Work At Home Market

This is a third part in the How To Work At Home Series. Read the first part here.

A while back, I had the bright idea to bid on extra projects during the week in order to earn a little extra cash. We were heading out of town, so I thought the money would be nice.

What Happened: Oops!

Since I work from home, almost all of my work is independently contracted and are generally assignment based. I love this because I can work on my own time, yet still earn a regular income. The downside, is that it is easy to second guess myself on how fast I can complete projects.

I learned the hard way, that eventually, you will face a “crisis” or moment when you feel like a failure. Mine came when I bid on a project. There was a slight miscommunication and I ended up biting off more than I could chew…in a big way. Instead of bidding on a project that I thought would take me hours…it would have literally taken me weeks to finish. And that was time I wasn’t going to be at home.

What I Did: Chalk It Up As A Learning Experience

I had to swallow my pride and e-mail the client. It was the first time I ever had to do that and I was embarrassed beyond beliefe. Amazingly enough, he didn’t get mad or give me poor ratings on my profile.

While, I could have let it set me back and walk away from that work environment, I realized it was a learning experience.

What To Do: Double Check Yourself!

When bidding on projects or accepting work always clarify the details. Create a realistic time frame for when you can finish something, so that you never leave a client upside down on a project they need.

If you are considering a freelance career, take it slowly at first. As you learn the ropes and figure out your pace, you can bid on more projects. It’s the simplest way to afford mistakes and failure in the future.

Have you faced a similar situation? If so, how did you overcome it?