Posts Tagged ‘work from home’
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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.
Taking Care of Business = Taking Care of You
It’s a Small World – Virtually, I mean
I have always been one to talk and question people to find some sort of connection – You know the game of Six degrees of separation. Having moved a ton in my life with a military Dad and then a call centre Husband – I am always making connections, linking someone I meet now to someone or something in my past.
Some of my favourite stories are :
- Seeing a girl at a park in Prince Edward Island who I was sure I skated with when living in Ontario – sure enough later that Fall she was a new member at the skating club and we continued our friendship
- Talking with a girlfriend in high school in Nova Scotia about our past homes and discovering when we were 7 we were playmates and friends on the base in Ontario.
- Ran into an old work colleague in the mall in PEI just after we moved into our new home. We had worked together 12 years before when I had lived there in a previous move. Turns out she was my new next door neighbour.
Anyhow, when I meet new people, I really enjoy trying to find out if we connected through someone else we know … it’s a sad life I live sometimes! *hehe*
So last week, when I was being interviewed for a promo piece for the OIVAC conference I am speaking at this week, I got to play the game again! Kind of. It was a little variation but made me chuckle none the less. Lyn Prowse-Bishop, a Virtual Assistant from Australia, was doing the interview and afterward we were chatting a bit. One of the things she said was, “Now many years ago my husband and I were in Nova Scotia and we went to the this great bar in Halifax but we can’t remember the name. Maybe you can help because it has been driving us crazy.”
Well, my ears perked up, partly because my husband used to own a bar in downtown Halifax, and I immediately started thinking – “Oh I wonder if we met somehow” – but, Australia is a far hike from Nova Scotia, the odds are slim. It turned out not to be the case this time. But I did get the name of the bar in one guess. Lyn started to describe it (Keep in mind, our downtown and waterfront area in Halifax is pretty famous for all its pubs, bars and more; many with grand Maritime atmospheres – ie. beer and music and friendly people). This is as far as Lyn got describing it: “Well, it was on the waterfront and… ”
I immediately jumped in (mostly because I love guessing games) “Aha! The Lower Deck!” I was right and extremely proud of myself because I guessed a bar on the waterfront correctly – there are tons but few as memorable as the Lower Deck. Lots of maritime music and beer as well as fun times with people from all over Atlantic Canada. We had a great laugh and the whole experience added a dimension to the connection she and I have.
When I see her online through Facebook or Twitter, I feel I have a bit more insight into Lyn and that just adds a little more depth to our virtual connection. It really turned into another example of how working virtually, I do not find myself at all feeling home and alone with no other people contact. I’m connected virtually to many people and it keeps me feeling very much in touch and enjoying the reach of people I can talk to.
If you work or network virtually, what pros and cons do you encounter?
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