Freelancing is What I Know

We’re collecting stories from freelancers around the country and sharing them with other members. Share your story and we might feature it on our site. Leban Hyde from Kansas City, MO recently shared his:

I'm an independent contractor doing graphic design in Kansas City, MO. I've been a 1099 with a marketing company since February of 2008, but I've been on my own almost fulltime (working from home) since August of 2009.

Freelancing is what I knew I wanted to do and where I wanted to be in the long run. Being my own boss and making my own hours is great. After my brief stay at an agency, I've really enjoyed cutting out the middle man. But now it's on me to stay busy and keep the projects coming

I had one client who owed me nearly $1,000. I went by the office and left a letter on their door, made phone calls, sent various emails, and have found them at the office and tied to talk it out of them. I would say 48 hours of my life have been wasted over the course of the past six months. The only reason that I'm not chasing it right now is that I've been busy enough otherwise.