Self Employment for Aspies

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Hello everyone,

I'm interested in hearing from people who are self employed or would like to be. I'd like to begin working for myself in the new year, and I'd like to hear about how others have found that experience, what kind of challenges you have come across and how you have worked through them, if you have found it successful, and any other information or suggestions.

General opinions about the idea are welcome too. On the face of it self-employment would appear to be a great idea for AS people - managing one's own work routine, probably not interacting with people very much and determining the kind of work you will do, hopefully around an interest. However, I know that in practice it's not that simple. I have difficulty organising and planning tasks, managing finances, and of course communicating with people, particularly over the phone. I'm concerned about being able to negotiate fees and draw up contracts (the field I am interested in is one in which people usually take on freelance projects from different clients) - realistically I am going to need some help with all of those things, and I'm not sure yet where I am going to get that help from!

Does anyone have any experiences to share?

I'm doing a course at the moment, which is for people with Asperger's, and it helps you to look at what you might want to do and how to set up a business. Maybe see if there's anything like that in your area? I want to be a proofreader and I'm planning on being self employed. I am good at planning, being organised and financial matters though so that helps.

I've been self employed for most of my working life. Primarily as a dairy farmer & trucker then when the dairy industry crashed I went to work for a lumber yard as a crane driver, and drove log trucks on the weekends. Now I'm working as an REO contractor and commercial worm digger/bait fisherman. I still haul logs sometimes, but only the high paying stuff (I have a double endorsement)

I've found that being self employed is much easier for me than working for others. I take my dog and go do what needs to be done, and then go home. Very little interaction with people, and I'm judged by the work I get done rather than by my social skills or lack thereof.