Running A Business With An Unpredictable Illness

With full-time, traditional employment becoming more and more of an unattainable goal for the sick and disabled (especially in the United States), many are turning to self-employment as a way to earn an income. But, many of the same problems that arise with traditional employment are seen in self-employment too. Sure, you can take as many sick days as you want, but you risk irritating any clients that are waiting on your work. You don't have to worry about calling off work, but you might have to cancel important appointments. You also face different problems like a lack of a steady stream of income, no health insurance, no 401k match, no paid vacation, and now you dread every tax season instead of looking forward to it. How can those of us with chronic illness mitigate some of the risks of self-employment? How can we "illness proof" our businesses?

One way we can overcome some of the difficulties with self-employment is by selling our services to different platforms. Platforms like Rev.com, Liveops, Arise, Uber, Postmates, mTurk, & Shopify. These platforms operate 24/7 and since we don't work directly for clients, we don't have to use our energy on marketing and we can pick up work at our convenience. Most platforms also allow you to "abandon" projects or hours with some leeway before it impacts your metrics. These platforms can also offer some of the most reliable income. But, the drawback is that sometimes you make much less than minimum wage.

I decided to get my insurance license and now I work for Assurance, which is also a 24/7 platform. I simply log into my dialer and I'm connected with prospects. I only make commission, but I average between $19-$25 an hour. This has been the best way for me to be able to work consistently, but on my schedule and I can take time off without fearing repercussions from my boss.

Another option many pursue is selling their goods and services. For example, opening an Etsy shop, selling your handyman services, getting your cottage license and selling at farmer's markets, self-publishing books, or becoming a life coach. The downside of this it requires a lot of work to get off the ground. You may have to spend money on advertising. You'll probably have to spend time building a website, making a Facebook page, or researching SEO. You'll have to do things on your client's schedule, or you may run the risk of getting negative reviews. The positives are this type of work can be as flexible as you make it and the potential for earning can be higher than by working on pre-existing platforms.

In addition to working as a life insurance agent, I work as a wedding officiant. I'm able to charge what I like and I only take on as many wedding as I can handle. However, I spent a lot of time "getting my name out there." And, I do have to grapple with "flare fear" occasionally. But, I absolutely love my job, which makes everything worth it!

Some suggestions I have for any spoonies who are just beginning this self-employment journey are to be patient with yourself, don't work yourself so hard you can't function, and make sure you enjoy your work. Results don't happen overnight. But, with some perseverance self-employment can be a fulfilling and flexible work environment for many spoonies.