Do You Really Work from Home?

I’m a full-time freelance writer. I work from home. Or from a cabin at the lake. Or from a hotel room. I sit at my laptop and write articles, copy, or web content – whatever my clients need from me. I minimize distractions, shut the dogs out when I need to take a call, and occasionally work evenings, weekends, and during vacations to meet client deadlines. In short, I run my business like a business. Because it is.

I’ve found that not all freelancers (aka contractors) take the same approach. Recently one of my clients asked me to work with his marketing person – a contractor – to create SEO articles for a new market he’s entering. Since she was handling his social media, he thought she’d be able to give me direction on what was needed. I jumped at the chance to work with someone who, I perceived, would be more responsive than my client, who’s very busy and often unavailable.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. When I asked the marketing person what articles were needed that month, she threw out a couple topics. No keywords. No word counts. No due dates. According to my client, we were going to need a substantial number of articles. But she gave me two topics and nothing else. I started to suspect that there was no real marketing strategy involved here.

Okay, I thought. We’re getting used to each other. I get that. I told her when I’d have the articles back to her, and then promptly delivered.

Crickets.

Next month…nothing. I asked the marketer what she needed. She didn’t know, but she’d touch base with our client and get back to me. More crickets. Under additional prompting, she finally threw out another article topic. Just one. Nothing else.

Now, I’m not saying this person isn’t actually working. But I have my suspicions. This is the person to which my client has entrusted his marketing efforts. I’d bet my money that he’s wasting his.

Many freelancers go the freelance route because they want to work from home. But it’s been my experience that when someone makes the statement that they want to work from home, that’s not what they really mean. For them, the phrase “work from home” is a euphemism for getting away from the office to spend more time with the kids, walk the dog, watch Netflix, or catch up on the laundry. You know. Typical daily stuff that usually gets relegated to evenings and weekends. And who can blame them?

Many people, however, don’t want to work from home, they just don’t want to work. Oh, sure, they like the paycheck. But it’s inconvenient to work all day when they could be out having fun. With technology being what it is, many do just that. Cell phones and laptops allow them to check in at the office just enough to keep the boss or the client bamboozled.

Freelancers don’t have coworkers to cover for them. We’re our own boss. We make the rules. We deliver the goods. We keep our clients happy. Or not. Either way, it’s up to us.

For those who call themselves a freelancer or contractor, treat your business like a business, not like a hobby. Keep office hours, even if you’re part-time. Be available to clients and meet deadlines. Communicate well and often. If you do these simple things, your business will grow. 

However you choose to run your business, please don’t contribute to the farce of “working from home” that so many others buy into. By doing that, you’re doing yourself, your clients, and the rest of the freelance world a disservice.

If you want to work from home, then work. If you want to play, play. But be up-front about it. Everyone will respect you more for it.