Deciding to become a freelancer is quite a bold and scary move for anybody, but there are a number of benefits which make it a really excellent choice for a lot of people. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider handing in your notice and becoming your own boss.
Scheduling
- when you are a freelancer, you have more control over your own schedules. If you are working on projects that don't require you to progress with them at particular times, you can work at any time of the day that suits you, so if you have friends visiting for the weekend, or a social evening planned, or even just the desire to stay in bed a little longer every day, you can model your schedule around your personal needs. Just make sure you actually put aside some time to actually work though!
Creative work
- there is an increasing demand for creative work, and quite often in fields that are highly studied in college and university but with not much success of companies hiring on a standard hourly contract. Freelancing is a world where you can focus on your creative skills, such as writing, photography, graphic design, content producing and website creating which you thought you would never get paid for, and so you can work in a field that better suits your personality and allows you to express yourself a little more. You are also able to gain experience in fields that are traditionally difficult to get your foot in the door of, and so you can use a freelancing experience as a way to establish yourself and to work towards a big career move.
Working from home
- depending on the type of freelance work you can do, you may never actually have to leave your house, which eliminates the commute to work every day (unless you still count the distance between your desk and your computer inside your house). In fact, as long as you have a laptop computer and a strong internet connection, you can work from anywhere, including your favourite cafe, the library or even from a bench in town, and if you have a portable internet modem, you can actually work from anywhere with a signal. So, when the sun is out and you don't want to be stuck inside all day, you can set up a picnic blanket in the park and enjoy the good weather.
Money
- while it is very difficult to start out as a freelancer, when you become established, there is not limit to how much you can earn. You become your own boss, so you can push yourself to improve and work your way into a better position, which of course can have very positive effects on your income. For those months when you are struggling to pay the bills, you have the flexibility to work as much or as little as you need. You also have the ability to negotiate your own rates, which can work both in favour or against you depending on your haggling skills.
Choosing your clients
- as you are in control of your work, you can be flexible with who you choose to work with. It does help to say yes a lot to begin with, but over time you can refine who you are working for and you can control your working relationships to create a nicer and more personalised professional world for you to make your money in.
There are, of course, some disadvantages to freelance work that shouldn't be overlooked when deciding to switch. Money can be difficult, and with no minimum wage, you have to be motivated and determined to start earning enough money to survive. There are also no traditional employment contracts, so when you become sick there is not likely to be sickness pay, there are not likely to be unions that support you, and there is of course no sympathy when it's your computer that is playing up. There is no steady income, as you are in control of this, and there is a lot less stability and rules like there are in a normal work contract, however, if you are willing to take a few risks, and to jump into the unknown, the rewards are there to be reaped.