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VIP - Independence and the Virtual Professional

Written by Eileen Parzek, © 2003

One of the most intriguing aspects of my survey of virtual professionals was the theme of independence. Existing in a 24/7 global workplace, we are working more than ever before in our lives - but it is okay because we're independent. We might even be making less than any boss has ever paid us - but that's alright - at least we're independent. If there is one thing that human beings cherish most of all, it is our freedom - and every response to the survey indicated that being free, however one defined it, was one of the best reasons to set out on your own, and operate a virtual business.

Nearly everyone who was surveyed was doing business from home - which is no surprise since that is one of the main benefits of virtual business. For better or for worse, this allows a blending of work and personal life that most entrepreneurs with office space or store fronts wouldn't find possible. Entrepreneurs, by their nature, work long hard hours - typically much more than the average employee - and virtual professionals are no different. Fully 70% of the survey respondents worked 6 or 7 days per week in their business. Sixty percent work more than an eight hour day on average, and frequently much more than that.

So where is that "independence"? Interestingly, very few people claim that a desire for more freedom was what drove them into a virtual business. More often, it was other factors - child care, loss of a job, or inability to find a job - or more commonly "just because they could." The technology made it possible, the opportunity presented itself, and away they went. Once settled into the virtual work style, independence presents itself under a number of guises. Flexibility of time, the top reason VPs say they like what they do, presents a conundrum, summed up by the frequent comment that we get to choose which 20 hours a day we work. The other big reason is geographic independence - the ability to work anywhere that we can plug in. A great many VPs, when asked where they would dream of working, are already in their dream space. How many employees can say that!?

Freedom can also mean the ability to choose our clients and our projects, and the personal freedom of having a say in our own destiny. Jeff Fisher at LogoMotives in Portland said "It's not that I don't play well with others; I'd just rather choose where, when and with whom I play" Each VP had their personal definition of freedom - such as IdeaLady.com's Cathy Stucker with her "no panty hose, no traffic jams" declaration of independence.

One of the things I asked the virtual professionals was what personality traits were most crucial to working in this way. An independent personality was only listed by a third of the respondents. In fact, discipline was the trait that three quarters of the respondents felt was absolutely essentially. So, it would seem that although independence is a benefit of being a VP, it isn't necessarily a requirement that one be independent by nature. More important to succeed in virtual business is the ability to temper all that freedom with self discipline; although finding balance really appears to be the greatest challenge.

With all the hard work that virtual professionals engage in, I asked what advice they might give to someone considering it. The responses were similar to any entrepreneurial venture. "Be sure you want it. It's very hard, it's very rewarding, and you'd better like doing everything." was the advice of Katie Winchell, a freelance copywriter in Huntington Beach, CA. Most importantly, "Never lose sight of your original goal" to spend more time with your family, or to do what you love, said Angela, of Angela Craik's Administrative Solutions. Nearly everyone I interviewed felt that the rewards - particularly the independence - were worth all the effort and hard work, but no one shrunk away from admitting just how much work it really was to make it happen.

Eileen Parzek is a graphic designer and writer providing marketing and web design services. Always found at the intersection of information, creativity and technology, her business, Business Design Studio (www.businessdesignstudio.com) specializes in helping big thinking small businesses market and grow with technology.