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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.