Anyone looking at turning freelance... here are my tips!!

[Laura Lynne]

and a decent coffee machine!

[flashwiz]

I agree.... seperating your work space from home space is probably one of the most important things you need to do... without it you will either work long hours as you are constantly interupted, or you will never really feel like your actually WORKING for real.... it will almost feel like part of a game, or side thing you do until its seperate.

Ive seperated but i still often feel i would be better in offices of my own.... somewhere that i would have to go to give a defining line!

[Cwilk]

I freelanced from 1990 to 2002 and my husband also freelanced with me. Many of our clients (for years) wondered when we would run our company full-time so they could give us more work.

I was gainfully employed with a major publishing company as the art director and after about 8 years; that's when that company decided to cut the entire art department (right after 9/11). Anyways, I did go and look for another job only because I thought that's what I was suppose to do. You know, the cattle syndrome.

Well after interviewing with several places and realizing that the $47,000 salary I was making a year wasn't going to happen with another company.....I decided to make my freelancing gig a full-time job. I quit taking unemployment checks—just to be honest with myself—and once I concentrated on my own company, I had no problems getting new clients and project after project.

My husband left his full-time (very high paying) job, a year after I did (by my urging) and we kept his ex-employer as one of our highest paying clients (Siegfried & Roy).

Basically I started running our company full-time for fun.....not fear. I always feared freelancing, which is why it took so long for both of us to decide to finally 'just do it.'

Now it's 5 years later and we pay for our own medical. My husband and I have actually replaced the high salaries we once earned with our previous employers. We make just a little bit more money now because we have the business expenses as write-offs. And we have one employee working for us as an office manager and accountant.

Self-employment (I don't consider myself a freelancer anymore) is not for everyone. But if you do it right, it is the greatest thing. I go to work at 8:30 in the morning and I'm home usually between 5 and 6 in the evening. We lease office space which was great at first, but it can be expensive. I would honestly like to move our office back into our home, but it's not likely.

I only work additionally on Saturdays because we chose to open an art gallery and we keep it open on Saturday. Sunday is our no work day.

[tommylogic]

I consider myself a freelancer still in sorts mainly because I get "gigs", not necessarily commitments.

I have been hurt before so I prefer the hot, steamy short term affairs... It keeps it more exciting and fun. I get all the fun but not the headaches that come from long term, extended relationships. I do it 24/7 Mon-Sun

Now for work... I take what I can get.. Ha !!!