Work at Home
What is a Typical Independent Contractor
I discovered today I am the typical Independent Contractor.
There was a page of statistics in a recent issue of Success Magazine I was reading and it was all about Independent Contractors. As I was reading them, I realized I was very much the ‘typical’ independent contractor. The article never really mentioned where these contractors work from (ie a home office) which would have been nice to see, but I am assuming that the majority of them do in fact work from a home office.
The stats were based on people in the United States, but as with many things such as this, us Canadians tend to closely mirror the results (with the exception of surveys on the use of the word ‘eh?’ – in a study like that we would definitely come out on top!) So I placed myself right in these results and as I read them I found myself saying to myself: “Yes, that’s me, and me, me too. Yup, Yup” They had me pegged to a “T”.
So, who are these Independent Contractors?
- Well, for starters there are 16 million in the US today and we (you know what I mean) account for $626 billion in personal income in 2010! Billion!
- We are also primarily female (53% to 47%) and we do this type of work because we prefer it as an alternative to being an ‘employee’. Only about 9% of us would rather be ‘employed’.
- Our average age is 30-49 years and we do this type of work more from a need of ‘wanting to do the work’ as opposed to ‘needing a paycheque’. I read this to mean we do it because it is our passion.
- 58% of us are highly satisfied with our situation because we are doing something we like and feel it is making a difference.
- It was also noted that being Independent Contractors is a stepping stone to entrepreneurship and creating small businesses.
I am very much towing the line with all of these statistics, and for those of you who know me, you will say the same. Yup, that is Kathy.
I know that many of you connected to me online or who read my blog are also “Independent Contractors”… so I am wondering? Are you part of this demographic that is expected to grow to 20 million people by the year 2013.
Are you also the typical ‘Independent Contractor’? How do these facts stack up for you? I‘d love to know if these stats ring true for others.
A Special Blog Post
Today, I needed to vent a little about some stress I have been having… it involves our dog, Lola and some other unnamed creatures.
Sooo… Lola is our adopted dog.. a beautiful dog in looks, temper and personality. We’ve had her for four years now and everyone loves her. She has always been a suspected Rat Terrier breed mix, but we have never known for sure… until now.
We had some renos done in our basement and apparently that stirred up a few critters. (And God help me, but I did not tell my mother about this while she stayed here over Christmas! Hopefully she does not subscribe to my blog!) We think they are in the walls/bathroom heaters in the basement … or so I thought, until yesterday.
When I woke up I heard that sound I had been hearing during the nights lately… the sound of a mouse – or something, as I have not sighted anything yet – in the main floor bathroom. It was no longer in my imagination. My husband has been telling me this every night in the middle of the night – along with yells of “Go back to sleep, there’s no mouse!”
Everyone heard it today. Something is in that main bath heater for sure. The fact that the dog, who before this has never really spent much time in the basement or bathrooms, has been there too much; pawing at walls, heaters and more. She would not leave the bathroom and was sniffing at the heater and trying to get IN the heater (we are talking a baseboard heater) and was shaking like a leaf in excitement at whatever was making the noises in the heater… well… all this tells me, we in fact do have a mouse.
And Yes, I know the drill… there is not one mouse. I can hear you all saying it now: “Kathy, there is NEVER one mouse” We owned two homes before, that were both over 70 years old. We are good at catching mice… I am just very terrified of them too. They make me yell and swear … oh wait, the mice make me yell, the kids who go “MOM! What’s THAT by your feet!!!! – well, that is what makes me swear – and the kids laugh hysterically.
Anyhow for a little fun and deviation from my normal blogging about business… here is my boring, yet somewhat funny video of my little rat terrier and her persistence in our bathroom heater. And, heaven help me… the tub as well! (You can’t imagine how on guard I am while having a shower lately – I have been showering with my glasses on!). Warning… there may be the start of a little swearing near the end, I apologize, but as you will see it was not my fault. I will not be sharing the video the kids took of me while they were scaring over and over, the first day we realized what may be happening (but that one could win on America’s Funniest Videos).
Needless to say, Braemar Pest Control visited my house today and though Justin (very nice guy) feels that there are not many critters based on the ‘dropping’ evidence, he still wants to solve the problem before the few become many. UGH!
Suffice it to say, though I have all the confidence in the world in Justin and his bait traps. I am scared to use our washrooms now, those little traps stand out a lot under the heaters… and all I do is stare at them in pure fear of anything moving. I walk on guard throughout the house, mostly because my imagination can do more than anything else ever would! I work from home, so the days are a little freaky right now, I walk around making lots of loud noises as I go… trying to shoo my friends away. Again, I have not seen one mouse in person, but I sure feel their presence.
… Now to figure out how to keep Mom away from here until the problem is solved.
My New Year started off with a bang – or rather lots of little ones in my heaters.. how about yours??? 
Taking Care of You
As a small business owner, your business can be operating like a well-oiled machine, but if you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re going to be stressed out. It’s ironic that when things are going really well, we typically end up spending MORE hours on our jobs because we’re just having so much fun and we’re seeing all the fantastic benefits of hard work.
To be a healthy person, you need to be a well-rounded person. Here are a handful of tips to make sure your business isn’t taking over your life at the expense of your health and well-being:
- Get physical
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again – regular exercise reduces anxiety, combats obesity, and makes you a nicer person to be around. If you are sitting on your rear in front of the computer most of the day, you have to find some way to move your body on a regular basis. It can be as simple as a 15 minute walk first thing in the morning, or as intense as a 2 hour gym workout. Just choose something and do it. Commit to this for three weeks and you will probably develop a life long healthy habit.
- Get some rest
I’m willing to bet that at least once in the past month, you’ve found yourself up way too late, finishing one last work project, answering one more email, or putting the finishing touches on one last product. On an occasional basis, these nocturnal escapades are no big deal, But burn the midnight oil night after night after night, and you’re frying yourself. Not only does sleep deprivation make you anxious, edgy and unable think clearly, it also makes it harder for you to work at peak efficiency. Set a bedtime, and stick to it.
- Get a hobby
You will probably laugh at this, thinking you don’t have time for a hobby. But the truth is, you don’t have time NOT to have a hobby! Whether it’s knitting, canoeing, genealogy, cooking, or grooming llamas, you need something that will provide balance to your life. There will be days when the business side of things isn’t going so well, and you will need an escape. Get a hobby before you’re forced to find one.
- Connect
Connecting with those around you is critical to minimizing your stress. At the end of your life, you’re going to be worried more about the people you love and less about the business you created. Show your family and friends how important they are to you NOW by giving them their rightful share of your time. The bonus? It will calm your anxiety when you know you’re investing time where it’s going to matter most throughout your lifetime.
It will take time to get all of these items as part of your regular routine, but stick with it, if you do your health, mind and family will all be more appreciative, as will your clients and business!
Work at Home? How’s your Support System
Distractions at Work – Staying Productive
Kathy's family at the Beach
This week, I returned from two weeks away on vacation. We had a fabulous time in New England at Old Orchard Beach and I was able to check some emails and do a bit of needed work, but my preparations before I left and my team support while gone really made it easy to be away from the office.
Of course we returned at a very busy time – not only is it the end of the month (books and billing due), but the kids are still home and needed a few more things before starting school on Sept 2nd AND add to this one of the worst heat waves I have ever experienced in Nova Scotia.
Today the temps got up near 34 C (about 88 F) and with our lovely maritime humidity it felt like 41 C (104 F). I am not very good with high temperatures like this – not at all. So my productivity this week has been less than my norm and that only adds to the cranky-i-ness.
We are all human and have issues at times. Today mine was the heat. Oh, the horrible heat of the last few days. Earlier this summer I told my husband (during another mini heat wave) that I had had enough and was going to buy a portable air conditioner for my office. Of course, it was a hard sell, that type of purchase, when in all honesty I might only need it a few weeks (even days) every year. Yet the arguments against it were coming from someone who works day in and out in a nicely air conditioned office building. So we decided it was not something we would pursue.
Yesterday, however, was my breaking point. We all have them, and mine was when I started sweating in places I did not know that it was possible to do. The kids were all cranky and hot, I was cranky and hot and nothing (not even a quick trip down the road to the neighbourhood beach) could keep my mind off the uncomfortableness of it all. Needless to say I was not very productive at all. I even tried working late at night, but the heat just wouldn’t go away.
As a small business owner, my work is the business and if I cannot work then not too much gets done. And this heat wave is to continue until Friday night when we will probably get hit by Hurricane Earl.
This morning when I got up at 7 and the day was already stifling, I made my executive decision. Right after walking the dog, and checking some online availability, I headed out – telling the kids I would be back in while.
I went right to my local Canadian Tire store (think Lowe’s, but even better) and found what I was after – the tool to make me a productivity machine! I also got the extra materials I needed to rig up something to make it work properly and back home I went to spend the next 3 hours on setup. (Or should I say sweat up)
The end result was absolutely what I needed. Sometimes you just have to go for it and take the steps needed to make everything work properly. And that is exactly what I did. I took a picture and emailed it to my husband at his work. His response?
“You look happier in this picture than you did on our wedding day.” (Absolutely not true, but I was pretty happy).
You can see for yourself my level of happiness!
The lesson for other Work at Home and Small Business Owners – Staying productive is Key. Always be looking to implement systems or use tools that will help run your business efficiently and keep you productive. And, these tools/systems may not always be standard to everyone.
PS. Hubby was quite okay in the end with my purchase – partly because by the time he made it home from work, the humidex was setting records all over the province and neighbouring ones as well. My task for tomorrow? Figuring out how to keep everyone from crowding in my office to stay cool!
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