10 problems every freelancer faces

When you become single and decide you don't want a relationship and want to play out all of your options. Instead of dating one person, you date several to make sure the one you pick isn't a douche bag!

Since Nicole's been single shes sure become a free lancer!

#single #independant #opportunist #free #liberated

by nicole911reno February 25, 2009 | Source

I searched the urban dictionary to find an apt definition for the work freelancers do…the one above hits the nail on the head! While I was at it, I also stumbled across several lame opinions, ranging from “synonymous to unemployed” to “bogus space filler on the resume” to “lazy people who don’t want to work”. All very judgmental and, if I may be allowed to say so, reeking of jealousy, maybe?

Image : shutterstock

Let’s face it – the life of a freelancer is quite appealing – work on your own terms, your own time, work from your favourite coffee joints, or just never leave your room – what’s not to like? But like everything that’s desirable, this life does not come without complications!

A freelance writer has been hired to piece together a list of problems faced by freelancers while working with various clients! Don’t you just love what YourStory has done here? Let’s get rolling!

1. Jack of all trades – If you honestly believe freelancers have it easy because “you get to choose what you want to do!” - think again, because most of our time actually goes on doing things we don’t really want to! As a freelancer, you have to take care of everything by yourself – right from finding work to dealing with clients, chasing them for payments, handling your finances, the list is endless. You’re the marketing intern, you’re the brand manager, you’re the finance guy, and you’re the chai-walla! You’re the owner and the employee, of each and every department, and while that is very rewarding, you sometimes do end up wishing for a singular, focused role!
2. Melting the ice – More often than not, freelancers are working with new clients, clients they have no prior relationship with and have met over the internet. These clients, whom you know only by name, will want you to work at a bare minimum price, on awfully unrealistic deadlines, and on delayed payment terms. To put it bluntly – it’s irregular, unstructured, unpaid work for (usually) ungrateful clients!
3. Too much or too little – Being a freelancer is always a game of extremes. You’re either too busy or too idle. You either have too much money or you’re cutting meals to make ends meet! On most days, you’re buried neck-deep with work, meeting deadlines and completing assignments, with a steady amount being deposited in your account; while on others, there’s not a single lead coming your way. Not even one email, or a missed call from an unknown number. And while that’s frustrating enough, the sight of a steadily draining savings account can drive you crazy!
4. But, you’re unemployed!!! – Not having a fulltime job, where you wake up every morning and disappear from the face of the earth until evening, does make people start taking you for granted. Being a freelancer is often taken as a “lame excuse for being unemployed”, or just lazy, and you will see friends and family trying to pass on their work to you, because “you’re sitting at home anyway!” From grocery shopping to picking kids up from school, there isn’t a single hand-me-down job that won‘t come your way!
5. Unrealistic demands and deadlines – You get an assignment, you start working on it, you submit the assignment, but the client does not want it anymore because there has been a “minor change” in the campaign. And why was that not communicated to you? Let’s not get into that argument, can’t you just change this here and that there and basically write something new from scratch to accommodate our “minor change”, while I still pay you for just one assignment? NO!
6. Pay disparity – At any given time, for any given assignment, there is a bidding war being waged in the inbox of the client. And as much as they like pretending to focus on the quality of work, it’s usually the cheapest bet that wins the game! It’s not even funny how decent to high quality work is being procured at ridiculously low prices, sometimes even for free. You call it “exposure”? Sir, the term you are looking for is “exploitation”!
7. Office Office? – We all hate the nine-to-five grind! Now, what if that’s not a concept anymore? What if you have no office timings? No nine-to-five? No Monday-to-Friday? No TGIF! No Saturday and Sunday! No Diwali breaks or Christmas holidays. No bonus, no increment, no promotion, no health benefits or insurance cover, and, to add insult to injury, you now have dark circles! As a freelancer, you don’t just leave your office - you also leave all the benefits that come with it!
8. Teamwork – Not having an office to go to – the fascination of this concept starts and ends after your extended morning nap! Freelancing is a lone man’s dream and a lone man’s struggle. Things can get difficult when you don’t have teammates to discuss and brainstorm ideas with, managers who guide you in the right direction when you step out of line, bosses to inspire the spark of putting in just that little bit more, or colleagues to have a chai and smoke break with.
9. The inevitable, torturous payment follow-up – Easily the one universal problem of freelancers! No matter what line of work you’re in or how experienced/professional/systematic you are – payment follow-ups for work done and submitted months ago are every freelancer’s nightmare! When clients expect a marketing presentation within a day, but take two months for a minute’s NEFT transaction, you tend to lose faith in humanity!
10. Staying focused! – Not that distractions don’t touch people working in an office, but the struggle is even more real when your home is your office! It could be your favorite movie on the television, your closest friend visiting town, or your baby niece down with fever – you will notice that reasons for procrastinating with work come aplenty, but reasons to keep you motivated and focused hardly do! Devil at work!

So, people, it’s all fun and games, until it stops being fun and games. Being a freelancer is more than “being your own boss”. You can’t just opt for it until you’re really prepared! And once you are, here’s a little step-by-step beginners guide to pave your way to becoming a successful freelancer!