Articles on: freelancing

[caption id="attachment_8551" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Markus Spiske via Flickr[/caption] Though the monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics (also known as the jobs report) woefully neglect the new class of freelancers, part-timers, and gig economists, plenty of other organizations have a vested interest in knowing exactly how many Americans are making a living -- or even just contributing to their income -- by freelancing, working for themselves, or taking on work in addition to their full-time employment. A new report from the Freelancers Union and Elance-oDesk, though, shows that the U.

[caption id="attachment_8496" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel[/caption] We've all heard it: This is the era of the freelance economy, where the autodidact rules and the jack-of-at-least-many-trades is more marketable than the guy with one degree in one focus from one decent school. The rules are changing — in part because we want them to, and in part because we can't stop them from doing so.

Life as a freelancer looks different for everyone, and it doesn't look very much like what non-freelancers think it does. No, we don't sit in our pajamas all day, and no, we're not kindly saying we're "freelancing" when what we mean is we're unemployed.

Despite a distinct lack of inclusion by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in their monthly figures, the numbers we do have available don't lie: More workers, both in the U. S.

[caption id="attachment_6797" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image: Chase Jarvis[/caption] At the tender age of 22, one of my friend editors gave me the most important piece of freelance advice I've ever heard: You are the product. Because being successful as a freelancer or creative entrepreneur requires a lot of things: Hard work, a few very supportive friends, and probably at least one credit card that you're comfortable putting some serious spending on until the work starts to pick up.

[caption id="attachment_5820" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Photo via PhotKing on Flickr. [/caption] Think you'd be happier being your own boss?