I expect to receive a few snickers about me being an alarmist but, in my opinion, this is a smart thing for all of us to be thinking about.
I’m sure many of you have wondered about what you’ll do if your city is ever put on lockdown. Just this week, Italy put several cities on lockdown because of the Caronavirus (COVID-19).
Here’s the GOOD news about a pandemic for freelancers. Your income can continue while many other jobs would be put on hold because you already work from home AND because your work is delivered electronically. You’re already one step ahead of your neighbors who must get up and go to an office each day.
If YOU still go to an office each day, it might be a good time to sit down with your employer, and make plans together on which of his or her employees would be able to work from home if something bad happens.
Also, for freelancers, if schools shut down, you can keep your kiddos at home, and not need to pay a babysitter. If you find it difficult to work with kiddos underfoot, all I can recommend in that situation is…earplugs.
Here’s the GOOD news for authors about a pandemic. People who are confined to their homes can still buy your book online. Now, will they want a print edition being delivered to their door by a sniffling, coughing delivery person? Perhaps not. But, they can instantly download a copy of your ebook…virus free! (Pun intended.) If people are stuck at home, they’re going to want entertainment so continue with your book promotion activities!
The great news for both groups of creatives is that, with a pandemic, it’s unlikely you’ll lose water and power. However, I would recommend boiling even city water. I won’t get into bodily functions and water filtration in this space. Let’s just say….better safe than sorry.
I, for one, am very happy that we never opened a traditional (say EXPENSIVE) office and that all of our folks work from their own homes already.
Something I really don’t share with people (because they give me really weird looks) is that we’re preppers, and have been for several years. We have plenty of emergency rations, medical supplies, and personal items to get us by for several months and they are stored in several locations. I have encouraged our employees and contractors to do the same. I sure wasn’t expecting a possible pandemic. Seriously. I thought maybe an attack of some sort might shut things down for awhile. I’ve definitely had hurricanes on my mind (especially since moving to Florida), or other natural disasters. Never thought a pandemic would come here. But, I’m glad we’re prepared just the same.
It is possible that your freelance business can slow down because your clients might scale back on their spending. So, another thing to think about is your bank account. Have you stocked it with rations (extra money) as well?
I certainly don’t want to be an alarmist but I, for one, can tell you that Preparation = Peace of Mind. Pray for the best. Plan for the worst. We can easily self-quarantine on the boat for months if need be. It’ll be crowded if we need to move our food and supplies on board but we’ll make due. We have security here as well because there’s a locked gate and only one dock to gain access to the boats. We also have wonderful neighbors who will all look out for each other.
Anyway, I’m not trying to scare anyone. I just want to make sure you’re all thinking “what if” so you can have peace of mind, too. 🙂
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Angela Hoy lives on a mountain in North Georgia. She is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the President and CEO of BookLocker.com and AbuzzPress, and the author of 24 books.
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The Art and Craft of Writing and Editing
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The same is true of hardware/equipment. I do computationally demanding freelance work and a couple of years I paid over $5,000 for my current computer. It has paid for itself many times over.
Better to be prepared than to say, “if only I had…..” Been thru two fires, two earthquakes and one flood – some loss, nothing serious. I’m insurance poor and overstocked, but I think if I am prepared I will be spared.
Surprising how many don’t see the need and heed the caution to be prepared. I’ve been thru fires, flood and earthquakes. Damage was limited but I was prepared for whatever. I’d rather say I was prepared and didn’t need it, than I wasn’t prepared and wish I had been. Latest emergency supply addition – State-of-the-art indoor/outdoor porta potty
Excellent!
I just finished reading World War Z. Excellent documentation as to what people will do to survive and the mistakes they made.
A government medical team responds to an emerging epidemic in “The Utah Flu.”