Archive for October, 2006
My book cover blurbs are in!
“Finally! A smart, fun handbook to the new world of work. Michelle Goodman provides both the toolbox and the inspiration women need to seize the job of their dreams.”
– Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young
“This smart and savvy guide is for anyone who has commiserated over the water cooler about not having enough time for her art or writing, or wondered if she could be spending her days doing something more fulfilling.”
– Cynthia Shapiro, author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You To Know — And What to Do About Them
October 31st, 2006
All hail the New York Times, which redeemed itself for all past trend-piece transgressions (remember the supposed opt-out revolution?) with yesterday’s article, “What Do Women Want? Just Ask.” In this “Money” section piece, the NYT spends four whole web pages citing proof that companies are finally wising up to the fact that women make 80 percent of the country’s consumer decisions and adopting programs that benefit both female shoppers and corporate profits. We’re not just talking about Crate & Barrel; we’re talking about companies that sell homes, cars, and consumer electronics.
When I read this passage, my mouth fell open (in a good way):
More companies, in the United States and elsewhere, have realized that they overlook women at their own financial peril. The companies are realigning their marketing and design practices, learning to court an increasingly female-centric consumer base that boasts more financial muscle and purchasing independence than ever before.
“We are perhaps on the first step to a matriarchal society; women will earn more money than men if current trends continue by 2028,” said Michael J. Silverstein of the Boston Consulting Group. “The trend has been escalating in the last 10 years as there has been a gradual, slow erosion of the power balance in the family, a psychic rebalancing.”
The article also points out several nifty businesses and sites that cater to women consumers, like BeJane for women homeowners, AskPatty for women buying cars, and the blog by Jane Dough, BostonGal’sOpenWallet, which chronicles a single thirtysomething’s quest for financial security (and makes me really want to get with the investment program).
Suffice it to say, I was 90 times more heartened by this piece than I was by, say, the November 2006 Marie Claire women and money piece, “Million-Dollar Question,” by the fabulous Meghan Daum, a self-professed serial debter and obvious feminist. The article started off on the right note, but wound up amounting to nothing more than your typical fashion mag fare (I don’t blame Daum; I blame the water-it-down-happy editors at MC). Take this excerpt:
If I take an active role in my financial future, does that mean I’m no longer banking on meeting my prince? Can an act of self-preservation become a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Ugh. And to make matters worse, those eight print pages of faux empowerment are followed by a one-pager called “20 Things to Get Before You’re 40,” a list which includes such “must-get” essentials as the YSL tux for women ($3,560), the Cartier Roadster watch ($3,950), the Cadillac XLR Roadster ($78,495) — oh, and don’t forget, pregnant!
Who are these people?! And how vapid do they think I am? Now I remember why I love mags like Bust and Bitch so much.
October 30th, 2006
Is it just me or does the tail end of this article from The Independent scream, “Ladies, if you wouldn’t spend so much time fussing with your silly little careers maybe you’d actually be able to find a man and get down to the business of procreating”?
See comments from Francoise Shenfield, consultant gyno at University College Hospital London and “an expert in medical law and ethics,” who says:
People have to be reminded that they have to make compromises between children and career.
Though the eggs-on-ice thing strikes me as a tad creepy, I can see how it helps gravely ill women and others in circumstances less run of the mill than your usual ticking clock. But that’s beside the point.
Suppose you’re a single woman who does want to start a family someday. Maybe you would even go so far as to say you desperately want to start a family. (Though I’ve heard such women exist, I can’t attest to being one; I seem to have misplaced my own biological clock.)
In the meantime, how the hell are you supposed to support yourself if you’re “making compromises between children and career” (i.e., prioritizing getting knocked up over getting paid) as dear Francoise implies? Are you supposed to just quit your job and vamp it up in the nearest watering hole in hopes that some sperm donor will come along before your next rent check is due? Gimme a break.
October 29th, 2006
Your company gives you $300 to pimp your cube any way you want. No permission slip required. What would you do? A Simpsons memorabilia museum? An Out of Africa theme? A soothing seascape?
Here’s what the folks at a Fort Worth ad agency came up with. If I worked at this place, I’d probably go for an EMP-inspired rock-memorabilia theme. Or maybe, in honor of Jersey’s same-sex marriage ruling, I’d go with a Garden State rocker theme. (For more Jersey Girl pride, see my homestate sister Judy McGuire.)
It’s worth noting that the cube dwellers given $300 to pimp their pods any way they pleased say they like coming to work more, which I guess makes their management pretty dang schmart.
October 29th, 2006
A lot of people ask how we self-employed types pay our taxes. Just last week a coworker of my sister — at the Teamsters! — asked me a slew of IRS-related questions. For your viewing pleasure, I’m posting our little Q&A here.
Know that I’m not an accountant (nor do I play one on TV), so I strongly encourage you to talk to an accredited tax preparer about any self-employment tax questions, preferably someone who knows the tax laws in your city and state inside and out. Even H&R Block will do the trick. Additional resources: the IRS website, Nolo, FreelancersUnion, and SCORE.
Q. I work from home as a freelancer. Can I deduct a portion of my rent?
A. Yes. There’s a cap on what percentage you can deduct, which you should look up (or ask your tax pro about). There are also IRS rules about having an office with a door that shuts or some such (see why you need the tax pro?). I’ve deducted anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of my home and utilities for the past decade or so. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I work in a spare bedroom, with shuttable door. And my accountant keeps me in line with the fed tax laws, some of which change every couple of years.
Q. Can I deduct my computer and printer?
A. Yes, but there’s again some wiggy law I’m not entirely versed in without further research that says you should (or perhaps it’s “can”) deduct your office machines as a depreciating expense for several years in a row. If you bought the computer/printer ensemble before going freelance, I suspect you can’t deduct the purchase price, but again, the IRS website, which is suprisingly easy to navigate, or an accountant can tell you more. You can deduct printer paper, cartridges, new computer peripherals, and repairs though if you’re using your computer for your freelance work.
Q. Can I deduct my Internet service if I use it for work?
A. Hell yeah.
Q. Do reimbursements for expenses incurred on my client projects count as taxable income?
A. No, you won’t be taxed on payments your clients make to refund you for project expenses (long-distance phone calls, FedEx shipments, and the like). This is probably obvious, but you also can’t “write off” the expenses you’re reimbursed for. That’s what’s known as cheating.
Q. Is 30 percent of my income a fair estimate of what I can expect to pay in taxes?
A. That totally depends on how much money you make. If you’re raking in six figures, you may be more along the lines of 40 percent (though I’m guessing without a calculator here — not that I’d know what to do if I had one in hand). But if you’re a middle class drone like me, 30 percent sounds about right, possibly a little more or less. Also, your expenses (tax write-offs) drive this percentage up and down each year, as does any other non-freelance income you make. If I were you, I would want to show all my records to an accountant or tax preparer to make sure I’m barking up the right tree. Without having any idea what your income or work situation is, and without being fabulous with numbers myself, I can’t give you a hard-and-fast percentage to ship off to Uncle Sam each year.
Q. Do you think there is anything else I should know about paying taxes as a freelancer?
A. There is a lot more to know. For starters, if your freelance clients aren’t taking taxes out of your checks, you need to pay quarterly taxes to the IRS. You can find the appropriate forms on the IRS website, or any tax preparer can give you them. In January, these clients will send you a 1099 form (that is, if they’ve paid you more than $600 in freelance income during the previous calendar year). You use the dollar amounts from these magic forms when assembling your annual tax return; your accountant should ask to see these forms.
You may also need a business license depending on your city and state requirements. In Seattle, where I live, a city business license costs $90 annually for a freelance writer and requires me to file a city income tax return (though at my income level, what I owe each year is nominal); in my state, a one-time business license for a freelance writer is $15. My state business taxes are also pretty nominal. They really just want the form to see what you’re up to. Know that business license fees will vary from profession to profession; the minute you start bulldozing property (as a building contractor) or collecting sales tax (as a product manufacturer), everything changes.
That’s all for today, class. Later this week (or season) we’ll talk more about business licenses and retirement funds for freelancers. Fun, fun!
October 27th, 2006
Yesterday was my third intensive deadline crunch in a row. After getting four hours of sleep, I started work at about 3:30 a.m. and wrapped up at about 6:30 p.m. Sucked ass would be an apt description.
Once I got project #3 of 3 off my plate, I knew it was time for a self-imposed day of slack. Besides being utterly tapped out, (1) I had ddv to remind me that my so-called freelance life wasn’t sounding so hot, (2) I became a Case In Point on a blog entry entitled “No Doz” by my new cyberpal Janna, and (3) my boyfriend suggested my next book be called Screw the Freelance Thing.
Not wanting to have to write the STFT book, and feeling a little defensive about my newfangled workaholism, I told a self-imposed day off (because believe me, I was tempted to keep chipping away at the ‘ole to-do list). Items I managed to squeeze into my schedule today:
- Hang out with boyfriend for a couple hours before his flight
- Drive boyfriend to airport
- Play with dog
- Read email; only answer messages related to social plans
- Email client an invoice due by noon (my one contribution to the working world for the day)
- Find a MoveOn.org “get out the vote” phone tree party to attend this weekend (um, if you weren’t planning to vote on Tuesday, November 7, please reconsider — unless of course you’re a Republican)
- Turn on the tube for Laura’s much-promoted return to General Hospital; promptly fall asleep
- Eat cold leftovers for dinner (because, man, I’m lazy!)
- Spend two hours online locating bootleg DVDs of 70s band that shall remain nameless
- Call a writer pal on double-deadline and encourage her to take that much-needed day off; realize this about as annoying as married friends who encourage you to shack up
- Tune in to Grey’s Anatomy, which, sadly, was a repeat; promptly fall asleep
- Wake up to Justin Timberlake gyrating on Jimmy Kimmel Live and decide I’ve had enough TV, couch, and pop culture to last me till 2007; write this post before crawling into bed with the dog and To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 10
I promise I’ll post something more useful tomorrow. I’ve got stacks of tips and headlines all cued up.
October 27th, 2006
Dirty little freelance secret #117: Despite my singing the praises of Take Back Your Time day, I began the workday at three freaking a.m. today. Really. Because I had a backlog of work, and because, well, clearly I have a little problem with working too dang much. So off I go to nap, and then spend the evening reading page proofs of my book for the umpteenth time. It will be nice when it’s off to the printer next month. And tomorrow I will take my leisurely time with the dog, meals, and boyfriend. Really. (Ask me how it went on Thursday.)
October 24th, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, is Take Back Your Time Day, an annual North American initiative started several years ago by some very balance-minded folks. According to the TBYT people, we’re all too damn busy working too damn much, not to mention spending too much damn money, which leads to more bouts of working too damn much, and so on and so forth.
One of my favorite TBYT stats is that today’s Americans clock in more hours at work than medieval peasants did. So in honor of TBYT day, I’m going to actually eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Tuesday — sitting down. I’m also going to walk my dog for an hour before work and an hour after, as well as spend the evening with my sweetie, during which I will do my darndest to not bring up work every other minute.
How about you?
October 23rd, 2006
Yesterday I had the blissful experience of returning to Hedgebrook, a retreat for women writers I attended this spring on lovely Whidbey Island.
I was punctual for what I suspect was the second time in my life. I wrote about the first time I visited Hedgebrook (and was punctual) here.
I can’t remember if it was Annie Proulx or Ang Lee that said they thought each of us has our own Brokeback Mountain, but the statement struck me. I take this to mean not necessarily that we’ve all had the good fortune to share a tent with Heath Ledger or Jake Gyllenhaal, but that we all know what it means to lose ourselves in bittersweet nostalgia and serious longing. And Hedgebrook is pretty much my own Brokeback Mountain, only without all the hot gay cowboy sex.
But. I. digress.
Reason I went to Hedgebrook yesterday was to read applications for the 2007 residency season, along with a dozen or so other alums. And I just wanted to share. Because reading dozens of applications for a writing fellowship was quite the eye-opening process.
The applicants’ personal histories were so vastly varied and fascinating, no matter what their writing background. What’s more, I learned exactly what not to write next time I go to apply for a grant or fellowship.
When asking people to give you money or room-n-board so that you can do your creative thing uninterrupted, you certainly don’t want to serve up the artist’s version of an “I love long walks on the beach and romantic candlelit dinners” personal ad. Nor do you want to sound utterly devoid of personality. But making the review committee fall hopelessly in love with you — sight unseen — man, that’s the hard part. I hope I can pull it off next time I’m on the other side of the page.
October 22nd, 2006
Women’s eNews ran a nice story this week on how teenage girls are trying their hand at entrepreneurship more and more, thanks to programs like the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network’s Camp CEO, a business-training program for high school students.
I especially enjoyed this statistic from the article:
More than 6 in 10 female teens who responded to an online survey earlier this year sponsored by Junior Achievement Worldwide–a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, Colo., that educates teens on economics and business–said they want to be self-employed at some point in their lives.
And this quote:
Nancy Moran, who started an outreach committee at the National Association of Women Business Owners in McLean, Va., to inform and inspire young women about entrepreneurship, is pleased to see more young women thinking like self-starters. “Too many young people, particularly young women, think they need to go into traditional ‘female’ jobs or go into the corporate world,” she said.
All I can say is, I wish I’d gone to a “camp” like that instead of the masochistic all-girls sleepaway camp that my parents shipped me off to each summer, where spoiled, vapid wanna-be debutantes routinely kicked each other in the head for sport. Good times.
October 20th, 2006
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