @ Female Forum

Martin Reed @ Female Forum — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:49:50 +0000

Nikki – It really upsets me when I hear about clients not paying freelancers promptly as there is absolutely no reason for it (unless the client is really struggling with cash flow, in which case they should be open and honest).

How can clients expect to develop positive relationships with freelancers if they aren’t fulfilling their end of the bargain? Do they not realise it’s in their interests to pay on time?

I am sure that even if you don’t realise it (or can’t publicly admit it!), you work harder for the clients that pay you on time and treat you with respect.

- Martin