Does the idea of a corporate gig give you that warm, fuzzy feeling? Is a raise of 6% per year until you retire to a $20 storebought cake and a Rolex your idea of financial well-being? Did you know that health insurance really isn’t all that expensive? Hey, college boy, do you run around campus to hit up interviews each spring?
Stop already! There are tons of myths out there that protect the corporate lifestyle, but you need not be fooled. If you want to be continually robbed of your freedoms, be my guest, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out. On the other hand, if you want to know how to avoid the corporate rut forever, read on!
Got skills?
As long as you possess a transferable skillset, then you have everything you need to break free. Know Microsoft Office inside and out? Awesome. You can install five different CMS platforms on just about any server under the sun? Looks good to me. Got experience networking computers and wrangling broadband connections? You’re set.
What’s more, you don’t even have to be an expert at something right now in order to make a career out of it. In fact, if you’re interested in something, you should start learning as much as possible about it from this point forward. In three months (perhaps sooner), you’ll be proficient enough to spread your wings.
My point here is simple. If you can even be considered reasonably “expert” in a particular area, then there’s probably more work out there than you alone can handle. The only issue, then, is actually going out and finding all this work.
Fortunately, this is relatively easy, and it gets easier all the time.
My story
In October of 2005, I decided to build myself a little website that combined RSS aggregation with a blog. These two elements were of great interest to me at the time, and I thought I could get local people interested in the idea of a community blog site. Enter BlogLouisville.
In the beginning, building the BlogLouisville website was basically just a hobby, but I will admit to being keenly interested in the design aspect of things. During the construction phase, I was also running a retail business that had an eBay branch, so when I wasn’t fulfilling orders, I was hacking out CSS and XHTML.
As soon as I finished BlogLouisville, I was ready for more design, as it was far more appealing than sending out feedback to people who’d sent me $7 on eBay. How far could I go with CSS? Could I ever get as good at Photoshop as Veerle or Greg?
Looking back, I see that the answers to these questions weren’t nearly as important as the fact that I was interested in learning as much as possible about web design. I wanted to learn CSS inside and out; I wanted to explore Photoshop and develop as much proficiency as possible; and that’s all that mattered.
Within two months of launching my first website, I had developed a pretty decent skillset. A couple of fine folks took notice, and they asked me to design and consult on some sites. This was essentially my proverbial “snowball at the top of the mountain,” because after those two gigs, things really picked up steam.
It’s been six months since I launched BlogLouisville, and now I get at least three emails a week (lately it’s been five or more) inquiring about design work. To the casual observer, I’m sure that I look more or less like a web designer.
Truth is, I’m just making money doing something that holds my interest and keeps me inspired.
You’ve got the tools. Now what?
It really is all about who ya know.
In October of 2005, I didn’t know anybody. Now, I know lots of people, and those people (great folks that they are) routinely send business my direction. With a couple of notable exceptions, I have developed all of my contacts since January, and in that short amount of time, I’ve essentially built a design business.
If you’re reading between the lines, then you already see the good news here. Even if you don’t know anyone in your field of interest, you can’t let that minor detail stop you. Stick your nose out there and learn to play the part of the expert. A couple of months of networking could likely set the stage for years to come. Believe in the snowball effect, because I promise that it will happen to you, too.
The bottom line
Obviously, I wouldn’t be sitting here singing the praises of an entrepreneurial lifestyle unless I felt like it offered distinct advantages.
- Freedom: If I need to take care of personal stuff at 2 pm, I’m on it like white on rice. If I want to go play golf, I’m so gone. I know that I’m going to take care of everything, and not having to worry about someone else coming down on me for doing things however I see fit is, well, priceless.
- Motivation: Most intelligent people I know suffer from burnout. Spend too long on one task or at one job, and it’s bound to hit you like a ton of bricks. If this happens in a corporate setting, you could be in danger of losing your job or not getting that raise come annual review time. On the other hand, if you work for yourself, you can devote your time towards learning something new if you experience burnout.
- Money: The guy you call “boss,” who incidentally wears a monkey suit every day to work, says that this year, you’re worth a 5% raise. Who the hell is he, anyway? Who is anyone, for that matter, to tell you what you’re worth? This seems like a ridiculous concept to me. Each day, you go out and determine how much you’re worth. You determine it by producing, by learning, and by creating more value in your life and your work.
While those points above might speak to you, I know something that definitely will. In the first four months of this year, I have earned more than I did in the first six months of last year. That may not be mind-blowing, but consider this: I literally dropped everything in my old life and completely started over in August of last year. Seriously, I ran from it like it was the plague.
The only thing I took with me was a little bit of money and the idea that I was going to forge a better life for myself.
Nine months later, I have what is essentially a new outlook on life. I’m free; I’m happy; and I feel like I can do anything I want to do. Now, wouldn’t you give up your corporate health insurance for that?
Follow me on Twitter for more linguistic porn than you can shake your tallywhacker at.
114 Comments ↓
Good Careers Require Blogging
There are still some people in my close circle of family and friends who can’t think of blogging as anything more than a hobby. They don’t see the potential benefit for future employment. They can’t quantify the concept of a blog as your resume.
The B…
Chris- this is definitely the direction I want to take and hope that it blossoms for me. I few weeks ago I landed my first client through word of mouth and just hope that this explodes to the point I need to turn people away.
BTW….I digg!
Hey, that’s my briefcase!
Don’t forget - workign for yourself allows you to make room for “breaks” with the slut.
M
Unemployment allows similar freedoms without all those pesky tasks like appointments, doing work and making bank deposits.
You sound like one of those infomercial guys selling books on how to make ten grand a day for sitting on your ass and placing tiny ads in the backs of magazines. heh
I found another method of avoiding the corporate world that is better suited to the risk-averse geek: working in higher education.
Amen Brother. Amen.
Already was I thinking of going out on my own anyway. And truefully It is scarey and it is risky But this really has truely inspired me even more so now.
I jumped ship a few days back and if somebody asks me why I did it, I’d point them to this blog post
excellent points Chris.
Corporate Comforts
Why leave the confines of corporate comfort? Why leave the stability of a 9 to 5 job? Chris Pearson has the answers and they’re definitely worth checking out.
For the record, corporate does not equate to crappy existence. There are nice employers o…
Hi Chris!
Great post - I love your story and support what you are doing wholeheartedly. I tried to leave a trackback, but not sure if it works between Typepad (my platform) and yours. Here is the post:
http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2006/04/real_life_examp.html
Best of luck to you!
-Pam
my present job pays well and allows me the freedom to do other jobs, so am not ready to bite the bullet..yet. it’s hard to be deluded into doing something that might not work for everybody in the first place
Took the plunge (entrepreneurship / self-employedness) late last year, and I’m loving every minute of it!
For everyone out there considering starting an entrepreneurial endeavor, I would have to encourage looking at “automatable” possibilities.
Which one is better:
50 hours initital legwork (figuring out how your consulting biz will work)
200 hours per month of ongoing effort
$5k per month income
200 hours initial legwork (figuring out the biz + implementing the app)
25 hours per month of ongoing effort
$0k per month at first
graduating towards $5k, $10k and beyond
Just my $.02.
Using these techniques I have over $3k per month in passive income. Only 2-5 hours per month are spent maintaining the projects/webapps.
This is very nice. You made me think about the things that I should do with my life. Thanx Chris!
Quite an insightful article.I must say, it gives a person a certain direction.
I am currently doing my Master’s in Business Admin. (Ya i know!), will be out of the college, fully prepared to be accepted as fodder for the mega corps.
Was contemplating striking out on my own, now i must double the efforts.
Thanks!
(p.s:by the way….can i add the post link to my blog page?? waiting for your reply)
Salil, feel free to include the link on your site. I’d consider it an honor!
Great post Chris!
Brandon, your comment regarding working in higher education reminded me of Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters. His character Ray Stantz, is speaking to fellow Ghostbuster Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) about the pitfalls of leaving academia. He remarks, “Peter, I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect RESULTS!”
Monica, blissfully self-employed in the private sector for eight years now
you can also just contract for large companies and charge them a bomb.
Hey Chris,
Just found this post, but had to write.
I’ve been a web developer for over 10 years, but for other people. I always feel like kicking myself in the teeth after spending all those years working for someone else when I had a skill set that could have put me on pace to self employement.
I do freelance work on the side, to build up my client lists and such, but of course my employer has a big problem with this because it is related to what I do for them.
I am trying to create some passive income so that I can dump my day job and go full time with my interest, like Internet marketing.
It is advisable to gain 2 -3 years of experience in jobs before jumping in to entrepreneurship, where you will be paid for gaining that experience else you will pay for your experience. : )
It’s posts of this type that I am finding more of this new financial year - and I like them!
Having ‘worked for the man’ for the past ten years - and spending at least four of those ‘burnt out’, it’s truly inspirational to read stories that both invigorate and teach me the way to escape the rut and jump feet-first into working-solo.
PS.
For those who consider blogging a hobby not a career: It’s not blogging that maketh the site - it’s the quality of the content, the dedication to layout-design and color-scheme, the discipline to regularly post articles, and the ability to teach an audience with words-alone. All traits of effective, loyal and dedicated workers in any industry.
Great post. I am at the point in my life where I have a lot of entrepreneurial ideas in my mind and the only thing that is slowing me from going full speed with what I love is my job, yes my time consuming job. I am still trying to figure out the right time to dive into my dreams…
Thanks for the inspiration Chris.
Chris,
I just found your site today and I already consider it to be the best I have seen in a long time. I have wanted to get into web design ever since I wrote my first HTML page but I didn’t have a clue about where to start.
Now I know.
Your my hero!
Chris,
Nice site, and excellent post. I freelance, and I love it. It IS all about the networking however, and I really feel that how good you are at getting your name out makes all the difference. Glad it is working for you!
Monica, that’s the best Ghostbusters quote in a movie full of them.
- Matt
While this is a nice inspiration story, it’s a very skillset-focused and largely irrelevant feel-good piece than an actual set of instructions.
I’d like to know what corporate job pays a 6 percent annual raise … and where I can sign up!
Every one of my ‘corporate’ jobs have paid 3-4 percent raises. And that’s for doing a “good” job–IT’S LESS THAN INFLATION (Which is 5% in a good year) So your actually loosing money staying at the company.
I jumped ship and made my yearly wage in three months. Now I’m working on my next big gig. I hope to double the last return.
Chris, you forgot two of the most important things a person needs to strike out on their own like you did: youth, and love of self-promotion. Youth lets you go cheap on things like food, housing, car, health insurance, retirement savings, and security. When there’s a mortgage payment, kids, and big costs coming up (college, retirement), it’s a lot harder to ditch the regular paycheck and subsidized health care.
As for self-promotion, well, it’s the rare person who can make a good living as an independent contractor without constantly working to connect with new, high quality customers. One way to do so is to make sure you have a reputation…and one way to do that to pump yourself up on your blog. A lot of people will think I’m being negative here but I’m not…it’s the honest truth that you need to promote yourself relentlessly to make it on your own.
Snowwrestler,
Not so fast, my friend.
I had a house payment, a girlfriend, three dogs, and and health insurance to pay for, but I got so fed up with life that I did it anyway.
Regarding self-promotion, I did very little of that during the time I recruited most of my clients (January through June 2006). Outside of the PressRow Theme for WordPress, the only thing I “pumped up” was the idea of becoming an entrepreneur.
I, for one, believe that the quality of your work does all the promoting that is necessary to succeed. The Web tends to be a pretty organic medium — if you consistently crank out good stuff, people will take notice.
Finally, as far as youth goes, you simply have to want it. I don’t care if you’re 25 or 65; you’ve just gotta want it.
Don Lapre in the making.
Bloglouisville doesn’t seem to work very well in Firefox. I couldn’t get to RSS feeds or launch the Photo project.
Hey Chris,
I am really happy that you struck out on your own. It is good to see a glimmer of hope from someone doing what they love making a living at what they do.
However I do have a feeling that what launched you into this position was mainly wordpress. I could be wrong but a big website like wordpress is going to obviously offer more hits than say a local town website so in a sense it was kinda’ luck.
Now at the same time I am not sure how hard it is to get layouts published but in the business world anything goes so if that’s how you become independent more power to you.
I am just saying it is not as easy as turning around and deciding one day to go out on your own. Most books I’ve read recommend at least a year of income before embarking on something like this. Most people can’t even get clients in the first few months they are open.
Anyway good story. It’s great to not have to do any marketing. I’d love to see a post on your design habits and how you go about designing your sites.
It’s nice that things have worked out so well for you, but you sure come across as a self-promoting, know-it-all jackass who thinks he’s qualified to hand out life-altering advice after tasting a small morsel of success.
The fact that you think having a girlfriend and pets is even remotely equivalent to the responsibility, expense, and time commitment of being married with kids is just one small example of your naivete. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t begrudge your success, but try revising this document after you have some real responsibilities and a few failures under your belt. It’s not always going to go so smoothly.
[...] How to Kiss Corporate Life Good Bye [...]
I have been a freelancer until about 6 months ago, now I work in an IT corporate environment.
You point out many advantages of being self-employed, but as you already mentioned, you need to _know people_, or differently put, you need high social skills, no matter what.
What was really frustrating about my freelancer experience was, I had a high-value tech skillset, but still it was very difficult for me to get jobs.
The reason I eventually had to accept is, I have a severe lack of social skills.
By contrast, the company that employs me now interviewed me in depth, so they were able to get past the first impression, and see the skills and motivation I could put in service.
Corporate life is more suited for me, probably, even more because it shields you from a lot of the bureocracy (contracts issues mainly), and lets you do your job and only that.
I do work for a better-than-average company I must admit. So your mileage may vary.
Claudio
Jake, you must be a corporate “monkey suit wearer”, gotta love the negativity. I think going on your on is the only real way in life to follow your true bliss. You’ll always be making someone else money if your working for someone else, otherwise they wouldn’t have you as an employee. But I also think that you need to make sure that it is something you are truely happy doing, or your going to fail.
really nice write-up. thanks for sharing.
Jon, far from it - anyone who knows me would laugh uncontrollably at my being described as a “corporate type.” But when somebody is blowing sunshine up my ass by saying “work for yourself, it’s easy and there is no downside!” I’m going to call it out. I’ve worked for both myself and others, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.
Chris seems to have a personality and skillset that are suited for what he is doing, which is great for him personally. That doesn’t mean his advice is applicable to others, particularly when he’s writing what is essentially a self-marketing piece in a tone that conveys the unmistakable arrogance of youthful inexperience. Just trying to inject a note of realism to the conversation.
Yes, I stay home and play Battlefield 2142 all day, and I make around $40,000/yr. It is a great life.
just visit your blog and very nice
Greetings all. Excellent post!
Not to be negative, however, I have read a few posts similar to this on the ‘Net, and while very motivating, I find that it might not be a bad idea to write a post about contracting/consulting startups that failed.
My reasoning for this is to learn exactly why they failed, so we can learn from others mistakes. While it is great to hear of the successes many have had, there are probably equally many that have feared trying for the sake of failure.
Have a look on my blog if you are interested in the post I have described above.
Thanks so much and I love your writing style!
[...] I have been reading lately some excellent posts on starting your own business. Working From Home - Joel on Software Kissing Corporate Life Goodbye So You Want to be a Consultant…? [...]
That was a touching story and thanks for sharing. I share a similar story but mine is not yet ready to be told.
Hey, that was a good one, thanks for sharing !!
[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye [...]
here here! very good write up. I ditched the day job a few years ago and don’t ever wake up completely dreading the day anymore
It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to make your own destiny, and eventually, it seems to pay about 3-4x as much as a craptastic cubicle job. hooray!
I’ve been self employed since I was 18 (really before that but it wasn’t official). More people need to get off the bench and make things happen. We need to stop being a culture that says “they do that”. We need to know that “we do that”.
[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye | Pearsonified (tags: business career work jobs entrepreneurship blogs webdesign) [...]
Yep, I did it. Went from fortune 50 company to consultant and did it for 16 years until my health gave out. It was shakey before I left Black & Decker. Still doing things occasionally but people tend to take advantage because after all I can’t get a real job.
Reality bites
Kris
[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye | Pearsonified (tags: blog business entrepreneur lifehacks programming publishing reference tutorial web) [...]
[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye | Pearsonified (tags: 2print articles freelancing) [...]
[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye | Pearsonified (tags: 2print articles freelancing) [...]
Totally agree with you. Trying to go down the same path myself. I think you are underestimating the necessary jump from the cushion of having a scheduled paycheck to a sporadic one. This is especially important if more people than just yourself are depending on this paycheck.
In any case, no guts no glory. It needs to be properly planned, some money in the bank wont hurt, but definitely it’s the way to go. I’ll be sure to send you an email when I escape my cubicle!!
With great risk comes great reward. Having your own business is a 7 day a week job, without a doubt. The hours are flexible though.
Best of luck to you, my friend. I shyed away from it and though, “hmm, a steady paycheck every week can’t be THAT bad”… and here I am, a year later, ready to go back out on my own.
[...] Yet another inspirational point of view on how living a life outside the life-draining boundaries of the corporate world is actually possible. [...]
To all the nay-sayers, I have this to say–stay in your cubicle and leave the fun for the rest of us. Yes, owning your own business is hard work and there are ups and downs but at the end of the day, if you fail at least you’ve done it your way and you can feel good about trying. Plus you don’t need to have a wife (husband) and kids to know what responsibility is or have bills to pay. Single people have mortgages and car payments too and animals are not cheap to care for–they aren’t covered under anyone’s HMO.
Some folks aren’t suited for entrepreneurship and some of us, myself included, aren’t suited for the corporate world. My last official day in the cube is gonna be 11/7 and though I’m scared I could lose my car, my home and not be able to feed myself or the cats I care for, I know I’m doing what’s right for me right now.
Chris:
I’m so glad you’ve had a positive experience thus far. My company, Kaboom Advertising, has done well enough that I’ve been able to leave my job within 4 months of starting the company and jobs keep rolling in. No marketing was done on our part, it was just shear luck that got us started and it will be up to our good work to keep the ball rolling.
For the rest:
The majority of employers in this country are small businesses, so if you have the dream to do so do it because we are the backbone of the economy.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you for helping people to unplug fom the matrix. If feels a lot better to have partners instead of supervisors and bosses.
[...] Blog entry at pearsonified.com in April 2006 invites you to be your own boss: [...]
[...] There are plenty of posts telling you to just do it, plenty talking about how wonderful it is to free yourself from a big company, and lots of how-tos once you do, but let’s talk instead about your competition. [...]
Very inspiring indeed. Thanks for the advice. Thinking of starting out on my own soon as I graduate in 2 weeks.
great article.
I’m planning on quiting my job in 6 months. i’ve decided i want to try my hand at blogging and making money of ad revenue on investment sites. i currently dont have the time to devote to it so quiting my job should help!!!!
i’ll also keep putting together investment opportunities for people and keeping a smidgen for myself.[this only pays out if the investment pays off though]
Thanks for the article Chris. Came across it through Digg and it really inspired me.
I’ve only been professional for a couple of years now but seeing the massive profits my company is making by reselling my work has inspired me to leave and do the same! I’m sure it’s not quite as easy as you make out, but thanks for the encouragement for the rest of us wanting to make the jump.
Pretty inspiring, too bad it’s so far away from realities on the other side of the globe
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[...] How to Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye [...]
[...] http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/04/how_to_kiss_corporate.php [...]
Chris,
Am I late for this? I don’t think So! Thanks for this GREAT Post. I already put it on my site for my subscribers to read
http://the-lessons-of-life.com/Motivational-Blog/?p=17
I read Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad and one advice I held on dearly was: MIND YOUR WON BUSINESS!
That was what I did and I am still doing. I am passing on the message to so many people now.
Thanks man.
Adebola
Chris,
Sorry for that. I have modified the article. Have a look at it and let me know if you like it the way it is and if you don’t let me know how you want it to be or I’ll yank it off.
All the same, thanks for this insight.
Much love.
Adebola
[...] http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/04/how_to_kiss_corporate.php [...]
lol, another winner! I couldn’t agree more with this post. I figured that since I was able to make money for all the other corporations I was wroking with easily, why couldn’t I do the same for myself? Alot of businesses don’t have your best interest at heart when you think they do, they would rather you be a dependent drone to satisfy their profit margins. It’s almost always a shocker when they soon find out that I’m not.
Some ppl are most comfortable with working for others and thats ok, but I think they should also know that realistically, there is no way in hell you could possibly make a true living from that lifestyle…and I think most ppl don’t expect it, just so long as their future is covered with the best HMO plans there is available.
[...] You can work on your own and this can work for you Possibly related with: Where’s Mauritian Education heading to?Propaganda: Mauritian-blogger required!Thank God! I’m being hosted [...]
Damn..actually i have been working on CMS’ all the time and now it turns out that i prefer one click stuff to set everything..i really wanna get back to coding and rectify my stuff because i know html but xhtml never validates!
Damn…any inspiration…what should i do?how do i start again? should i start again, because currently i’ freelancing and making pretty good sites and pretty happy with it
and ya should i stop asking so many questions??
Hi Chris,
I just wanted to say thanks for this article. You inspired me to quit my crappy job and start working for myself. It took a few months to build up my skills, but now I’m doing work I enjoy, and it pays better, too. Thanks again.
^^ Good for you man.
John — That’s excellent! Once you cross the hurdle into performing sustainable work for yourself, you immediately wonder how you ever got by in the corporate world.
Especially when you consider your income.
[...] Pearsonified I don’t remember how I actually stumbled across Chris Pearson’s blog, but the day I did I believe I spent about 3 hours reading through almost all of his posts on his site. His blog consists of topics ranging from design, blogging, seo, and several other aspects on life as well. Great website design is probably what he is known best for and I have to say I am a big fan of his design work as well. One of the aspects I like most about his blog is that I find his writing to be very inspiring and here is one of my favorite posts on his site - How to Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye. [...]
Brilliant article! I am actually in the process of leaving the corporate world to start a new business focused entirely on what I love to do. I tried doing it a few years ago but failed because I didn’t know much at all about running a business or getting work. To be fair, corporate life did teach me that, I learned more than a couple valuable lessons from “the guy in the monkey suit” that I will apply daily when on my own. I’m glad to hear it worked out so well for you! Wish me luck, my venture is adstreaminc.com
great post. I’m trying to set up my own blog-publishing empire, starting with http://www.wealthbuildinglessons.com
Where have you guys all worked? They must not have paid very well.
I ran a software development consulting / contracting company for 6 years, and I never made as much money as I do now working for someone else, and I do half the work. Seriously. Don’t eat up everything in this post, being in business for yourself is *hard* work and I will tell you guys what was told to me when I was first warned about going into it, which I later found out to be dead-on true: you will spend 25% of your time on administrative functions. Accounting, collections, taxes, sales, etc… *Not* the fun stuff you wanted to do when you first started. That’s right, not everyone pays you. Many pay late. You have to hussle sales, b/c you aren’t the only contractor out there. This is only the beginning. Working for someone else, I can forget about that crap and focus on just what I like to do, developing software. I can also leave my work at the office, nothing comes home with me, unless I want it.
Just be warned, this post makes it sound a lot easier than it really is, be prepared. You might not feel it right away, b/c the economy is really good for consulting right now, but when the cycle turns, sales will slow down, your paycheck can go down in half, even more. At corporate, they have to pay you, and on-time. Of course, you can be let go, but then your job must not have been that valuable, or you screwed up.
What I recommend is either do what Shanti has mentioned above (recurring income), or educate yourself in a valuable “niche” skill (like Python or RoR) and get a high paying job at a small tech company, so two things will happen:
1. You can command a high salary, there are not many of you out there.
2. When times get tough, you will survive the layoffs, b/c they can’t fire you, your skillset is not easily replaced.
3. If you are laid off, repeat the process at another firm, or use the skills you’ve honed and do consulting / contracting until the market gets better.
Building wealth has more to do with what you do with the money you get (do you invest it or buy a new car?), rather than how you get it.
I think one of the problems that plauges many freelance computer people is they want to do all the technical work themselves.
A better approach is to outsource the mundane details as soon as you can afford it.
In Web Design, as an example, making a great layout in Photoshop is what your talent is for. Spending 3 days in Dreamweaver fixing every pixel and every bug is a waste of time.
A better approach would be to make the design yourself, send it to a coder, have them turn it into a working page. Saves you 3 days of work that you can use to tackle the next design project, relax from your daily stresses, or work on getting new clients.
And if you use overseas resources, the expenses are going to be less than you think so you can still stay near the same level of profitability (assuming you already charge your clients a living wage and aren’t one of those ‘I’ll build the next Amazon.com for $50′ people).
Afterall, you are now running a BUSINESS. You aren’t a “temp”, you are a business owner.
Basically the message here I have for those who are doing freelance work and feeling overwhelmed or those who are starting out and want to work SMARTER not HARDER is this:
Don’t think like “Joe Everyman, Web Designer”
Instead, think like “Joe Everyman, CEO”
That will make all the difference.
The other thing you want to do is focus on finding clients in your local community. Competing against low-priced labor on the other side of the world is NOT a cost-effective way to run a business (unless you happen to be that low-priced labor on the other side of the world).
After 15 years as a consultant, 80% of my income is derived from clients within 60 miles of my home-office. Almost all the clients I talk to want to establish a personal relationship with their freelancer consultants. Other freelancers I’ve talked with have experienced the same thing.
Posting on the big jobs boards also is likely to not be effective unless you want a contract and not a client. If you want clients (and clients pay better than contracts), then focus your marketing and networking efforts locally.
There’s a new site that’s been set up to help USA-based technical freelancers: FreelanceLocalTech (http://www.freelancelocaltech.com). It’s designed around the idea that local clients want to hire local consultants and makes it easier for clients to find those consultants. Check it out!
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[...] How to: Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye — Pearsonified (tags: career entrepreneurship) [...]
Hi Chris
Thank you so much! I couldn’t take corporate life any more and got out without a plan! I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’d decided to teach myself web development and see where that goes. I’ve given myself 6months to become competent enough to start making some money from it.
What advice can you give me on where to start? Ant advice you could give me would be really appreciated. Thanks again
[...] January 17, 2008 · No Comments I’ve just come across this article by Chris Pearson: http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/04/how_to_kiss_corporate.php [...]
Hi Chris! I’ve recently decided to take my audio production and broadcasting skillset and break out on my own. I have a daily podcast geared toward the cubicle inhabiting corporate slaves. My subject matter deals with corporate lifestyle both from the perspective of dealing with if and breaking away from it.
Doing the podcast shows, “Jack Sass Radio!!”, every day has proved challenging since I’m typically up at 3:30am beginning production. I also have a fledgling stand-up comedy career which often means getting home at all hours….fun huh! But…I have a wonderful feeling of direction now that I have a clue of where I’m going and no longer aimlessly park in the vast parking lot of Corporate America every morning. I know that I’ll be able to use my obnoxiously loud voice and ability to induce laughter to help make a living helping others do the same.
I’m glad I ran across your site, keep up the good work and please keep me in mind for some collaborative work!
-Jack Sass
I saved this link a few days ago under my “pending surfing” folder; I just got it tonight. I’m actually writing from the Dominican Republic, a beautiful Caribbean island. I agree totally with you. I think today’s world is driven more by technology than by anything else. If you know enough about the Internet, nowadays you can find hundreds of ways to make money. Now, if you spend a few weeks learning a new/old trend, then my friend now you have an edge.
I work full time with a government agency as a Web Developer; and on my spare time, by the way I work from home, I design web sites for other companies. How did that happen? In 2004 I Got out of the US Army Intelligence and landed a job as a contractor; a few months later I requested for me to work from home. From there on, I’ve had the freedom of the two worlds. I still meet my deadlines on my full time job, as well as all the others. However, the most important thing is that I can spend all day with my family.
So, anyways, I’m down here in Dominican Republic and all I can tell you is that IT IS POSSIBLE.
beautiful blog!
Great article Chris!!
I couldn’t have put it more eloquently. The freedom aspect of “bolting” from corporate world is “who sweet it is.”
BTW- wanted to download you Cutline theme. Anywhere I can get more detailed instructions regarding this theme?
Thanks in advance.
When writing about how worthwhile being entrepreneurial is, you have to cover the problem-solving bases better than this article does. Linking to pages covering those topics is a good way to go.
While I’m sure Chris is telling the truth about his experience, it is nonetheless in the top 1%, and as such badly misrepresents the path to follow. This is one of the top blogs of it’s type on the internet. Don’t expect everyone to duplicate this experience.
Most entrepreneurs are definitely very unsmart about what it takes to succeed. Self-defeating habits and ignorance.
Quick test: are you running away from something, or running toward something? Very, very few people make changes for something better. Most make changes to get away from something they don’t like, and end up throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Great post! I have been on my own for eight years now and loving it, especially the freedom of schedule.
You put into words exactly what I think and feel about life - bravo for such a fantastic, well-written post. I’m about to start my own company and to reconfirm what I believe in - from someone I don’t even know! - is so inspiring. Be well.
Chris P.,
I am not necessarily looking to leave the corporate world, at least not yet, but I am interested in the technology that is used in websites such as yours and how I can use it to develop my website(s) and improve the websites I have made for family and friends so far. Right now, I just don’t know what technology goes into a website. I have only used Joomla so far. What technologies should I start studying? CSS? AJAX? Plain ol’ HTML? thanks,
Ed
Ed — If you are intimately familiar with WordPress, HTML, and CSS, you have everything you need to start up a fairly substantial freelance design/code business. Sprinkle in some PHP and SEO knowledge, and you simply cannot be stopped
Chris,
Thanks for the reply… Would WordPress, HTML and CSS get me beyond WordPress templates/blogs etc. into websites that aren’t blog(ish). I guess what I am asking is if WordPress is suitable as a CMS?
Thanks again for the reply,
Ed
Ed — A lot of people ask that question, and honestly, if you know what you’re doing, you can make WordPress do anything. The real value for somebody like you, though, is that it’s easy to learn, and it will lead you into new areas of coding, content development, etc. To put it another way, it’s a fantastic contextual learning tool, and there’s lots of information on the Web that you can turn to for help when you reach an impasse.
WordPress sounds like a good path to take then…. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Ed
Love the site, love the articles, love the themes! I kissed the corporate world good-bye about a month ago and I don’t regret it even though I’m slow and haven’t started earning a dime yet. In a month I took your Cutline theme and learned enough to mod-it for my own site. It could be crap to anyone else, but I’m pretty happy with my first effort. Of course, I’m still tweaking it all the time. Your site has been an inspiration, a great resource, and guiding light.
Chad — Wow, I’m flattered, and I don’t even know what to say to that! Looks to me like you’ve already got a firm grip on a lot of the basic tenets that are going to allow you to turn your back to the corporate grind for good. Your site looks great, and I wish you the best!
Chris,
One more question, then I am off to put some time applying your recommendations…. What is a good book, or website, that will help me learn WordPress. I am looking for something more than a users manual or reference manual. WordPress for dummies is probably more my speed. Ditto for CSS. I am already very comfortable with HTML/XHTML. Thanks,
Ed
Ed — I’ve never used a WordPress book before, so I can’t make any recommendations there. Regarding CSS and HTML, though, I am a huge fan of (and personally own) these two fine books:
Great post! You live the dream, my friend.
Btw, thank you for designing the Thesis theme. I love it!
I’m not exactly corporate–I’m government. That’s worse or better, depending on which way you look at it. But independence is the holy grail.
I just retired after teaching high school math for 31 years, because I starting learning how to design websites and just love it (besides it was time for a change). I have registered my freelance design and development business but that is as far as I have gotten. I was starting to wonder what I have to make people want to hire me to do their website instead of some ‘high school student who took a course’ or somebody’s cousin’s son or daughter. I found your article right when my self-confidence was at a low … so thank you very much! Thankfully I don’t have to depend on just the web for my income right now, but with a family to support, becoming successful soon is vital. What makes a starting-out freelancer better than the person next door in the eyes of potential clients?
Jean — Most good clients have been through the wringer enough times at this point to know that stability is a key quality that they should look for in a freelancer. As an older freelancer, you are undoubtedly more stable than the teens and twentysomethings who seem to dominate the freelance landscape on the Web.
In my own experience, being a thorough communicator pays huge dividends, too. Once you really take care of one client, you’ll set the freelance snowball effect in motion, and it’s pretty amazing to see how powerful this type of thing can be for a fledgling freelance business.
[...] How to kiss corporate life goodbye [...]
While I would love to leave “Corporate Life” behind; the income I make in Corp America allows me to grow my blog and business, for now anyway. Perhaps my other efforts will allow me to bail out of Corporate America, someday.
Skill set is one thing to have but opportunities like those that came your way may not be as good for those like me who reads your story. I hate to believe that there has to be an alignment of the stars before things go your way so you will be able to get that freedom from 9-6 (or 8-5) work that many of us is getting tired to wake up to.
But then, I personally enjoyed your story. I hope more people will be inspired by your fate when they read this post. As for me, I believe I am on my way to kiss corporate life goodbye… I hope so…
Thanks.
Great inspirational post. Everyone says they’ve done it, but I really like how you put a personal spin and bio on the topic. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something you are good at and you enjoy. I’ll be here often.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
[...] Seriously, life is short, so you should do your best to do what you want in life. Take it from this guy - he’s on the exact same page as I [...]
I liked the post and your writing style. I’m adding you to my RSS reader.
[...] Pearsonified - Just a small article about how one guy avoided the corporate lifestyle. [...]
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