I want to address something here that I constantly see on nearly all freelance job boards, LinkedIn, and all the rest. There's a dangerous trend going on in the corporate world as companies move to more flexible work models. For anyone just starting out, I want you to be able to recognize it for what it is.

FedEx just settled a lawsuit for $228 billion over it. Trade in the U.S. came to a standstill several times over the past few years because West Coast ports keep doing it. Hell, even Microsoft has been found guilty of doing it.

What is it, you ask? It's the misclassification of workers. Go ahead, go on LinkedIn right now and do a search for "Freelance Writer" and see what comes up. Almost every job you'll find is a long-term, 40-hour a week gig that expects you to be in their office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. What does that sound like to you? Because that sounds an awful lot to me like they want you to be an employee.

As you embark on this journey for personal and financial freedom, don't let anyone trick you into being something you're not. Yes, there are certain gigs that require a freelancer to come into an office, but for most freelancers, and for writers especially, that shouldn't be the case. As a freelancer, you should be given a project with a deadline and whatever guidelines the client wants to provide. You should set your own hours, and your relationship with that client should be client/customer, not boss/employee. If you want to do all of your writing for clients at 3 a.m. while eating a huge bowl of ice cream, that's your prerogative. You are your own boss. That's sort of the point. It's their job to tell you what they need, and when they need it by. How you get there is completely up to you. Their only concern should be the quality and timeliness of the work you turn in.

If you find yourself pulling long hours in a cubicle at a company you don't technically work for, and you don't have a fixed end date on the end of your contract, you are being taken advantage of. You should ask to be hired full time if you like it there, or at the very least, you should renegotiate the terms of your contract (specifically, the parts about where you work from and how).

Nobody has the right to use your title of freelancer as an excuse to avoid giving you health insurance or retirement benefits. Believe me, they know the law, even if you didn't.

TL;DR? You're the boss. Clients tell you the what and when. You decide the where and how.

What is it, you ask? It's the misclassification of workers. Go ahead, go on LinkedIn right now and do a search for "Freelance Writer" and see what comes up. Almost every job you'll find is a long-term, 40-hour a week gig that expects you to be in their office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. What does that sound like to you? Because that sounds an awful lot to me like they want you to be an employee.

As you embark on this journey for personal and financial freedom, don't let anyone trick you into being something you're not. Yes, there are certain gigs that require a freelancer to come into an office, but for most freelancers, and for writers especially, that shouldn't be the case. As a freelancer, you should be given a project with a deadline and whatever guidelines the client wants to provide. You should set your own hours, and your relationship with that client should be client/customer, not boss/employee. If you want to do all of your writing for clients at 3 a.m. while eating a huge bowl of ice cream, that's your prerogative. You are your own boss. That's sort of the point. It's their job to tell you what they need, and when they need it by. How you get there is completely up to you. Their only concern should be the quality and timeliness of the work you turn in.

If you find yourself pulling long hours in a cubicle at a company you don't technically work for, and you don't have a fixed end date on the end of your contract, you are being taken advantage of. You should ask to be hired full time if you like it there, or at the very least, you should renegotiate the terms of your contract (specifically, the parts about where you work from and how).

Nobody has the right to use your title of freelancer as an excuse to avoid giving you health insurance or retirement benefits. Believe me, they know the law, even if you didn't.

TL;DR? You're the boss. Clients tell you the what and when. You decide the where and how.