Positive things about being self employed

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

DS' Godfather asked us at short notice if we can stay with him in Germany, no bookings so next month we are taking the ferry for £29.02 return and having a few days off.

Personally I love being able to work in my pajamas and Mumsnet whenever I like.

Have a great time.

Yes to PJ's. I also love that I very rarely have to work until 5, so I can get stuff ready for dinner etc and then pick up the kids so there's no mad evening rush. I think I would find a 9-5 hard now.

Ditto the PJs and having facebook, mumsnet in the background. Being able to sit with my laptop on my lap, a cat between me and the laptop purring loudly and rubbish daytime TV on in the background. Ditto being able to work whenver, weekends, evenings, etc., and being able to go to town, dentist, etc without booking time off.

How about things you miss about working in an office?
Being able to read on the train to work. My journey to work takes 4 seconds nowadays - not even enough time to find my page.
Office gossip.
Danish pastries and fresh coffee.
Meetings in a room with other people and not over the phone with Cbeebies on in the background.
Going to pub after work.
Wearing nice clothes.

I don't do any of those anymore.

I like, late starts, I like working when I want, sometimes I dont have to work office hours, I can finish off when kids are in bed, or when I can be arsed not when someone else tells me too.

Time off to look after the kids when they are ill, off school, long lunches, no lunches but long drinks!

Most of all the freedom, but what I now know is that I have to make money, I dont earn it, I could work for weeks sometimes and nothing happens, so I now make money not earn it, scary but fun!

I have a wonderful, understanding, empathetic boss.

My boss is self-employed and works from home too and has three children, so she is very understanding of my working pattern, which is, in a word, erratic. She's the same. So when she phones up she doesn't think it strange when one of my DSs wants to talk to her!

My son is off ill from school and I'm on the lap top finishing some work while he watches Tin Tin next to me.

No need to ask permission or explain anything to anyone.

Also, when he has a school event, I can help/be there. So what, I have to work that evening instead? I get to be here and that is important to me.

Wish my work was more regular though! (See post today about extending legal research work)

I miss IT/ tech support and a well stocked stationery cupboard.

I am self employed, work from home but on a long term contract.

Good stuff:

I don't need to take half a day to go to the doctors
I can get all the bedding washed and dried in the same day! (bit pathetic!!)
I can start and finish mostly when I like
I can book the cheap tesco.com delivery slot
Not having to go to boring meetings - usually just conference calls, so can paint nails/mn/read bbc news during calls!
Office politics

The not so good stuff:

My current contract pays on daily rate so don't work don't get paid - makes you think twice about having a day off.
See above - what's sick leave!!
Ditto stationery cupboard, office gossip, pub after work, seeing other people in the flesh, and nice clothes - the novelty soon wears off working in your PJs and not having to dress up for work.

The internet is the homeworker's godsend - I can be holding a screaming baby and still send a coherent email and read replies. I am now an expert, one-handed typist so can do much of my work while jiggling the baby on my knee (although she is getting good at diving for the keyboard). I very rarely have to worry about not being able to pick my children up from school; my mobile means I am always available to chat to people I work with. Fantastic.

The bad stuff is that everyone has got very slow at paying and cashflow is a complete nightmare. I don't really miss the office that much, it was a very depressing place by the time I left and of the people I still know working there, most are completely miserable.

Generally I don't miss the office (particuarly the commute). When I meet up with old colleagues all that "they've got 3 more pens than me" stuff seems so ridiculous I can't belive that I used to get so worked up in it all.

However it would be nice to start your day with 10 mins of idle chit chat about Eastenders/Brad'n'Ange/the smelly old man on the train sometimes.

That's what Mumsnet's for, surely?

Lack of IT support: do what I did and marry someone who works in IT support. I am always ringing him up and saying 'my email is broken' or 'I can't get into my work folder' or whatever and he remotely controls my laptop from his PC at work and sorts it out for me. Fantastic!

I like:

• being able to order everything mail order and have it arrive at home while I work
• fit little household tasks in throughout the day (making a coffee... empty the dishwasher while the kettle boils etc)
• being able to attend the DCs school things without having to sneak out of an office
• not having to be accountable to patronising male bosses who are young and don't have children, and don't understand that yes, you DO have to leave at 5.45 because the nursery closes at 6 pm
• taking 4-6 weeks off in the summer fro family holidays (DH is self-employed too)

Things I miss:

• coffee & croissants in meetings
• office 'mates' and chat
• the office gym [even if I never went anyway...]
• still being paid, even on those days when I know I just faffed around, without adding real value
• pension
• paid for nights away from the kids in nice hotels for conferences & meetings!

lalalonglegs, that is what I thought!

Last week I was between projects so I met a friend for lunch and then did some shopping. I felt so guilty but having that freedom was lovely.

I also like being able to get a wash on .

But most of all, i love not havign to answer to anyone.

I think I would be driven insane though if I didn't have MN to talk on as it can get lonely.

I agree. When we had that faffers thread a little while ago that was also really good - it was the equivalant of the chat over the kettle in an office

there are loads of things that go in both pros and cons for me - depending on my mood. flexibility is great when you want it, but sometimes it means you mess about and feel like you haven't achieved anything

pros

being able to run during the day
having my coffee breaks with dh (he's s-e too)
being at home for the kids, school pick ups, activities etc
being able to move out of London
being able to walk the dog during the day with dh
not dealing with office politics
being able to chose my colleagues - not having to deal with substandard work

cons

missing structure - allowing myself to timewaste
no firm line between home and work - this is by far the worst thing - not switching off from home/kids etc when I should be working; and not switching off from work when I should be doing nice things with the kids
Fear that I'm headed down a dead end career-wise
missing the better/nicer colleagues
not feeling like I've got time for lunch
not being round the corner from a whole host of good coffee shops and cafes

oh and having an open plan office. definitely in with the cons. I have a lovely study...but it's got no bloody door. which means that even if I'm officially on work duty rather than kids, I really struggle to get stuff done after school.

I have loved being around when my older dds get home from school. While dc were young I was at work out of the house, but then it was easy to arrange good childcare, and for me to set the agenda / time for family time. Once they were teenagers they did not want arrangements made for them after school. Working from home has meant that I am around but not looking after them, and I can spend time with them in a much more flexible way - when they need it, rather than when I schedule it.

I love it that I can get out of bed when dp is leaving the house, and by the time he is at work I can have already done an hours work.

I love to weed the garden in my "lunch-break" (which sometimes lasts all afternoon).

I love being able to time-waste, and not feel guilty about it.

I love not having to participate in the appraisal system. I just give myself a payrise when I think I deserve one.

But I still miss not being able to pick up the phone to IT and say "my printer's not working".