Freelancing is one of the best things ever. I get to work from home, decide who I work with, and wear sweatpants to do it. But freelance life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies (although if it were, my life would be awesome). Here are a few reasons why you might want to think twice before leaping:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Freelance life may not offer as much financial stability as a traditional job. |
| 2. Loneliness and isolation can be significant challenges for freelancers. |
| 3. Freelancers often face the burden of self-promotion and marketing. |
| 4. Managing multiple clients and projects simultaneously can be overwhelming. |
| 5. Freelancers may struggle with setting boundaries between work and personal life. |
| 6. Lack of employee benefits, such as healthcare and retirement plans, is a common drawback. |
| 7. The pressure to constantly find new clients and secure projects can lead to stress. |
| 8. Freelancers are responsible for managing their own taxes and finances. |
| 9. Inconsistent income and cash flow can create financial uncertainty. |
| 10. Freelancers may face difficulties in establishing credibility and trust with clients. |
| 11. Balancing self-discipline and motivation can be challenging without a structured work environment. |
| 12. Freelancers often face fierce competition in the market. |
| 13. Freelancing requires continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends. |
1. You Have To Be Self-Disciplined
You have to be self-disciplined. If you want to succeed as a freelancer, you need to be able to motivate yourself and make sure that your work gets done on time.
You also need to make sure that you don’t waste time procrastinating or doing other things that aren’t related to your job.
It’s easy for freelancers to fall prey to distractions like social media and Netflix binges because they can work whenever they feel like it but this kind of behavior will only lead them down the path toward failure as a freelancer.
Freelancing is not just the future of work; it’s the present. Discover the opportunities and challenges of freelancing in our comprehensive guide on Freelancing: Not the Future of Work, the Present and embark on a flexible and independent career path.
2. There Is Not A Lot Of Job Security
You see, when you freelance, you’re not a free man/woman: you’re an entrepreneur. And like any other entrepreneur, your income is dependent on how much work you can get and how many clients are willing to pay for your services.
That means if there’s a slowdown in business or even worse if one of your clients decides not to hire you anymore your monthly income could suddenly dry up overnight.
It’s important to remember that when freelancing (whether full-time or part-time), the buck stops with your plate: it’s all about survival of the fittest! You’ll have no sick pay or holiday pay; no pensions or maternity/paternity leave; no paid holidays off; and no job security whatsoever.
3. You Are Responsible For Growing Your Own Business
You are responsible for your business growth. This is the single most important thing that you must understand before becoming a freelancer. If you don’t do any marketing, then you won’t have clients. And if you don’t have clients, then how will your business grow?
As a freelancer, having to find new clients when they leave is part of the game. Some of them will go out of business or move on to other things in life and leave us behind with no notice at all! You never know when this might happen and we need to be prepared for it. So what do we do? How can we keep our businesses afloat?
4. It Can Get Lonely
Freelancing is a solitary experience. You have to be your boss, the voice of reason, and the cheerleader, in addition to working on your projects or clients’ projects.
You are alone in your home, apartment or house; you’re alone when you wake up; you’re alone when it’s time for bed at night, and everything else just kind of blends together into one big blur of solitude.
This can be difficult for some people who are used to having a support network around them at all times (this includes friends and family).
Are you considering leaving freelancing behind? Explore the 13 compelling reasons why you should stop freelancing and get a real job to make an informed decision about your professional journey.
5. You Become The Accountant And IT Person
You will need to learn how to do your accounting, IT, and taxes. You may even have to do them for others. You will probably be the only one in your office who knows how to use QuickBooks or any other accounting software, which is a big deal if you are managing multiple clients.
If something goes wrong with the system or someone has an issue with their financial information, you’ll be the one everyone asks for help (or wants to be fired).
If there is a problem with an email server or security breach, chances are that it will be your computer that gets hit first, and again, it’ll likely be up to you (the one who knows) to solve it before anyone else can access it their inboxes or files.
If this still doesn’t convince you that freelancing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
6. Being Sick Can Cause Disaster
You can’t afford to be sick, and you won’t have time for it anyway. You don’t have sick days or paid time off. You will also not be paid if you choose to stay home from work due to illness or injury.
This means that if your client calls with a last-minute job that needs completing on their timeline, there is no way you can turn down their request without putting your entire freelance career at risk.
And because many clients are working on strict deadlines, turning down such requests means that you run the risk of losing them as customers entirely and those clients may refer others in their network who might also be interested in hiring you as a freelancer!
7. There Is No Vacation Pay Or Benefits
The days of paid vacation, sick days, and maternity leave are long gone for freelancers. When you’re self-employed, you have to be your boss and make your own rules about how many hours a week is acceptable to work, what kind of work should be done on the clock, and how many consecutive weeks off are allowed.
You might think that this sounds like an advantage after all, with so much flexibility at their disposal, freelancers could theoretically work less than 40 hours per week if they wanted to (or more than 40 if they wanted).
But there’s another side: When was the last time you heard someone say “I’m gonna take some extra time off”? If you’re working as a freelancer and decide that now would be an ideal time for six months’ worth of sabbatical away from your job good luck getting the rest of us on board.
The fact is that most people don’t want more vacation; they just want enough time away from their jobs so they can stay sane through what remains of their lives outside it (and yes spending every waking moment working counts as one long holiday in my book).
If you’re a freelance writer looking for the best job opportunities, our guide on The Best Jobs for Freelance Writers: Pros and Cons of Each will provide valuable insights to help you choose the right path that aligns with your skills and interests.
8. You Carry The Stress Of Finding And Keeping Clients
As a freelancer, you’re the only one who can do your job. You are also the only one who knows how many hours you are working on a project, and when it’s complete. No other person in your company gets to see this information but you.
This means that if you have a bad month, or even year (which is more likely to happen than not) there is no boss or partner to blame for either of those things happening.
If you want to be successful in this career path, it’s important that you understand this responsibility before jumping into freelance life full-time and even if becoming an entrepreneur isn’t really what interests you at all!
9. You Live For The Weekend But Hate Mondays Even More
When you work for yourself, there is no one to tell you when to go home. You are the boss! But being your boss means that you have to be the one who tells yourself when it’s time to go home.
And that means that sometimes, even when your work isn’t done and even if it’s not a big deadline or anything, you still have to stop working and call it a day.
You don’t see your family as much as you would like because of this and they probably don’t either. When we work for other people, we get off at 5 p.m., which leaves us plenty of time during the weekdays (and often on weekends) to spend with our families or friends.
When we freelance instead of having an office job though, our schedules can change from day-to-day or even minute-to-minute depending on how many projects come in at once or if any unexpected tasks pop up during those projects themselves
10. Holiday Pay? What’s That? Oh Yeah, You Don’t Get It
As a freelancer, you do not get paid for holidays or sick days. You also do not get paid for personal days or overtime. You also don’t get paid for working weekends or nights (unless it’s an emergency).
If a client needs your help on his birthday and asks you to work for free until midnight, then forget about it.
This is one of the most common mistakes made by new freelancers who end up getting nothing out of their job experience and knowledge gained during their first few months on the job market.
11. Your Family Doesn’t Understand What You Do All Day Long
If you’re in your 20s or 30s and have been freelancing for a few years, likely, your family members don’t completely understand what it is that you do all day long. If they do, they might think that working as a freelancer allows you to work less than people who have regular jobs.
They also might not understand the demands of freelancing and how hard it is to balance work with leisure time.
The last thing I want to talk about when I get home from work is my job! This can be especially true if there are only two weeks left in the month and we still need money for food, rent, bills everything we need.
12. When You Have A Bad Day, There Is No Punching The Clock And Going Home At 5 Pm, You Still Have To Work
You are on call 24/7. As a freelancer, you have to be available for work at all times of the day and night. When you start working for yourself, it’s easy to think that you can just walk away from your desk at 5 pm and go home, but in reality, there is no real end until the project has been completed.
And even then, there is still more work to do. Your clients expect quality no matter what time of day it is or how long they have been waiting on your project.
This means that if something goes wrong with one of your projects during a weekday, then you will be expected to fix it as soon as possible so that they can get back up and running smoothly again (at least until another problem crops up).
If something doesn’t go right with one of your projects on a weekend or holiday because there were too many bugs present in code written by someone else who was supposed to write clean code but didn’t… well then guess what? It becomes your problem now too.
The landscape of work is evolving, and freelancing is at the forefront of this transformation. Discover how freelancing is changing the concept of work in our thought-provoking article, The Job of Tomorrow: How Freelancing Is Changing Work, and gain a deeper understanding of the future of employment.
13. No One Says Thank You Or Good Job At All! It’s Like A Thankless Job, But You Put In So Much Effort
In your previous job, you were constantly praised for doing things right. You got compliments on how well-done everything was and it made you feel good about yourself.
In freelancing, no one knows how hard you worked on something because they don’t see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making each project perfect.
You put so much time and energy into the projects that if they don’t turn out exactly as hoped or wanted by clients (even though we try our best), no one says anything or even acknowledges our efforts.
Wondering how freelancers manage to achieve six-figure incomes? Learn the strategies and secrets behind their success in our eye-opening article, How Freelancers Like Me Make Six Figures. Gain valuable insights and inspiration to level up your freelance career and boost your earning potential.
Final Thoughts
Freelancing can be a very rewarding career if you have the right personality and skills. For some, this is the best way of life they could ever imagine.
However, freelancing is not for everyone. It takes a lot of discipline and self-motivation to stay on track each day. If you are thinking about becoming a freelancer, assess your needs first. If you love working alone and can meet deadlines without much supervision, then freelancing will suit your lifestyle.
Further Reading
Pros and Cons of Freelancing: Explore the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing to make an informed decision about pursuing a freelance career.
5 Solid Reasons So Many Freelancers Fail to Make a Full-Time Living: Discover common pitfalls and challenges faced by freelancers that can hinder their ability to earn a full-time income.
Reasons Why a Freelancer Career Is Not for You: Understand the factors that may indicate freelancing is not the right path for you and explore alternative career options.
People Also Ask
What Is Freelance Life?
Freelance life is a great life. You get to do the things you want, and you don’t have to deal with annoying co-workers or bosses. You can work from home, and you don’t even need to leave your couch if you don’t feel like it! It’s a dream come true, really but there are some downsides too.
What Are Some Of The Downsides?
The biggest downside is that you’re not guaranteed any money at all. And if you want to make money doing this stuff, you have to put in a lot of hard work and take lots of risks. That can be scary, but it’s also exciting because it means that if you’re successful then there’s a good chance you’ll be able to make more money than ever before!
What Is The Best Way To Find Clients?
The best way to find clients is through referrals, personal connections, and social media. However, you should also be sure that you have a solid portfolio and resume ready to go in case you need them.
How Do You Know If You’re Ready To Become A Freelancer?
One of the most common questions we get is “Am I ready to be a freelancer?” The answer is that it depends on your goals. If you’re looking to make a lot of money right away, then maybe not. But if you’re looking to have more control over your time and income, then yes!
Do Freelancers Make Enough Money?
It depends on what type of work you do. If you’re working on an hourly basis, then yes but it will probably take some time before you see significant results. If you’re doing project-based work, then there’s no telling how much money you’ll make until after the project ends.
What Can I Do If I Don’t Want Clients Contacting Me Directly? Can I Still Be A Freelancer?
Yes! Many freelancers prefer this because it gives them an extra layer of protection from clients who may not honor their agreements or pay appropriately for services rendered. We recommend setting up an online account so that clients can send messages and proposals through your website but not email address directly that way all communication stays
What If I’m Not A Very Good Writer?
If you’re not a great writer, then you can hire someone to write for you. You might be surprised at how many people are willing to help out with their writing skills in exchange for a small fee. If you don’t have the money to pay someone else, then perhaps you could ask one of your friends or family members to help out.
How Will I Know Who Needs My Services?
There are many ways for you to find out about potential clients and projects. You can start with an online search engine like Google or Bing. If there’s an opportunity that looks interesting, then contact them directly by telephone or email so that they can get more information about what it is that they need done (and how much they want to pay).
How Much Should I Charge Per Hour?
This depends on where you live and how well-known your reputation is within your local community (and beyond). Most people charge anywhere between $10-$20/hour but some may charge as much as $50-$100/hour depending on their skill set and experience level.
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.