Work From Office or Home?

Are you a consultant?  Uh huh, unemployed again. That's what we all call ourselves when we're out of work.  However, increasing numbers of workers are calling their employment "quits" and striking out on their own.  The pretty word for this is "consulting."

Richard Greenwald, a Drew University professor, wrote in the WSJ that:

20% to 23% of U.S. workers are operating as consultants, freelancers, free agents, contractors or micropreneurs. Current projections see the number only rising in coming years.

Freelance writers--isn't it nice to be in vogue? If only we show up in Vogue too!

Greenwald reviews the best practices of successful consultants/freelancers:

long term thinking
networking
having an office
entrepreneurial mindset

Networking is a no-brainer. If you're serious about freelancing or writing fiction as a career, you're already in long term mode. Thinking like an entrepreneur is more challenging for many writers, especially those who think of themselves only in terms of "creativity." We must also think in terms of business.

Too often, freelancers drift from project to project. That's a mistake. They need to have a business plan or mission statement. If all they do is take everything that passes over the transom, they will be viewed as a nonspecialist in a world of specialists.

Greenwald makes good points for niche writing and reminds us that we are known as much for the work we won't do as well as what do take on. While I'm game for learning new skills, I do refuse to try to help manuscripts that need developmental editing.  If I can't write a novel, I can't help you create one. I can only help make the writing better. The story is up to you.

The advice to not work from home surprised me.  I've sometimes longed for an office, even a little storefront in a strip mall.  This yearning became especially acute when my ex-husband admitted he didn't think freelance writing was "a real job," because I didn't rent office space. [snark removed]

Sharing office space and amenities like a receptionist, Internet service, copiers and fax machines lowers office costs and provides a more structured and professional atmosphere.  This is especially valuable if you must meet clients in person.  Starbucks or McDonald's don't cut it as meeting rooms. An office also helps freelancers establish a schedule, Greenwald added. 

Remember most successful writers' advice to "just sit down and write"? It helps to have a reserved seat and a desk for the laptop.

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