Writer Heather Larson

To make a very long story very short, my “furlough” at work is a two-week decrease in pay without actually being two weeks off.  So I’m now faced with restarting my freelance writing business with absolutely no money at my disposal to invest in it.  When I started freelancing from home in 2006, I did it on a rock n’ roll budget, well–for a first-time freelancer anyway.  Today, I kick it off on a country song budget with Jennifer Nettles’ voice in my head on repeat singing, “Livin’ on a shoestring…”

So I’m pretty sure I’m closing down my WriterHeather.com and moving its contents elsewhere before I send out a single query or resume.  I’m uploading clips to my Media Bistro profile and it will likely make a functional “ground zero” for me at this point.  This blog, as well as EverythingHeather.wordpress.com will also be good tools in my war chest right now.  It cuts my expenses by about $9/month to close WriterHeather.com, which is no big deal as I was about to redo the site anyway.  Plus, now I need that $9 to buy new business cards!  That’s what a small amount from Overnightprints.com costs.

I’m trying to show you how easy and cheap it is to start freelancing from home since I know so many people are in the same boat right now.  Media Bistro is something I pay $50/year for, but it has so many benefits for that price that I think it’s worth it.

Money is one thing, but time is another.  It takes time to start freelancing more than it takes anything else.  I’m finishing up my 15th Boston University class right now, which means I have two papers left to turn in and one of them is actually my final project.  I’m also moving.  (The second time I have been in the process of moving while working on a final!)  I’m also still required to show up to my full-time job every day at Westwood One Metro Source, where I’m a broadcast entertainment news writer.  And you know I’ll drop everything to fill in on the air at my radio station, 98.7 The Peak, if anyone needs some time off.

So if I can do it, you can do it.  And you’re probably even busier than me.