Over the last couple years, I have been asked by several friends and associates, “Why are you freelancing?” After telling them that it’s mainly because I love what I do and love working for myself they usually want to find out how they can get into it too!   Don’t get me wrong, Corporate America isn’t all bad.  But just like college, it’s not for everybody.  We hear people say “I hate my job” all the time but some people hate WORKING, not the job they are doing!  It’s easy to hate what you do for a living but it is even easier to do what you love for a living, especially in today’s economy.

5 years ago, freelancing was something people did mainly in major cities where there was enough work to go around for artists, desktop publishers, writers and other creative types. Today, however, the freelance arena has changed drastically.  Even with the economic downturn and widespread downsizing, freelancing is still strong if not stronger.  I was always taught to look for two things when faced with obstacles in life: opportunity and alternatives.  Companies that are laying off workers are not saying that they do not value what that particular employee did for them, they are simply saying that they cannot afford to pay that person the same salary AND remain profitable.  In simpler terms, they need to find someone who will do that same job for a lower salary and with little to no employer-provided benefits.  You just have to learn to adapt like these companies are adapting. [read more]