Client and Availabilty- Am I being awkward?

[Artisticcircle]

I have just started freelancing in the last few months. I have one ( my original) client who I work for around 8 hours a week, and have now been lucky enough to book other work around this. At the moment I am absolutely at capacity- it's good, but I am juggling. My client A has various people working flexibly for him- some employed and others like me are self employed. They specifically asked me to do my hours either on a Monday or a Friday because of the business needs. I fit my other work around this and have got into some kind of schedule with my projects . My client A has sent an email booking me onto an away day in a few weeks time on a Thursday. He didn't ask if I was available, just assumed I would be. On the day in question I do have a Webex meeting I am supposed to be running for another client- I have informed Client A and said I'm not available unfortunately. He seems very put out. I could possibly try and juggle things on this occasion but I feel like I am being treated like an employee- I do have other commitments after all. Should I just try and rearrange things on this occasion( my other client might not be happy then! ) or shall I use this as an opportunity to clarify our business relationship? Perhaps I am making too much of this- this is all new to me so thank you for assistance and patience!

[motherinferior]

Stick to your guns. You have a meeting with another client. You have already arranged your work to this client's convenience.

[motherinferior]

Also check if they are paying for you to attend the away day!

[Artisticcircle]

Thanks motherinferior- I also wondered about whether I would even get paid for it.

[ChunkyPickle]

Not being unreasonable - he books your time, and you can refuse, you're not at his beck and call - although if a good client, and I could re-arrange the Web-ex (and I was being paid, or it might be useful) then I might accommodate it.

I've had to refuse clients, and it just enforces with them that you are a professional, separate entity, and I think it's good to keep that edge when you're freelancing.

[G1veMeStrength]

From the other side - I use freelancers and would never DREAM of assuming they are available - your client is being very rude!

[Artisticcircle]

Hi, thanks so much- I feel relieved that IANBU. g1vemestrength I thought he was rude too. I feel irritated by the initial assumption and then the response when I said I wasn't available. I think I am going to just stick to my guns- I don't really want to reschedule my other work. I think I need to reinforce this concept that I'm a separate entity as you say chunkypickle

[kjwh]

A classic example of a difference between employment and self employment.

A master & servant relationship is an indicator of employment, i.e. a mutuality of obligation, i.e. the employer tells you what to do and when to do it.

Self employment doesn't have the same master/servant relationship. The client asks you to do some work, you have the freedom to agree or not.

[ProfGrammaticus]

Stick to your guns, he will respect you more and take you more seriously if you do. Is he a man and you are a woman? I think he would be unlikely to have done this to another man.