Separating your home life from your work life can be extremely difficult when you work from home and you may not be able to separate the two totally. In fact, it may be better not to at times. That's not to say that you should conduct research during family time but there are times when combining the two can be helpful.
Working Vacations
While you don't want to blow the entire family vacation on work, you might be able to get in enough work to sell later that would offset the cost of the trip. That doesn't mean you should take work with you but rather take advantage of wherever you're going by writing about the locale. If you can take pictures, even better. Even if your family vacation doesn't take you to an exotic or exciting locale, you can usually find something to write about, even if it's only a tour to a local factory.
Did something go wrong on your family vacation? Write about it. Freelancing opens up opportunities that other people don't have. Take advantage of them. Perhaps you saved a bundle on your vacation or grew closer to your kids or participated in an activity you've never done before. Even if it's not your area of writing, penning an article about your vacation experiences can pay off. In addition, since you experienced it firsthand, you won't have to rely on Internet research that may or may not be up to date or accurate.
Bring Your Personal Experiences to Work
What other job will actually pay you to bring your personal life to work? Most jobs demand that you leave your home life at the door but freelancing encourages just the opposite. Now, that doesn't mean that you have to reveal intimate secrets about your family or your personal life but you can write about and make money from everyday experiences in the lives of you and your family. Think of all the problems you and your family have encountered and concentrate on the ones you have solved. How did you do it? Can you teach others to do the same thing?
What do you know how to do that others would like to know too? If you're an ace with the video camera, consider making short videos that you can add to your website or submit to other sites that will share their ad revenue with you. Whether you're a whiz at gardening or computers, share your knowledge with the world and boost your freelancing career at the same time.
In Sickness and in Health
Before you decide there isn't anything worthwhile in your personal life to write about, consider the state of your health and that of your family's health. If everyone's healthy, how do you stay that way? Do you have a fitness routine or eat healthy? Do you incorporate exercise into family activity time? If someone in your family does have health issues, incorporate what you know about that disease or condition into your freelancing career. Maybe you're taking care of an elderly parent and you've had to hire help so you can work. Now that's an experience that writing about would help others and boost your income at the same time.
As you can see, it really doesn't matter which dynamics make up your personal life. As a freelancer, you can incorporate many of these dynamics into your career, earn money, and help others at the same time.
Why does freelancing sound so exciting to people who don't do it for a living? Experienced freelancers know there are routine and boring tasks that have to be done in order to be successful. While none of these are rocket science, neglecting some of the following could have dire consequences.
Backing Up
Most people understand the concept of backing up their data but far too many don't understand the importance. That is, not until it's too late. The fact is, there are just too many variables that could cause you to lose important data and this loss could cost you big in the way of lost clients, time, and money. You don't have to spend a lot of money to back up your data, either; just a simple $15 jump drive can hold a lot of important files. You can also use CDs or DVDs to back up your data if you choose. While there are several online services that will store your data for you, these services generally charge a fee, something most beginning freelancers need to avoid when possible so unless you have an incredible amount of data to back up, do it yourself if at all possible. Don't procrastinate. Back up your files on a regular basis so when the unthinkable happens, you will be prepared.
Antivirus Protection
This is another relatively cheap safeguard that far too many people ignore. There are even some free anti-virus programs online that you can use if you can't afford your own in the beginning. Usually, though, like anything else, you get what you pay for so be sure and compare the features if you go with a free anti-virus program. If you use one of the popular ones on the market then you probably already know that you have to update your subscription once a year in order to be fully protected.
Some freelancers don't understand why they have to update their anti-virus program annually. After all, they run a scan and are assured there are no viruses so why is updating so important? Keeping your anti-virus program up to date is important because you will only be protected against those viruses that were in existence at the point your subscription was still active. This means that your computer and all your files will be vulnerable to any new viruses that may come along after your subscription has expired. Because new viruses are being discovered all the time, it is crucial that you keep your anti-virus program up to date.
Spyware, Adware, and Malware in General
While your anti-virus program will take care of the bulk of these nuisances, you need to be especially careful when it comes to free downloads so that you don't get more than you bargain for. While there are a host of free and reliable tools for freelancers, you need to be prudent when deciding which free tools to take advantage of. Only download free software or tools from trusted sites because this is one way that all kinds of malware can find its way onto your computer. If you come across a free program that you'd like to download, be sure and read the privacy policy of the site that is offering the program. Also, look for reviews from other freelancers before you download anything from a site you have never downloaded from before. Remember, free isn't free if it damages your computer.
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