10 Things I Don’t Like About Freelancing

I’d be remiss if I made it seem like freelance writing was all gold and required no dirt digging to get to the gold. There are some drawbacks to being a freelance writer.

1. I’m the entire business. I don’t have a boss to run ideas by or keep me in line when I don’t know what to do next. There’s no accounting department to send and followup on invoices. There’s no IT to fix my computer problems. No food services to get lunch ready. It’s all on me.
2. No employer paid health benefits. Group-like health insurance (like what employers offer) is expensive. The plan I have now has significantly less coverage at a higher monthly cost than my share of the premium under my previous group plan.
3. Double the medicare and social security taxes. Self-employed people have to pay their share and their “employer’s” share of Medicare and social security taxes. It’s called the self-employment tax. On the bright side, half the tax can be deducted from your taxable income.
4. No corporate credit card and expense account. Ahh, the days of corporate Amex and expense reports. Of course, the reports were a pain to fill out, but at least I didn’t bear the cost of expenses. Self-employed individuals can deduct business expenses on their income, but the expense still cuts into your profit.
5. Extra paperwork. I can’t say that I didn’t have to deal with paperwork in the corporate world, but there seems to be more of it now that I’m freelancing. And it’s all important, otherwise, I’d get rid of it.
6. The work involved with getting work. When you work for someone else, you jump through a lot of hoops of front then you have the job. Freelancing, you’re continuously jumping through hoops. Well, until you’ve built a  name for yourself so the gigs flow with minimal work on your part.
7. Some days I don’t have a reason to leave the house. Since I’ve started freelancing, 80% of my trips outside the house result in me spending money (besides the gas it takes to get there). Now, I have to force myself to do something outside rather than shop.
8. My grocery bill is higher. I eat all three meals plus snacks at home, so I spend more money on groceries than I would otherwise. I’d like to think it balances it out with the reduction in fuel costs.
9. Following up with clients who don’t pay. It’s hard to imagine a large corporation not sending your paycheck. With individuals, it’s different. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with very many nonpaying clients, but it does happen, it’s a real pain.
10. Friends and family fail to recognize it as a real job. Statements like “I wish I could just sit around on the computer all day” absolutely infuriate me. People seem to think that I just lolligag around surfing the internet while they slave away under “the man’s” watch. Not so. I work just as hard, if not harder than anyone who gets up everyday and punches the clock.

Don’t be shy. What are some of the things you don’t like about freelance writing?