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Freelancing question



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finallyamommy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 13 2014, 11:23 am
I just got another job at Elance (my fourth) and I'm wondering--when they pay by the hour, just how fast are you required to work? Like, if I were working out of the house I'd feel free to get up to use the bathroom, get a cup of coffee, whatever else, without stopping the clock. But when I'm doing my Elance stuff, I have been sort of giving the client my all--typing as fast as I can, not stopping for a sip of water, stopping the timer when my phone rings or I see a new email's arrived, regardless of who it might be--and when I go to the electronic "workroom" and spend time reading emails from them I don't tend to turn on the stopwatch until I'm actually responding.

Is it actually supposed to be this way, or should I cut myself a break? I just don't want to be guilty of theft... but the way I do it is not so conducive to a good work environment as I find I can only work for about an hour at a time before I burn out and take a break.

What do other freelancers do?


Last edited by finallyamommy on Sat, Feb 15 2014, 5:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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e1234




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 13 2014, 12:50 pm
I might not do it right but I time off whenever I take a break , or check emails.

unless I'm working straight for the same client for a number of hours then I won't time off for a quick bathroom trip - but if it's more then that - I will.

I just don't feel it's right to charge for it - though maybe I am being too strict on myself
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momaleh




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 13 2014, 12:56 pm
I almost never take a job by the hour. I offer a project fee instead, even if the job posting is by the hour. I might say, "my hourly rate is x, as per my bid, but my project fee for this job would be y."
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perquacky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 13 2014, 12:59 pm
A very wise copy chief I worked with a few years back told me that most freelancers pad their time and that it's expected. When I see how many hours our freelancers clock, I know that it must be true. Freelancers often don't have a steady income and they sometimes have to pay for health insurance.

I was also told many years back when I first started taking on a bit of freelance work that if I had to pick up a package from the employer and bring it back when I was done, that I should count in the hours of travel time as time worked.

I'm not saying padding your hours is honest, but clocking out for bathroom breaks seems unnecessary. Clocking out for an hour-long lunch break, on the other hand, is a totally different thing.

I work full time, but when I do pick up a little freelance here and there, I tend to undercharge, in the hopes that they'll want to use me again. But thankfully, I don't rely on the freelance jobs I do to pay the bills.
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coconutbutter




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 15 2014, 2:48 pm
What is elance?
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finallyamommy




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 15 2014, 5:33 pm
elance.com is a freelance website. I've been active on there for six months or so and am on my fourth job. It doesn't pay the bills (or, I suppose it might if you're really aggressive about finding jobs but I have BH been sought out for all four of mine) but it is some nice extra income to pad the savings account.
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coconutbutter




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 16 2014, 1:44 pm
Sounds fantastic! What kind of jobs do you do? Writing? Do you need any qualifications? Can you tell me more how it works?
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finallyamommy




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 17 2014, 9:58 am
coconutbutter, I'm going to PM you.
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