Working at home II

This blog entry described the numerous advantages of working at home. Unfortunately, there are down sides too. Although they are fewer in number, some are much more serious:

If I get only few job offers in a certain period (like in summer), I don't earn much money. If I get sick (or bust my knee..) and can't work, I don't earn one dime. If I go on holiday, I cannot work and will not earn one dime either. If I move house, I have to wait for the Internet to work (takes about a friggin' month) to be able to do any work whatsoever. If I run into (computer/Internet) problems, no one will fix them for me. And if I get sick for a long time, or break my fingers or something, I am totally fucked.

There are few moments I don't think about work: I never get home from work. If I get a quotation request late at night, I feel obligated to draw one up right away. Unless I am gone for the weekend, I never feel I am truly off work. Clients can call me at any time of day (though I don't always answer in evenings and weekends). I am at home by myself all day long, which can get lonely. I get distracted by personal e-mails and temptations (playing a game for a bit because I can, etc.) numerous times a day. Without a fair amount of discipline, I would hardly get any work done. I have no job security, as it completely depends on the jobs I get, so I never know when I will have how much money (which is quite handy when planning things). I never even know for sure when I will be able to go on holiday.

I have to take care of, and pay for advertising myself. I have to maintain client relations myself. I have to maintain and pay for my website myself. I have to do my own administration and pay my bookkeeper myself. I have to draw up every quotation and invoice myself. I have no colleagues so I have to do everything myself; I can rely on no one but myself. I have to pay for my hardware and software and numerous other things myself. I have to pay the heating and electrical bills myself. I even have to pay for the tea I drink myself instead of getting it from a machine for free.

I'm not even building up any pension (now). So if I get old, I'd better just forget to open my parachute!

Still, I don't know if I could work for a boss... It is like I am addicted to the freedom associated with being self-employed. But I guess there are worse addictions :).