Three is a sacred number in many religious. In Christianity, there are three gods in one (called “The Trinity”). In the Hindu world, you have the three main gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Muslims make pilgrimages to three holy cities. Wiccans believe in a rules of three. Odin takes three forms in Eddic mythology, and there are three Greek fates.

The number three is also used in industries and arts. For example, in photography and art, the rule of three refers to the best focal points on a page. Many philosophers have rules of three (for example, Aristotle’s 3-in-1 idea is mind, self-knowledge, and self-love). Some people believe that luck “comes in threes.” I could go on and on, but I’m sure you’re starting to get bored of this by now.

Image: sxc.hu

Why am I telling you all this? Because I also have a Rule of Three, and mine applies to freelance writing. I hinted about this rule earlier today when I talked about being secure as a freelance writer, but I wanted to explain it a little further.

Allison’s Rule of Three is all about clients. There are three parts, each with three components:

• Major clients
• Minor clients
• Intermittent clients

Major Clients

Major clients refers to any client that orders a huge quantity of work every single month. These are your long-term gigs that pay really well. You can set your own cut-off point, depending on your income. For me, a major client is someone who pays me $500 or more.

You should have at least three major clients.

Minor Clients

Minor clients are clients that order work from you without fail every month…but not enough work to pay many bills. Again, my cut-off between major and minor is $500, but yours could be different depending on your income and cost of living.

You should have at least three minor clients.

Intermittent Clients

Not all of your clients will order work every single month. In fact, most won’t. I call these intermittent clients. Some will order more regularly than others, but you don’t have any kind of long-term commitment with these clients.

No, you shouldn’t have just three intermittent clients! You should have enough of these clients in your life that at least three of them order work from your every month. You can’t make people order work, so how do you ensure this? Have some of your “intermittent” clients be places where you can opt to take work or not, depending on your schedule. For example, Demand Studios is a place where you can take work some weeks, but decide not to take any work other weeks. Writing companies in general are good for this type of thing. They fill the space when you lose a major or minor client as well!

I’m not always the best at following my own rules. For example, right now I have just two major clients and more minor/intermittent clients. This is about a goal though. Strive to fulfill Allison’s Rule of Three, and you’ll have a much more secure workload as a freelancer.

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Earlier today, Deb Ng at The Freelance Writing Jobs Network wrote a post regarding job security in the freelance writing world. Actually, the post was more about the lack of job security for people who write online. As long as their contract to you is upheld, clients don’t owe it to you to continue giving you work month after month. Today’s $1000 job could be gone tomorrow.

And one day, it will be. Few websites have continuously hired freelance writers for years. The ones that have rework their payment schedule and amount often. This is a business, and as their freelance writer, you’re a “bottom rung” expense. In other words, when things get tough, websites fire contractors before they cut other expenses in many cases.

Even if you have money saved for “dry” months, it can trigger a panic attack if you suddenly lose a job. Granted, if you did good work for the client, they’ll likely be more than happy to recommend you for other jobs, but that’s not a lot of comfort when bills are looming. So how can you feel more secure?

1. Split up the eggs.

Image: sxc.hu

You’ve heard me (and others) say it a thousand times - don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. In other words, you should have multiple clients every month, so that if one suddenly pulls out, you have other money to cushion the fall. My personal plan is what I like to call “rule of three.” I try to keep three major clients (people who pay $500+ every month), three minor clients (people who pay less than $500 every month), and three intermittent clients (people who don’t order work every month). I keep a big enough bank of intermittent clients so that usually three or four of them order work every month.

2. Look for a permanent part-time job.

Having a job outside of writing can be a real weight off your shoulders. I recommend looking for around 15 hours a week at a place near your home. Of course, these jobs aren’t guaranteed either, especially in today’s economy, but if a place is hiring, they likely won’t be firing anytime soon. The added bonus here is that if you do lose a big client, you can ask for a few more hours at your part-time job or you can volunteer to cover for people on vacation.

3. Apply to at least one job every month - or at least, keep trolling every so often.

I know a lot of writers who fall into this state of security when their schedule is filled, never applying for other jobs. Do you know how to job hunt online anymore? Trolling for jobs is an art, and applying for them can be difficult. Once, I went on a three-month streak where I didn’t apply for any new jobs…and then when I started looking again, one of the websites where I commonly got work had closed down and another had significantly changed its format. Stay on top of these things! If you’re a bidding site member, it also looks better to be continuously active, rather than to have huge lulls where you’re not around.

4. Split your costs.

It can be nice to live alone, but as a freelancer, that’s also very dangerous. I highly recommend having a roommate if you’re not married. And, if you are married or have a roommate, it’s a good idea that you work different places. Best-case scenario? Your spouse/roommate has a secure, full-time job. If he or she is a freelancer too, though, avoid working at the same places as much as possible. That way if one of your websites closes, the person splitting costs with you isn’t in the same boat.

5. Stay in contact with clients.

I’ve mentioned how important it is to have a bank of clients, so to speak. You want a large number of people who order work occasionally so that you’re always busy with something. Don’t forget to stay in contact with clients who haven’t ordered work in a few months. Otherwise, they might never contact you and instead just put out a call for writers. I like to email people when I haven’t heard from them in 3 months. I just say something like “I’m creating my schedule for the summer and was wondering if you foresee any upcoming projects.” Many times, they order work after getting an email like that.

Freelance writing online is never going to be stress-free and easy. The rug can be pulled out from under you at any given moment, and even if you aren’t living paycheck by paycheck, you’re never truly secure. We do this because we love it, right? Just remember - that huge paycheck could be gone tomorrow. Protect yourself today.

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Projects can be personal especially when something like Social Security system failure is looming. This post is part of a blogging “odd couple” duet, hopefully with a lot of engaging conversation to follow, with Mary Emma Allen at www.homebiznotes.com. Her post on the same subject is from a self-employed/home business perspective, mine more from the point of view of an individual. Both are designed to deal with the question:

“At current rates, Social Security payouts will exceed payments made into the system within the next ten years. What should we do about Social Security?”

My preference would be to move the money towards personal investing to get people weaned off of a failing system. I thought I’d poll the web sites of the candidates who I believe will compete in the Presidential election to get an idea whether or not a solution is possible:

Barack Obama- “…he does not think it is necessary or fair to hardworking seniors to raise the retirement age…strongly opposed to privatizing Social Security…look for ways to strengthen [it via] the payroll tax system…increase the maximum amount of earnings covered…”

Mike Huckabee- “…completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes..personal, federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security…..instead we will have the Fair Tax, a simple tax based on wealth….”

Clearly these views are at the ends of the spectrum and are probably both unrealistic. My conclusion is that Social Security will stay about the same. More taxes are unlikely and the Fair Tax “alternative” doesn’t seem to address Social Security at all. Therefore, look for a system that has a high probability of running out- high enough so that you better not count on it.

So- what should WE do about Social Security? Sharpen your pencils and put your retirement plan together!

What do you think?

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