So, Last week I quit my job. Yes, I know in this economy many of you will think I’m crazy. Now that the turmoil is over it’s time to face the facts. I loved the company I worked for just no longer cared for the job. The pay was good but still living check to check after all these years can take its tole. I have debated over the last few months how to leave, when to leave, insurance, will I make it. The truth is this economy is built for Freelance workers. I happen to be a wordpress guru and love designing themes. Sometimes they take 14 hours and sometimes they take 4. It depends on the complexity and requirements from the client.

Today I had a networking event with the lakeview chamber of commerce. It was very imformative. I got to meet a lot of small business owners in the area who have started where I currently am. the best thing I have learned lately is to be humble, and confident. Most people will pay for your work if they are already asking for help. Always be prepared. Have extra copies of your resume, print a color portfolio (it does help) don’t burn any bridges. Well, I havent been able to follow all the rules recently and apologize openly for any wrong doing I have done or damaged I may have caused. I decided it was easier to just quit and be done then to wait around for two weeks wondering what was going to happen next  in my life. Sometimes you get to a crossroad and have to be impulsive.

We will see how I think about my decisions in two months from now but so far things have been going great.Freelancing allows you to take part in so many things you have missed out on working 9-5. In order for you to do the things that you were missing out on you need to be good at organization and time management. You might need to work long hours to make up for the fact that you went sight seeing in the city you have lived in for almost 10 years. You may have to not go out on a Friday night to meet your deadline. You may have to decide which bills to pay first and what to save when starting out. I recommend any one starting out to save a few months rent first before making that leap.

In this economy recruiters are getting less leads and freelancers are getting more opportunities. In the day and age of online media more companies are willing to pay a little more to have a temporary, telecommute employee that will get the job done quickly. I also recommend making your customers putting a 50% deposit down on any job that is not regulated through a freelance site. I do this especially for new clients.  For existing ones I bill them before I send over the final files. Addtionally, I have setup a test website so my clients can priview thier projects live and not download the work. this site also works as a showcase of my talents. Check out wp-beta.com for recent wordpress themes.

Have a great Day!