Becoming a freelancer is an increasingly popular way for people to work. However, for many people, it’s still an intimidating idea. Especially if you’re thinking about quitting your job and heading into the freelance world full-time, it can seem like a risky move that might not pay off. I know because I was in your shoes.
I had a great job in an office with co-workers and a boss, where everything was predictable. Then one day, I decided to quit my job and become self-employed. Now, after being a freelancer for almost two years now myself (and loving every minute of it!). Let me tell you why you should consider doing the same:
| Takeaways |
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| 1. Freelancing offers flexibility in working hours, allowing you to create a work-life balance that suits your needs. |
| 2. Becoming a freelancer provides the opportunity to choose the clients and projects that align with your interests and expertise. |
| 3. Freelancers have the potential to earn higher income based on their skills, productivity, and the value they bring to clients. |
| 4. Embracing freelancing allows you to break free from the traditional 9-to-5 work structure and explore a more independent career path. |
| 5. You can expand your professional network and collaborate with diverse clients and professionals from around the world. |
| 6. Freelancers often experience personal growth and self-development as they take ownership of their career and projects. |
| 7. With freelancing, you can enjoy the flexibility of working from anywhere, whether it’s your home, a coffee shop, or a co-working space. |
| 8. Independence and autonomy in decision-making allow freelancers to pursue their passions and specialize in areas they are most interested in. |
| 9. Freelancing provides the opportunity to diversify your skillset by working on various projects across different industries. |
| 10. As a freelancer, you can set your rates and negotiate contracts directly with clients, giving you control over your earnings. |
| 11. Overcoming challenges in freelancing helps you build resilience and adaptability, valuable skills for personal and professional growth. |
| 12. Embracing freelancing now can open doors to a fulfilling and rewarding career, offering you the chance to shape your future on your terms. |
1. You Can Work From Anywhere
That’s a big one. In fact, it’s the first reason why you should consider becoming a freelancer right now! Why? Because having the freedom to work from anywhere is one of the main benefits of being self-employed. It means that you can choose where, when, and how long you want to work each day whether that be from home in your pajamas or at a beachfront café with your laptop on your lap, the choice is totally up to you!
Navigating the world of freelancing can be intimidating, but with the right guidance, you can freelance with confidence. Our comprehensive guide on how to freelance with confidence will equip you with essential tips and strategies to succeed in the freelance market.
2. Working As A Freelancer Is Incredibly Flexible
Working as a freelancer is incredibly flexible. You get to choose your schedule, work environment, and activity. Working from home allows you to spend more time with family, friends, and pets. You can even hire people to help you out when you need some extra hands on deck!
If you’re not into working at home, there are plenty of other places where freelancers like yourself can go to find a coworking space for the day or even just for coffee and lunch breaks. Coworking spaces often have everything from WiFi access to printing services available all of which makes working there very convenient!
3. You Have The Opportunity To Be Your Boss
You are the boss. It’s that simple. You get to decide what you want to do, when, and how much of it. There is no company telling you what projects to take on or clients who would be upset if you decided not to work for them anymore or any other office politics nonsense that comes with working for someone else!
There are no more 9-5 schedules for freelancers; instead, freelancers can set their schedules and work from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection. Since there are so many options out there, why limit yourself when becoming a freelancer?
You have complete control over who you work with and what projects you take on because nobody can force these decisions on you unless it’s something illegal (and even then, most companies won’t go after individuals).
This means that if there’s ever an issue with a client or project partner (or even coworker), then it’s up to YOU how much time/effort goes into resolving those problems before deciding whether leaving them behind is worth all this hassle, not someone else who may not always have our best interests at heart during negotiations!
The freelance landscape is constantly evolving, and understanding the trends of the new generation of freelancers is crucial for staying relevant. Discover the key insights in Freelance Gen: The New Generation of Freelancers to adapt and thrive in this dynamic industry.
4. Freelancing Is Recession-Proof
This is one of the most compelling reasons to consider freelancing right now.
According to a study by the Freelancers Union, up to 40% percent of workers are in some form of independent work. And they are more likely than other workers to survive a recession. This is because they have the flexibility and ability to change their working hours or even stop working altogether if need be.
Freelancing also offers you a safe and secure way to earn money while you develop your career as an entrepreneur or professional. You can pick up freelance jobs on sites like Upwork and Fiverr or simply look for companies that would benefit from your services (more on this later).
Lastly, freelancing has another great advantage: it gives you time! Freelancers work fewer hours per week compared with full-time employees, who typically clock in around 43 hours per week according to data from Glassdoor.
5. You Can Choose Who You Work With
In this case, I’m talking about the clients that you take on as a freelancer. You can pick and choose who you want to work for, which means that if a potential client is shady or not respectful of your time and skillset, then you don’t have to work with them at all.
This is much different than working in an office setting where there are strict rules about what employees may do or say when it comes to their superiors at the company. As a freelancer, your job security lies solely in how nicely (or poorly) you treat the people who hire you and they will notice if they aren’t treated well!
6. You Will Have The Chance To Learn New Skills And Become A Master Of Your Craft
When you become a freelancer, one of the best things that will happen is that you will have to learn new skills. And this means that your learning curve will be much steeper than if you kept on working in the same job.
For example, as a freelancer, I have learned how to code websites and apps (I didn’t even know what HTML was until I became a freelancer). In addition, I also learned how to create graphics for my clients and explain things in a way that makes sense to them.
The key here is not only knowing about these skills but also being able to explain them clearly so others can understand them as well!
Embarking on your freelancing journey with Upwork? Make sure you’re well-prepared and informed with our quick and comprehensive beginner’s guide to Upwork. Learn about the world’s largest freelance marketplace and how to make the most out of your freelancing experience.
7. You Get To Network With Some Amazing People
Networking is important, and the freelancer community is a great place to find like-minded people with whom you can network.
You will be meeting people who have a similar mindset and experience as you do. You might even find someone who can help your business or career grow. There are many ways that becoming a freelancer has helped me meet new people, but one of them was through my local meetup group for writers and bloggers (you can find yours here).
We started by having regular weekly meetings where we would share our blog posts, but then it evolved into something bigger than just sharing blog posts: we ended up doing monthly events where we came together to socialize outside of our normal meeting times.
8. No More Commuting
Freelancing means no more commuting. That alone can make you a lot happier than you are now.
If you work at a regular job, chances are that every day involves some kind of commute. You might be spending hours a week on the train or bus, sitting in traffic, or stuck in rush hour crowds just to get to and from work, and then there are those meetings and calls that take up even more time during the working day!
After all that sitting around, when do you ever get to sit down at your desk?. But if freelancing is your thing then you don’t have to worry about any of this because it’s all done remotely you won’t have any commuting worries!
9. You Can Charge What You’re Worth. And Raise Your Rates As You Grow Your Business
- You can charge what you’re worth. And raise your rates as you grow your business!
- You can set your schedule! Work from anywhere, at any time of day. Whether it’s 8 a.m., 12 p.m., or midnight you’re free to pick when and where to work as long as it fits into the client’s schedule (and yours).
- Working for yourself means getting to choose who you work with, which means less frustration during busy times when clients are hard to get hold of or unresponsive and more flexibility if they don’t like something about how things work out in the end (which is bound to happen).
It also allows for more control over what projects you take on: Are they interesting? Do they fit well within your skillset? Are they challenging enough? Do they pay well enough? These things matter! And no one else knows these answers better than *you*.
10. You Have To Be Organized. That’s Good For You In The Long Run
When you work as a freelancer, there is no one to keep track of your deadlines and appointments for you. You have to be organized enough to know what needs to get done when, and where it should go.
This is an incredibly important skill that will help you in all aspects of your life not just your freelance career. Being organized means that you can be more productive, more successful, and more efficient!
11. No More Office Politics
Office politics is the way people in an organization interact with each other, and it can lead people to be manipulative or self-serving. Many people have a lot of stress at work because they are constantly trying to figure out how to deal with these office politics.
If you become a freelancer, then you don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff anymore! You’ll have complete freedom over your schedule and location, and this will allow you to work on your terms (which means no more having stuff like “meetings” scheduled for 8:30 AM on Saturdays).
Are you considering freelancing, but unsure how it all works? Our insightful article on how freelancing actually works will provide you with the foundational knowledge you need to get started on your freelancing journey.
12. You’ll Make Money Doing What You Love. (That Whole “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow” Thing Is True.)
You’ll make money doing what you love. (That whole “do what you love, the money will follow” thing is true.)
As a freelancer, you’ll get to work on a project that excites you. The more passionate and excited about your work, the better results in terms of quality as well as productivity! The best part? It’s not just a one-off thing the more excited and passionate you are while working, the longer and more productive your days become.
You’ll also be able to stop doing jobs that don’t excite or challenge you anymore. If there’s something in your current job that isn’t giving back any value to either yourself or others then why continue doing it? If nothing is motivating me at work anymore then I need something else to motivate me!
As a freelance writer, finding reliable gigs is essential for building a successful career. Explore our collection of freelance writing jobs that won’t screw you over to access legitimate opportunities and avoid potential pitfalls in the writing market.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this list has given you some insights into the benefits of becoming a freelance worker. I hope it helps to convince you that freelancing is not only a viable option for employment but one that might even be a better fit than working in an office!
As with any new venture, there will be bumps in the road and challenges along the way; but if you can overcome those challenges and follow through with your vision, then I think you’ll find freelancing to be a rewarding career path.
Further Reading
The Benefits of Freelancing: Explore the advantages of freelancing and how it can lead to a fulfilling and flexible career.
12 Reasons to Start Freelancing Today: Discover compelling reasons why freelancing might be the right path for you and your professional growth.
Reasons to Become a Freelancer: Uncover the motivations and opportunities that come with becoming a freelancer and taking control of your work life.
People Also Ask
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is a person who works on their own, rather than in an organization. They have the freedom to choose their clients and schedule their work hours, but they also have to be very self-reliant, as they don’t have a large team to rely on.
Some freelancers work full-time jobs during the week and freelance on the weekends, while others work only as freelancers.
What Are The Benefits Of Becoming A Freelancer?
- You can choose your work schedule and work from anywhere in the world
- You can work from home, your local coffee shop, or wherever you want to set up shop
- You get to pick and choose which projects you want to work on and when you want to work on them
How Much Money Can I Make As A Freelancer?
It depends on how much time you put into it. On average, most freelancers make between $30-$50 per hour depending on their experience level, location, and industry.
How Do I Get Started As A Freelancer? What Do I Need?
First things first: make sure you have all of your ducks in a row! Make sure that any outstanding debt is paid off before diving into this career choice because it will be difficult for clients (or anyone else) to trust someone who has outstanding debts hanging over their heads!
Next up: start building up an online presence so potential clients know who they’re dealing with before agreeing to work with them. This could include setting up social media accounts such as Twitter or Facebook where you post updates about yourself or even just creating an email address where people can reach you.
How Can I Make My Living As A Freelancer?
First of all, don’t feel like you have to wait until you’re official “out of work.” If you have an established skillset and are ready to go, then you can start working as a freelancer right now!
The first step is to find jobs that are already posted online. You can do this by searching for “freelance [field] job” or “online [field] jobs.” Once you’ve found some opportunities, create a profile on each site where they’re posted.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to get down to business! Make sure your profile is updated with relevant skills and experience and keep an eye out for new postings as well. When one comes up that seems like it would be a good fit for your abilities and interests, apply!
If your application gets accepted, congratulations! You’re now officially a freelancer! Keep at it until you find just the right position for yourself and enjoy the freedom that comes with being your boss!
How Much Does It Cost To Become A Freelancer?
Your first month as a freelancer is free! However, after that, you will have to pay $10/month for basic membership and $50/month for premium membership. Please note that these are one-time payments only it is not an ongoing subscription service like Netflix or Spotify.
What Kind Of Jobs Are Available?
There are plenty of different jobs available on our platform. We have thousands of clients who post their projects every day everything from small tasks like writing articles or editing videos to large-scale projects like building websites or developing mobile apps.
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is someone who works for themselves and not for someone else. They work from their own home (or wherever they choose to work) and set their hours, the projects that they take on, and how much money they make.
This means that freelancers are independent contractors rather than employees at a company, which means that they do not get benefits like health insurance or paid vacation time.
Who Becomes A Freelancer?
Some people decide to become freelancers when they are fired from their jobs or laid off from work, but many people choose to become freelancers because it allows them more freedom over their careers and lives than traditional employment does.
Many people who have disabilities or other limitations on what kind of work they can do find that being self-employed helps them find something productive for themselves while also allowing them to earn an income independently.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
