As Competition Intensifies, Independent Contractors Find It Hard To Take a Vacation

As the recession squeezes the entire economy, it's getting harder and harder for independent contractors to take a vacation.

"Solo entrepreneurs, freelancers and other self-employed professionals have always struggled to take vacations, and the recession is making it even harder," writes Sarah Needlemen, in an article in The Wall Street Journal last week, "For the Self-Employed, It's an Endless Workweek."

"Being out of pocket can mean missing one of a diminishing number of business leads, and the rising tide of unemployed professionals has heightened competition for freelance work," she notes.

"If you don't get to the inquiries right away, they disappear," the article quotes Frank Natoli, a partner in LanternLegal.com, a legal-services provider in New York. "They'll call somebody else in a second."

"We're tied to the desk," Natoli says. "When the phone rings, we have to be here to answer it."

Competition among freelancers is getting even more competitive than ever. Guru.com, a freelance job site, reported membership of 907,000 in July, up 15% from a year ago. Rival Elance.com says it received 131,000 new applications from freelance professionals in this year's first half, up 40% from the same period last year.

Some freelancers may be able to stay in touch with the business and their clients by using cell phones, email, texting and voicemail, during a vacation, but many say that defeats the purpose of a taking a vacation.

To preserve some degree of sanity and avoid total burnout, some freelancers are resorting to one- or two-day respites.

At least some time off is a must, because people tend to underperform when they're overworked, says Gene Fairbrother, lead business consultant for the National Association for the Self-Employed.

So, if you're an independent contractor, despite what seems a necessity to stay plugged into their business at all times in the current economy, it is imperative that you take some time off, or else suffer the consequences of declining performance and burnout.