Now, I know I’ve painted a lovely picture of the freelance life thus far, but let’s face it, it’s not all jelly beans and unicorns. There are a few major downsides to being self-employed and working from home.
One being that nobody seems to think you actually work.
Landlords, for example, can get highly suspicious when two scruffy twenty-somethings take up residence in their building, then don’t leave for work in the morning like everyone else. I’m fairly certain ours believe we operate a lucrative meth lab up here on the second floor. In fact, I expect them to break down the door any day now, fully outfitted in haz mats, to find me hunched over my laptop, bleary-eyed, polishing off another bowl of cereal.
I’ll admit that I’m so self-conscious of my landlords’ opinion of my career that I actually go out of my way to avoid their door when sneaking down to the laundry room. Which, come to think of it, probably does nothing to ease their suspicions.
But landlords aren’t the only problem here. Pretty well everyone who learns that you work from home automatically infers that you’re not *really* working. They will inevitably call you on their days off, assuming that since you work from home, you’ll be free to watch them try on bridesmaid dresses all afternoon. And you’ll undoubtedly get asked to take someone’s terrier to the dog spa because she simply must have her nails clipped and you have such a flexible schedule.
I mean, the nerve! And all because you go rollerblading in the middle of the afternoon some days. And sure, there were those few three-hour-long, mid-week beach picnics, but you did bring a book, so it wasn’t like you weren’t being productive. And okay, you have been known to come home from the library with some adorable creme brulee ramekins from the chef shop across town. But that was research!
So there we have it. Our first con: people who think you do nothing all day. Misguided fools. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a dozen food blogs to read, followed by a thorough re-organization of the hall closet. Time is money, people.
