Find Jeff and Susan

I have been in the freelance business for several years now.  I’m a freelance writer, photographer, photoshop pro, junk trader and basically an all around jack of all trades.  I worked in the traditional job market for several years and all the while thought I could make the profit for myself that my work landed my employer.  There are some rewarding things about freelancing – you set your own work hours, you work when you want to and on what you want to, there’s no cubicle, and you’re your own boss.  Then there’s the downside:  you have to constantly hustle new business.  While you’re drumming up new business, you have to do the work you lined up.  Your boss is now a client.  Your work hours just doubled and then there’s the feast and famine issue.  Sometimes you have lots of work – other times you have no work.  Money becomes a constant issue and sometimes a regular paycheck seems like it would be a dream.

What do people think when you tell them you’re a freelance writer?  Well, typically freelance anything equals unemployed.  But I have this great portfolio of my work and references from happy clients.  The market for freelance anything is fiercely competitive.  With so many millions of people unemployed today, don’t you think they’re thinking the same as you – well, hey, I can freelance.  A flood of talent on the market that was otherwise gainfully employed equals a falling rate of pay for freelance work.  How cheap are you willing to sell your stuff for?  Especially if the guy starving next door is willing to undercut you.

Today I woke up and had to look at a calendar to know what day of the week it is because in my freelance world, there’s no difference between Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.  I sit in front of the computer for ten or more hours every day trying to make my daily funds necessary to keep from getting a regular job.  This amount of computer time has some weary effects like the beginning of carpal tunnel.  I have back, neck and shoulder pains constantly from the interface with a keyboard.  It’s just a hazard of the business and of course, there’s no health insurance unless you’re willing to fork out the funds for your own private insurance.

Now hey, I’m not trying to stop anyone from realizing their dreams of being their own boss.  I love it (most of the time) until tax time comes around then there’s a whole separate problem that comes from getting 1099’s like self employment tax and other considerations of self employment.

In looking at freelancing in general I think the absolute best freelance job is as an expert witness.  During my time as a lawyer, I saw these guys and gals who had the credentials to call themselves an expert at something and frankly, they could make enough money freelancing to make the hassles worthwhile.  For instance, they would take a retainer of  $2,000 to $5,000 just to begin a case which typically would involve reviewing the file and making an initial report.  Then they could command $200 an hour for deposition testimony and up to $500 an hour for trial testimony.  Who could be an expert witness?  Anyone who has significant experience (10-20 years) in a field with advanced education and professional associations could call themselves an expert witness.  Becoming an expert witness could be a great way to transition out of a long career and not get complete boredom during retirement.  Expert witnesses can pick and choose the cases they want – they can turn down cases they don’t like and they can basically charge outrageous fees with very little, if any legal exposure to themselves personally.  This I think is a freelance business that makes sense.