New! Monthly Column Debbi is the owner of Mack Research and Writing, providing articles, reports, case studies, white papers and otherwise assisting businesses and organizations with communications needs. She has also done research for legal and reference publishers and attorneys. A select list of clients and writing samples are available here. Debbi is also a mystery author, whose published work includes a novel, Identity Crisis, a hardboiled mystery featuring lawyer/sleuth Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae, and a short story in Chesapeake Crimes I, an anthology written and edited by members of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Submitted for Your Consideration June 2008 Opportunity Knocks (Even When it Knocks You Down) One of the small pleasures I enjoy on any given Sunday morning is to read The Washington Post Magazine. The May 25 issue had a wonderful article by T.M. Shine, called "Terminated," about his experiences with being downsized from his job. One of the things he kept bringing up was the stigma of being "unemployed" and his concerns about his ability to find new work. What struck me was that where he kept seeing the negatives in his situation, I kept seeing potential opportunities. In a comment on his blog, I suggested that he might want to consider becoming a full-time freelance writer, rather than seeking out employment. Here are a few reasons someone in his position might want to do that. While the first two apply specifically to Shine, the rest are compelling reasons why anyone who's been laid off may want to take the plunge into self-employment. The man can obviously write. The article speaks for itself, so I shall say no more on that point. Read it and see for yourself. He's already got one sterling credit for his resume. I don't know exactly what sort of writing Shine was doing before he got canned. But now he can say he's been published in The Washington Post Magazine. That's a credit most beginning freelancers would kill for. When you work for yourself, you can't get laid off. No one is above you to hold performance reviews or budget cuts over your head. As a self-employed person, you aren't subject to a boss' whims -- you are, in fact, the architect of your own success. Yes, you will work for clients and they may have whims, but you get to choose who you work for. You can "fire" truly difficult clients and cultivate good ones. When your boss is squirrelly, that's something you're just stuck with. Hard economic times may translate into business opportunities for you. If people are being laid off, you have to ask yourself why. Probably, at least in part, because employees are expensive -- employers have to pay their salaries, plus benefits, plus a portion of FICA, plus carry workers comp insurance, etc. But unless the company plans to shut down, they still need to provide the goods or services they're in business to provide. And if they plan to stay in business, the owners and top execs can't do it all themselves. So they'll outsource the work rather than hire employees to do it -- it's cheaper for them. And that's where your job loss can become a gain. As a freelancer, you could work (possibly even for your old employer) at much less cost to them and potentially much greater return for yourself -- financially and personally. A job is not necessarily a guarantee of greater affluence or comfort. I'm reminded of all the people I hear saying, "Things just aren't like they were in our parents' day. Back then, you worked 30 years for one company and were assured of a pension (and maybe a gold watch) at the end of the line." Well, I have news for you. I've heard stories from people who did the 30 years with various companies only to get screwed out of their pensions. Their employers stole from the pension fund, went belly up or just found some excuse not to give them their due. And these things happened to people who worked in our parents' day. What I'm saying is, there's no such thing as a sure thing. And there never was. People are making money as freelancers. One example of a great freelancing success story is Ken Norkin. Norkin quit his job in 1991 to become a full-time freelance copywriter -- four years after his wife became a full-time freelance journalist. Since then, the couple have made enough to raise two children and still have money left over for vacations, restaurants, the occasional movie, i.e., they've enjoyed a comfortable middle-class existence. Norkin and his wife are shining examples of how you don't have to starve to be a freelancer and you can still find time to have a life while doing it. You might be on your own, but you're not alone. There are so many lists, organizations and online social networks where you can make connections and find support, it's hard to list them all. But I'll name a few. In the Washington, DC area, there's the Washington Independent Writers, which has an email list, job bank (for an extra fee), networking and educational events, and small groups for various types of writing, as well as an annual conference. Online, the DC area has the DCpubs list, where one can often find resources and seek advice from other freelancers. There's also a Freelance list you can join, that I believe has a national membership. The Editorial Freelancers Association is a New York City-based group that's also worth considering. That group also has job listings, online resources and an email list. The National Writers Union has several useful resources and acts as an advocate for freelance writers. And Mediabistro is a great Web site, offering articles, job listings, emailed news updates and courses (some online) for writers of different types and experience levels. (I might add that some of these groups, as well as the Freelancers Union and the National Association for the Self-Employed offer group health insurance -- a huge issue for people thinking about going freelance.) As for social networks, some of the usual suspects include LinkedIn and Twitter. Writers are even using MySpace and Facebook to promote themselves and make connections. And I can't even begin to list the blogs out there on freelance writing that provide job listings, advice, support and so on, but you can find links to some of them through Writing for Hire, my own blog about the business of writing. Now, that said, the freelance life isn't for everyone. It takes motivation, determination, decision-making ability, a measure of flexibility and the willingness to market your services and (if you'll excuse the cliché) think outside the box from time to time. But if you can handle that, the potential benefits can be enormous. I'm no Pollyanna. I can be as cynical as the next guy (even if the next guy happens to be someone like this or even this) and I won't spout you that line about how you have to make lemonade when life hands you lemons (though, Lord knows, I've been handed my share of lemons and even gotten the proverbial lemon juice squirted in my proverbial eyes). So if I can see opportunity in T.M. Shine's misfortunes, I think that's really saying something. May 2008: Zen and the Art of Spring Cleaning April 2008: A Virtual Crowd March 2008: Four Great Reasons to Hire a Freelance Writer February 2008: Beyond the Bend January 2008: Green Thoughts December 2007: What Goes Around Comes Around November 2007: Bitten by the Bug