Freelancing means...never having to say you're sorry

As published by Enterprise NationIs the old work/life balance mantra is out of synch with today’s working environment? And surely if you love what you do, you want to do it as much as you can?So why do we have to stop ‘working’ when the corporate world does to have this said balance?Unquestionably, laptops, smart phones and the internet mean we can squeeze in some tasks anytime, anyplace, so why don’t we take the pressure of ourselves and let our work fit around our chosen lifestyle?Here are seven reasons why being a freelancer means never having to say you’re sorry: 1. Work when you want and where you want! As long as you’re not disturbing anyone else, there’s no need to feel guilty about getting the laptop out at 11pm to act on the evening’s emails, do some work related reading or plan for tomorrow’s meeting.2. Plan your day to suit you. Fair enough you have to make phone calls at civilised times when the rest of the world is awake but if you want to go to the cinema when it’s (a little) quieter at 3pm on a Friday so be it.3. Run the business from home. We live in a different time to when I started in business seven years ago; it’s acceptable and almost quirky to have a home based business, or run it from your shed or indeed the coffee shop, as I do.4. Choose and vary your working environment There are many businesses where premises are unnecessary so if yours is one, choose wherever you want to work each day; coffee shops, business centres, hotels, on the beach or there’s always co-working at Jelly if you get fed up of our own company.5. Only work on what pays. Remember if you were in the corporate world, a lot of your day is spent gossiping by the watercooler but as a freelancer you can make every minute count and earn money for you. Then you’ll have more free time for leisure pursuits. Or sleep.6. Get some air! If the sun is bursting through your window, go out and enjoy it for an hour and whilst you’re at it, get some exercise. You can always catch up on the work after sundown. Enjoy the perks of being a freelancer.7. Be social. Never feel guilty about being on Twitter (or your chosen) procrastination method. It’s your lifeline, your banter (indeed your watercooler moment!), your market research, your feedback and potentially your client base.