Ever thought about freelancing? I’ve been at it for over 12 years now, so I thought I’d share my experiences and thoughts to help you decide if freelancing is the right career choice for you.
Benefits of freelancing
The biggest attraction for many people is the freedom and flexibility that freelancing allows. You’re in charge of your own workload, so you can decide when to crack on and when to put your feet up. If you have the discipline to work hard even when no-one is watching, it’s a great way to fit your job around your lifestyle. Whether you want to be free for the kids after school, avoid peak times at the gym or just enjoy a mid-afternoon walk with the dog, you can work a schedule that suits you.
Alongside freedom in how you use your time, freelancing also offers freedom in the work you choose to accept. If you’d rather not do a piece of work – maybe the client always pays late, or makes unreasonable demands, or has a very short deadline – you’re at liberty to politely decline.
Drawbacks of freelancing
The biggest challenge of freelancing is finding the clients to keep the money coming in. It’s certainly not as stable as permanent employment. If you can secure a couple of long-term clients, that then takes off the pressure when other work is in short supply. It’s even possible to freelance for just one client – although I wouldn’t recommend putting all your eggs in one basket. You never know when the client may have payment issues or other business difficulties. Make sure your friends and family are recommending you, you have a strong presence on LinkedIn and your social media presence is engaging, as a bare minimum. Some professional associations also promote their members so it may be worth joining if there’s one for your niche.
When you initially start out, or even when you move in a new direction, you’ll need to set your prices and decide whether to accept offers from clients. It’s a fine balance to price yourself fairly, competitively and in a way that ensures you can afford to live. All I can recommend is research and doing your calculations, as everyone will have a different idea of what they (and their clients) will find acceptable.
Working for yourself also has other drawbacks when compared to permanent employment. The perks that employees enjoy no longer apply – for example you don’t get paid for sick days or holidays and there’s no pension or private healthcare. Will freelancing cover these unseen costs?
Wearing ALL the hats
Aside from actually doing the work your clients request, you’ll also have to carry out every other role involved in running a business. Marketing department? That’s you. Invoicing department? That’s you too. Customer care team? Guess what, you again. I’m not sure whether this is a benefit or a drawback! If, like me, you’re a control freak, it’s reassuring to know that everything is being done just how you like it and that you have a full overview of the entire business. If, on the other hand, you’re used to delegating and would rather focus solely on delivering a client’s work, it may prove to be an unwelcome distraction.
The social side of freelancing
Do you do your best work when you’re alone, or do you thrive on the buzz of the office and the ability to bounce ideas around and share stories? Many freelancers work from home, but if you fall into the latter group, freelancing may not be a total write-off. Rather, it will require careful planning to ensure you still get the input you need, whether that be virtually or in shared spaces.
The lines between work-time and home-time can get blurred, so I’d recommend setting a routine and / or establishing a work area that enables you to separate the two.
Getting started with freelancing
First find the niche, then find the work. Establish exactly what you do and what your product or service offering is – a jack of all trades does not scream “quality”. Depending on what you do, a client may expect an to see an online portfolio (or at least a website), so getting that set up at an early stage is vital. Make sure that you’re not breaching client confidentiality with what you post and remember to keep it up to date, in order to showcase your best work.
There is a plethora of freelance sites online where you can practice your craft and start making a name for yourself, but my advice is to steer clear unless you really have no other option. The pay is usually way below market average.
What do you think? Is freelancing for you? It’s not the most stable employment, but for the flexibility it offers I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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