Why do people think the self employed are uemployed?

I have noticed a few times that people assume I am always free, a few times I have dropped my plans for other people but now I am sticking to my plans.

A classic example today is a text message saying "there is no one in the office, what is the earliest you can meet up?" this assumes that I am free in the first place and I never said I can come out today.

I have leaflets to get out and I have a job in the afternoon.

If I had an office people would think I am working because I am working from home people seem to think I am not doing anything

Edit the title should start with Why. I am having one of those days

 

...and you complain when no one calls you, you just can't win!

 

You miss the point, the point is I am sick of people thinking I am at everybody's back in call just because I don't set hours in an office.

 

AT, it is your responsibility to manage the expectations of your customers vis a vis your availability and service levels. This is basic business stuff. Implement a scheduling system or something - even something as basic as a diary - and stress to customers that you operate to a certain responsiveness - e.g. 24 hour response - and that priority, asap style responses are a premium (chargeable) extra. Or something along that sort of lines. I don't know your business but you have to act in a professional manner to be taken seriously as a professional.

 

I am talking about my mates here, not customers. As as far as I am concerned between 9-5 I am working, but my mates don't seem to realise that.

Of course quite often I am not working during the day but working in the evening but juggle that round my social life so it is not a problem.

 

well, tell your mates where to go...unless they're will to pay...

 

Agreed. Invoice the buggers for consultancy at your standard rate. They'll quickly stop calling (ever!)... job done!

 

Well, I think you are being a little moany How are your mates to know when you are free or not if you are sometimes working and sometimes not?

HOWEVER, I do know exactly what you mean I think. My ex-girlfriend (mwaahaha) always treated me as if (and pretty much told others) I was a lay about and never did anything in life because I was not at college/school and did not go to work 9-5. The fact I was usually working from 10am-10pm she didn't seem to believe! Part of why I broke up with her lol.

On the other hand, my best mate always assumes I am working and calls to ask if I am free.

 

It was like at university, yes some times I didn't have a lecture till 1:00pm but I was probably working till 3:00am the night before doing work.

I have been a lot more assertive this week and told them I am working rather than dropping my plans for them. By plans I don't mean appointments .

 

Good lord! I may sometimes have been up till 3am at university, but never doing work! I was however always available for consultations, chats with my tutor and monetary transactions in the Student Union Bar. Appointments were preferred but not obligatory.

 

<<slap>>

GET OVER IT!!!

 

Well that was only in my final year, you know when you think you're onto a solution but have not quite cracked it, you don't want to give up, in the end you can't sleep until you have cracked it but you can't crack it because you're too tired.

3:00am was unusual but everyday I was working till 1:00am in final year apart from weekends when I would take the evening off.

It is one of the best things about self employment though because life style is very similar.

 

i think you should tell your friends that you are too busy posting

 

Erm we all have time off while were are working

 

actually, I'm working tonight too - on call and I have to dial in to reboot some dca servers... :SLEEP:

 

That was posted at 12.49

The thread was started at 10.25

 

But I was working between sorting out my reciepts I could not have done that in a shopping centre or pub.

 

Sureeee you could, I do it all the time!

See ya later, I'm going to the pub to do some work~!

 

you can't when you get p*ssed on 2 pints and start hurling abuse at everyone...