Independent Contractor: Think Unique

I was working for one of the best jobs I'd ever had.   Now, I was getting ready to move out of state, in support of a family member.  I did not have a job lined up, and did not know when I would find one.  Little did I know that I was getting ready to leave a job at the onset of the recession in 2008.  However, the idea that I had helped make ends meet for the next two years.

I built some really good rapport with leaders in my department, at my place of business.  I tried to do the best job possible.  I gained a reputation of getting things done, and being a person with which my teammates liked to work.  I gained the trust of other departments that depended on my services and accomplished work-related goals. 

Now that I was leaving, I actually would miss the work, miss the people, and miss the opportunity that I had to do some really fulfilling work.  What's more?  I would miss the income that I was earning, until I found another job.  Then I thought of a novel idea.  I could perform one of my core job functions remotely.

I mentioned the idea of working as an independent contractor to my manager.  I then tossed the idea around with my director - not expecting too much to come of it.  To my pleasant surprise, he asked me to draft a contract, detailing what I would accomplish as an independent contractor.  The contract was later approved and signed.  It was done!!  I had become an independent contractor that could do 100% of my work from my laptop at home, and I was earning a full-time salary.  In addition, my director told me to let him know if I ever moved back, because he would have a conventional position for me.

This great work relationship lasted until I got settled with another 9-to-5.  By that time, I wasn't able to adequately dedicate the time that I needed to continue to do a good job as an independent contractor.  However, this experience taught me that there are ways to build an online business that many have not considered.  If you have the drive, the determination, the idea, and the discipline then the sky is the limit in terms of how successful you can be in earning income online.