Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How Freelance Work is Dominating the Job Market

I got a nice email from Elance today informing be that there are now over 53 million Americans doing freelance work! Granted, I believe the number includes people who may only do freelance on the side or a couple of times a year to earn some spare change, but still....okay?



With this huge shift in workforce setting, what does that mean for those of us who freelance for a living vs those of us who don't?

Companies are relying more and more on utilizing freelancers, they often only need them for projects or jobs that have a finite time frame, so it ends up being much cheaper to hire a freelancer rather than a full time employee with all those pesky benefits. 2% of the standard work force positions are being awarded to freelancers.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Crazy Few months...

Wow... I don't really know where to start to fill you in on the last few months...I guess one big bomb is fine.

I quit my job and became a freelance writer!

I'm crazy I know, really. All of my family and many of my friends are terrified on my behalf. I'll start off with saying that I'm fortunate enough to be supported both emotionally and financially by my boyfriend who, though he is probably terrified himself, has been a trooper through this whole "I want to do something that makes me happy," crisis.

That's the gist of it, I quit my job. It should also be noted that I didn't quit in order to become a writer, I quit and then discovered the world of freelance writing mere days before my last day with a paycheck. It feels like I've been doing this for months, though.

Within the first two weeks of writing, I've accomplished more than I had in the last three years of my old job. I have written dozens of articles, product descriptions, and blogs. I've learned about investing in gold, video marketing strategies, and even how to fix a garage door when it gets jammed. I've written my first e-book about art therapy, I've started my own book about how to become a freelance writer (from a beginner's perspective), and I've signed a deal to re-write classical children's stories.

I feel so blessed and, more importantly, SO FREE!