Maybe I need to refresh my Gmail.
Maybe the Internet is broken, like that day at the office when we all thought we had a quiet Wednesday just to learn in the evening all emails had been delayed because of a server issue (IT had notified us… by email!).
Maybe legit emails ended up in the spam folder. Let’s see… nope. None of my clients sell Cialis.
Oh wait, maybe I should log into this old account I haven’t used in twenty years, just in case!
Never mind. I’ll just put on my shoes and walk to the mailbox. When was the last time I received an assignment by regular mail? Never. Don’t judge, I’m desperate.
It’s like being 16 again and expecting a text or a phone call from a crush—except I’m 34 and I’m waiting for work assignments, an activity which is normally much less likely to cause a broken heart.
Yet, I’m freaking out because the past few weeks have been unusually quiet. No, I’m not a masochist. Remember: I’m self-employed, I’m a one-woman company, the CEO and slave of Maple World Translation. No work means no invoices, no cheques—not even the “lost in the mail” kind—no Interac e-transfer notices. To add to my stress, August is my fiscal year end and thus, September is the beginning of the new one. If starting every single month with $0 income and no guarantee to even make minimum wage is always a daunting prospect, kicking off a fiscal year with much less work is downright scary.
“Freelancing is a game of ebbs and flows” as the saying goes. I usually say this with a shrug when the odd quiet day pops up or when I’m answering emails at 2 a.m. And it’s completely true—sometimes I’m swamped for no apparent reason while sometimes, it feels like I’ve been blacklisted.
But it’s September. It should be busy.
My unpredictable work schedule still follows a pattern. For instance, I’m rarely busy before 10 a.m. or even noon, because office people (i.e. my clients) usually deal with internal emails and meetings before they start assigning work to freelancers. Monday mornings are often as quiet as Friday afternoons in the 9-to-5 world. However, my Friday afternoons aren’t relaxing since I’m assigned what has to be completed by Monday and can’t be done over the weekend by employees on the payroll. The end of the Canadian government’s fiscal year (March 31) can get busy because departments and agencies want to use up their budgets, while the holiday season is peak time for the private sector.
I’m used to it. On the bright side, I can manage my time efficiently. I run errands and work on personal projects when it’s quiet. I used to hate being stuck at the office with nothing to do, because there are only so many unblocked websites you can visit and only so many cups of coffee you can drink with co-workers. But on the downside, no work equals no income. And it’s not like I can turn a green light on to announce I’m available—clients contact me when it’s convenient for them, not for me.
I hold my breath on the first of each month. Once I reach $1,000 on my Excel spreadsheet, I heave a sigh of relief. When I get to $2,000, I smile. Above, I feel like I’m on top of the world and you can find me at Lindt buying fancy chocolate bars.
But beyond financial issues are psychological considerations. I love my work, it gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I like being contacted by clients, providing a solution, putting verbs in sentences and fixing commas. I feel useless when I’m not making money. I can’t help worrying. Is this a sign that my freelancing years are over? Did I do something awful, like forgetting an “s” or a full stop? Am I charging too much?
The situation isn’t that bad. I don’t have debts (mostly thanks to getting my university degree in France, where tuition is extremely cheap) and we don’t live beyond our means. Yet, at the back of my mind, I have this nagging urge to work and save money, because if I don’t take care of myself, who will? We have no safety net, no employee retirement plan, and no assets. It’s not like I’m trying to get rich—I just know it’s easy to fall into the poverty trap.
Oh, aren’t we all in the same boat…!
Maybe I’m just gonna refresh Gmail one more time.
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I hear you …. I panic when there is too much work (will I be able to meet all my deadlines ??? ) – and as the busy time begins to slow down, I panic that there won’t be enough work coming in – even after all these years, I will never get used to these damn ebbs and flows 😉
Oh, I hear you! And we have limited capacity as well. I mean, if I get five or six assignments at the same time, I can’t always manage them all and meet tight deadlines, even though I really want the work and the money!
The money, yes, but the work, we could do without.
… Honestly, I don’t know. I kind of like my work.
That’s something that annoyed me when I was engineer : on interviews, you were supposed to show that you would work just for glory. Not all jobs are interesting, and indeed a lot of people work because they need money, and hate their job.
It is fortunate when having a job we like, but it is not an excuse for not being paid.
It is the same spirit than here
« Mon maçon était illustrateur, et il a gardé de bonnes habitudes. »
http://monmacon.tumblr.com
I like the saying “they pretend to pay us, so we pretend to work”. Or “pay bananas, get monkeys”.
Honestly, I’m way more motivated (and much happier) being self-employed.
Ah ben tiens, justement
https://youtu.be/wzbdk0_pTs4
I hear ya! With my other half officially starting his business this month, it’s a LOT of stress (no more EI to help cover the start up costs…)
Of course I’ve been put in charge of helping with the books.
And your article came at the right time, do you have an accounting software? Is there one you’d recommend?
Fingers crossed your email starts pinging
Oh, good luck to him! And I say it without any sarcasm, being self-employed has its perks 😉
For accounting, I don’t have any software. I use Excel spreadsheets for general month-to-month accounting and my invoices are Excel sheets with formulas. I spent a lot of time designing the invoices so that it would add taxes and all automatically and my dad designed a logo for me 🙂
Once a year, my accountant files my corporate taxes. I don’t want that responsibility 😆
Fair enough! I was going to do a spreadsheet for him but then thought with software we could do taxes. Mind you I’m sure a good accountant would do a much better job and he’s end up paying less haha
I designed spreadsheets for invoices and stuff before in Excel so not a pb for me…
It’s going to cost him a lot 😛
And yes, I think we’ll see more of the perks once he has a more solid client base. Right now he has to put in place so many things it makes it more stressful
Oh, definitely make him pay. I mean, you’re good, therefor, not cheap 😛
Good luck to him! If you have any question, feel free to email me anytime. What kind of business is he getting into?
Thanks! he’s doing hot tub maintenance, property care for high end properties, landscaping, painting etc.
Now, to start on the spreadsheet….
Oh, that’s cool! My best advice would be to go where the money is. Sounds painfully obvious, I know.
Hi!
Thank you for sharing this!
And yes this September is a little bit quieter than I expected too… even though I am not entirely commited to working I guess I waited for the “let’s get ready for Christmas” vibe and… nothing.
Let’s enjoy the colours instead!
😀
Well, that’s it too: it’s so nice outside, I’m not completely miserable… I love being able to enjoy this late-summer season!
It’s the reason why I never chose to be a freelancer. I used to work as a freelancer, but I also had an office job. I would feel insecure. Est ce que tu travaillais en France ou c’était de vraies vacances ?
J’ai travaillé pas mal la première semaine parce que je bouclais un projet. Après, pas grand chose… août est un mois calme 🙂
Et à 3000, c’est l’orgie !
Speaking of that, do you have an accountant or do you do your taxes yourself? I find the fiscal system incredibly complex even as an standard employee, but with a business it is incompréhensible.
T’as même pas idée 😆
I keep my own books but I have an accountant to file my corporate taxes. I ain’t doing that…
I hope more work comes your way soon!
Thank you!