fear of the unknown... that's why I haven't gone total freelance yet. Usually it's working full time for someone else with a little bit of freelance on my own. Ultimately, I want to reverse that; to do full time freelance, and work part time for someone else (to maintain that "guaranteed income").

I was going to mention postcards as a good way to find clients, but then I realized you had a thread about this recently and I posted all my links on that one, so I won't duplicate the information here (though for anyone who would like to reference it, the thread is here: http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=25068)

morea your too kind. Thanks, I think i need to take a break a few days and not think about business. It is hard though when there is no regular paycheck coming in.

Felt that way many times!

I was on my own for more than ten years...then thought I would get away from that feeling by working for someone else...I found you loose a lot if you give up and you can't quite match that feeling of winning a new client and doing great work for them. I was very rewarding...I'm thinking about going back out on my own - - How's the water?

Yes, I am very optimistic, really I am. We are humans, well for me a Crazy wabbit, but still life is tough and things do not go as planned. But I am very optimistic and still push on. I worked 11 years for a boss that did not appreciate me, I was stuck in a black hole and could not escape, cause I had bills to pay and there was a paycheck for me every two weeks to pay my bills.

But lucky for me the company was bought over and all let go. I think the best thing that happened to me. Even now I am not bitching, just that there is a lot of other challenges involved with running your own plus added stress that comes with it. But like you said the satisfaction is there. I have experience that and will not go back to work for someone. Only and only if I have to and run out of cash.

By the time I had my space opened - I only had $120 (USD) in the bank. I started my countdown...I have 30 days to raise $xxxx. Somehow - I lasted 10 years. I was (still am) optimistic too! Hang in there - you might be surprized where your next customer comes from - maybe a few days off will put you in the right place at the right time!

I think so too Hub

I NEED NEED to go out on my own it's been 10 years working for people (3 different people) and right now it's really bad and can you believe it, it's not the clients that are ticking me off. But any way what do you think of elance
is it really worth that yearly fee?

A large number of artist bid on given assignment, they pay is low even if you get it, nothing that you can make a living on. Best choice is start laying the foundation for your own business, do it in the evenings and weekends and keep your job. Quite when you are ready and all elements are laid down.

Business plan, cards, enevelops, letter head, legal papers, contracts, client research and contact info, promotional materials like postcards and introductory letters and so on....

Yes all this takes time, unless you have money for 1 year at least to pay for you being home and spending time on your business.

Oh did i mention ton of stress, well life is not easy even when you run your own.

Part of it all, wascally wabbit, is how hungry you are. If you set "enough to live on" as your benchmark for adequate income, you'll live permanently on the edge. Decide that (say) $50,000 is the minimum you want to have in the bank at any given moment -- your "poverty level bank balance" -- or that $10,000 a month is Code Red Breadline Alert, and suddenly the necessity to find clients and assignments takes on a whole new aspect. So does one's personal estimation of how much effort needs to go into doing it. That was how it worked for me, and I think I'm fairly typical.

Prosperity as a freelancer has everything to do with that sense of necessity, because that's what carries you through the insane work hours, the meltdown of social and/or family life, etc., that go with starting any small business.

If you have a significant other who can take the admin bits off your plate, you will find that very helpful. My wife, bless her, is the keeper of the client records, the sender of invoices, the nag on the slow-payers, all of which I'm not good at. More to the point, it allows me to stay focused on new business and existing projects.

Going freelance for me felt a bit like skydiving: the exhiliration of free fall, tempered by the realization that there's no stopping or turning back, and no-one to turn to but yourself if anything goes wrong. But that, on balance, is way cool.

I like your example of the dive, my ears would weally flap in the wind.
No turning back for sure.

Goodness! When I was hungry, my balance sat on $0. I had a $1000 overdraft to dip into for famine times.

It's all a matter of what point you consider "broke".

I consider broke to be $0.

What do you consider broke?

for me it is $-1