Tag Archives: work from home

Freelancing, Working From Home, Yahoo

Joe-Wallace-Vinyl-Collector-and-authorby Joe Wallace

In recent years it seemed like everyone was going freelance, working from home, doing the thirty-second commute. But in more recent times it looks like the rubber band, so to speak, of freelancing is snapping back the other way. Consider the latest news about Yahoo and its new CEO’s policy bringing in work-from-home staff back into the office. Is this a trend you can watch spreading to other companies who suddenly decide that working in your jammies is bad for productivity?

Not yet. But keep watching those headlines and you might see plenty of “me too” stories about others, inspired by Yahoo, who want to yank their employees back into the land of the cubicles.

This is good news, and bad news for freelancers. The good news is that the reality check has finally arrived. It’s not, as many websites want us all to believe, EASY to be a freelancer or work-from-home guru. It takes discipline, dedication, and the ability to resist all of your regular time-waster distractions you indulge in when you’re not sitting in front of the computer. It also requires more transparency and accountability to make things work properly.

Some just don’t have what it takes, some are total overacheivers. But it’s not EASY, whatever the outcome.

The good news is that these kinds of reality checks are GREAT for our freelance businesses–those who continue to thrive as freelancers have an additional–and totally subjective–air of achievement. We still succeed where Yahoo “failed”. We are trustworthy enough to remain in our jammies, keep turning things in on time and on target. We rule.

But with that it’s realistic to expect a higher standard. If you can do what Yahoo wouldn’t dream of letting you do (now), working from home, it’s likely that expectations will increase. After all, there MUST be a reason why Yahoo’s CEO is so bent on yanking employees back under the glare of the florescent bulbs, right? RIGHT? Don’t be surprised if the bar gets raised in the wake of all this…even if it’s just a little bit.

But the pros need not worry–we’re used to this sort of thing. Occupational hazards include a wee bit of jealousy that we’re still wearing what we went to bed in when we deliver that product. It’s only right to expect to be scrutinized a bit closer when things like the Yahoo story pop up. The mantra? It all goes back to Gloria Gaynor; “I Will Survive”.

Freelance Writer Networking: Being Present In Person

freelance-writing-advice

Please welcome Freelance-Zone.com’s new writer. Carol Sponagle is a Mom and freelance writer with a busy schedule on both fronts, and we are glad she can make time to include FZ. Carol is published across a variety of genres including trade magazines, newspapers and indie newsweeklies. Welcome to the ‘Zone, Carol!

If you are contemplating a career in writing – or you’ve already secured some credits, you’re already aware that your presence on Facebook, Twitter, and guest blogs increase your visibility and provide potential clients with information about your background and talents.

Being present online has its rewards, but a writer should not exist in a laptop-driven vacuum. Your presence in the physical world is an essential tool for getting jobs. Meeting up with other writers and professionals in person can be as easy as toting your laptop to the local coffee shop or library.

Here’s a good example of what being present in the physical sense can do for your career: I was working at home on a rainy day and decided to take my work to the trendy coffee & bagel shop in town. The place is usually packed with students, writers, and business folk. After getting my coffee and logging onto the complimentary WiFi, I noticed a friend and fellow freelancer I hadn’t seen in ages.

As it turns out, my friend is a writer for the local paper. She suggested that I might like writing for the newspaper and offered to submit my work to her editor. She sent a quick email, and within two days, I was on board as a correspondent for a big newspaper with a multi-city audience. The fateful decision to work out of the house turned into a lucrative and credit-heavy gig.

Since that day, I make a point to take my laptop around town and chat up my java-slugging neighbor. Don’t be afraid to catch up with friends and acquaintances on purpose either – a scheduled meeting can bring up a inside information, news of available jobs, and new contacts.

Getting out there in person not only shakes off the doldrums of the same old walls, but it opens a whole new avenue of rewards. The people watchin’ ain’t bad either.

Anywired Advice For Your Home Office

anywired_header1.jpgThis great blog got my attention today thanks to a fantastic list of links, resources and advice by Skellie called Your Home Office Library: 45+ Home Office Tips, Hacks and How-Tos. This piece is packed with info on setting up, organizing, and working at home. Anywired is a blog for anyone who wants to make money online, but in this case that phrase does NOT apply to “work at home” scams or other dodgy programs.

Skellie writes for freelancers, telecommuters, web business owners, anybody currently earning a buck with a net connection. I am seriously loving this blog. I get a lot of satisfaction from any blog that knows enough about the game to put “making money” and “finding work” in two separate categories. Cheers, Skellie–you’ve got new fans here. Anywired is tops with us.