Question: I have been going over this opprortunity for a long time. Should I freelance and work from home? But the answer, the logical answer, always wins. Can I survive? And the funny thing is that…I always think that I can’t. I am a single mom. If I fail, my kids fail with me. And we eat nothing. So?
Abby
Dear Abby,
I am glad you asked this question because this was the very same question I asked myself 7 years back. I had a needy 1-month-old child then (now I have 2) and I knew that if I leaped into the freelance world (which was something I REALLY wanted to do), it would spell either success or…FAILURE. And I can’t take failure for an answer.
I know every one of us is different. Our situation is different and the circumstances surrounding our decision is different but…one thing is the same. The passion to move out of the corporate confines.
Good questions to ask yourself:
Do YOU want to freelance?
Do YOU want to have more freedom?
Do YOU want to answer to no one?
Do YOU feel that you could earn more money from a business on your own…over time?
Do YOU want to have CONTROL over your life?
Will YOU be willing to learn everything there is to learn about making it in the freelance world?
Would YOU be willing to do anything to survive if you were thrown into the business world?
Are YOU willing to learn, make mistakes, make amends and make deals?
Can YOU negotiate with people?
Can YOU admit that you’ve made a mistake and make amends?
Are YOU flexible?
Are YOU willing to learn technology? As in internet…of course.
Are YOU willing to discard with conventional ways of doing business?
Are YOU trustable?
If you’ve noticed, the questions are all YOU questions. Because of one reason…the decision is yours to make, no one else. I can’t help you make the decision because I am not you…and I am not in your position and situation.
Now, before you jump into my bandwagon (the freelancing bandwagon), you’d have to consider whether you have enough financial reserves for the beginning months of freelancing (very important if you want to make sure your kids have something to eat throughout the day). You need to consider, before you start freelancing, if you have the support of your friends and family members (they can crush your dreams within a day!). Are you willing to walk that extra mile to turn your dream into a reality?
It takes a whole damn lot to be freelancing…to make that jump. You’re standing at the edge of the cliff, wondering and pondering, while the rest of the world just evolves.
Listen to your heart, Abby. If your heart tells you you should, go ahead and your head will follow. Communicate and learn from your mistakes (and other people’s mistakes, as well) and you’ll do just fine.
If six months down the road and you’re not making a single cent, go back to employment. If you’re making $150 a month, I say trudge on.
Believe in yourself. Good luck, Abby.
Yours, Marsha
Marsha Maung is a freelance writer and graphic designer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia. She is the author of “The Lance in Freelancing?which can be found at http://www.lulu.com/marshamaung. For more info, visit http://www.marshamaung.com