Comments on: Why Freelancing Sucks

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:22:15 +0000

My biggest complaint is that the freelance writers who leave me multiple e-mails when I log off. Don’t they realize I have a life too? And then NOTHING I ever do is the right way for two of my clients (one who fired me and one who I finally dropped). So yeah not exactly happy. Thinking about tossing in the towel.

By: Sheri Cyprus

Sheri Cyprus — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:53:04 +0000

I just want to add that, ironically, clients generally rave about my copy and don’t ask for revisions!!!! It’s just that they only need my services every few months and I need steadier work. sigh.

By: Sheri Cyprus

Sheri Cyprus — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:49:54 +0000

I’m a bit late for this post, but I enjoyed reading the other responses. I’m Canadian so freelancers do get what they say is health insurance, except dental is not included. Teeth are a part of physical health so I don’t get why it’s not included. I cannot have any sort of dental plan and my dental health suffers greatly for it.

The equally bad thing about freelancing for me is the lack of consistency in work. I’m self-supporting so my housing costs and bills are all up to me and while sometimes I make $50 an hour, if I don’t get enough work it may dip down to an average of $10 which is difficult to live on.

If I could just get about 10 good paying, regular clients I’d be so so happy!

By: Bounce House

Bounce House — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:32:20 +0000

I hate the most the clients who believe they know how to do this and that and tell me how to do my job. And the worse part is that, if they are experts already, why do they need me anymore?
Did they ever consider that maybe they don’t know a thing and they just like to look smarter than they are? Neah..is easier not to ask themselves that.That is my problem as a freelancer…”smart” client knowing it all

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By: Dianna Huff

Dianna Huff — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:38:10 +0000

Ed, I’m with you. One reason I have not hired employees is due to taxes and regulations. And paying that monthly payroll tax bill every month hurts. Thankfully I’m able to mitigage it with my self-employed 401k. Every freelancer should have one. If you don’t think so, go read, Automatic Millionaire by David Bach.

By: SpongeBob Fan

SpongeBob Fan — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:42:40 +0000

Uncle Sam gets the employees too – employers aren’t paying “their” half out of the goodness of their hearts! Or at all!

By: Ed Gandia at The Profitable Freelancer

Ed Gandia at The Profitable Freelancer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:51:04 +0000

I have a great accountant. I have great clients who are reasonable and pay their bills on time. I’m even happy with my self-employed health insurance, believe it or not (that’s another post).

But what I can’t stand is how bad Uncle Sam stabs you in the back when you’re self-employed. You get hit with the full 15.3% payroll tax (here in the U.S., your employer pays half of that when you’re an employee…but you pay it all when you’re on your own).

You then have massive federal taxes. And I also have to deal with state taxes. Thankfully, I don’t city taxes to deal with, like many of my peers in the northeast!

But really, guys. We have our priorities backwards in this country. Our tax system is a disaster. We abuse the little guy, the small-business owner who provides most of the jobs in this country.

We take progressively more from you as you become more successful (thanks to our progressive tax system), and we don’t even say “thanks.”

I would love to expand my busienss and hire people. I’m that busy. But I’ll never do it. Too many regulations. Too many taxes.

I mean..why should I continue to bust my hump when the government is taking half of the revenue I generate? That’s right, folks. Don’t fool yourselves. If you make about $80k or more, you ARE paying about half of your gross earnings in taxes (fed, state, local, sales tax, property, etc.)

Let’s not forget that no great nation has ever taxed itself to prosperity. Ever.

Wow! Glad to have that off my chest!

By: Lou Wasser

Lou Wasser — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:24:15 +0000

If you think that freelance writing is anything less than a noble profession in this difficult time, try this on for size:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WSuERWDDxlM

By: SpongeBob Fan

SpongeBob Fan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Melanie – I second Diana with the interruptions. The phone has to be the easiest – get Caller ID and screen. With the others, tell ‘em you’re on deadline and tell them when you can help, if that’s what you want to do. (P.S. Make sure you’re not your own worst enemy here … have you set firm “office hours” in your own mind?)

And Jim, Diana’s right on the money too. Any client who won’t give you 1/3rd to 1/2 up-front is probably trouble anyway!