Today is International Women’s Day. To mark the occasion, UK online accountancy firm, Crunch, undertook some research to find out what specifically drives women freelancers and entrepreneurs to go into business on their own.

The survey revealed that women going it alone are motivated primarily by financial independence and the added control over their work life balance. Just over a third (34%) cited financial independence as their primary motivator, followed closely by the 31% who yearned for more balance between the professional and private lives.

The research also showed that, despite being busy running their own businesses, women still undertake more domestic responsibilities than their male counterparts – 58% of respondents reported that they still manage most of the childcare duties.

One of the reasons I enjoy freelancing is the freedom it gives me to be in charge of my own schedule and stick to MY timetable. So, if I want to start work at 11am and work into the evening, I can. And if I want to start work really early and take most of the afternoon off, I can do that too.

But just how in control of our schedule are we, in practise?

Take this example. I had a busy week ahead but I had it nicely planned out:

Mon: Edit/proofread an annual report document

Tues: Attend a new business meeting plus an editorial meeting for an e-newsletter

Wed: Briefing meeting for a new website in the morning plus do some marketing activities in the afternoon

Earlier this week, our 16 year old cat, Daisy, died suddenly. (Most probably of a heart attack or stroke.) Thankfully, it was very quick and she knew nothing about it.

It’s devastating to have lost her and, quite naturally, I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few days of the nine years we spent with her. There are three words to sum up her character: courageous, determined and resilient.

Courageous

She was unhappy in her original home: another cat in the flat (her son) bullied her constantly. So, when they all moved from the flat below us to another flat in our complex, Daisy decided to leave her owner and stay put, living in the communal hallway. She chose to leave the certainty of a life with a guy who loved her, cared for her and fed her for a life of uncertainty.

We freelancers are always being told to save a buffer fund in case our work dries up, or we need to take time out for whatever reason.

The message we hear is: “We need to save for the future”.

But we also need to live for today – the here and now. This message was brought home to me loud and clear last week when we heard that the wife of my husband’s closest friend had suddenly been taken ill and was lying in a coma in hospital.

We can’t predict the future and we don’t know what lies in store for us just around the corner. So we need to make the most of the present moment.

That’s why I decided to take advantage of today’s wonderful sunshine and spend a couple of hours walking by the river. I returned revived and refreshed and glad to have soaked up some winter sun.

Carpe diem – what are you going to do to make the most of today?

Welcome to guest writer, Sinead Mac Manus:

I just got back from five weeks living, working and playing in Lisbon, Portugal. If you have never been I recommend a visit especially in the winter when day time temperatures rarely dip below 17 degrees and it’s bright and sunny everyday. Add to that the low cost of living, a beautiful city, friendly people and the best custard tarts in the world, it’s the perfect escape from grey London.

So how did I manage this as a freelancer?

Welcome to my world of part-time location independence.

The location independence movement was started by Lea Woodward and her husband Jonathan in 2007 when, fed up with their corporate lifestyles with plenty of money but little time, they packed it all in to work and travel around the world. Reading about Lea’s adventures in lifestyle design led me to quit my job in 2008 and go live for a year in the south of Spain while still consulting in the UK and building my first online business StartaTheatreCompany.com.

As 2011 draws to a close, I’ve been revisiting the posts I have written during the course of the year and thought you might find it useful to read my Top Ten choices from over the past 12 months.

Five ways to achieve your freelance goals for 2011

Three tips for progressing the goals you set for 2011

Nine ways to improve your cashflow

14 tips for a successful blog