Before You Freelance, Think About These Pros and Cons
Freelancing is an attractive form of work that allows you to be your own boss and control your work environment. Many people are especially drawn to virtual work as opposed to offering a local service. Before you decide to quit your job to freelance, these are the top pros and cons you should consider!
Work from Anywhere You Want!
One of the greatest reasons to opt for freelancing, especially as a virtual business, is that it gives you a lot more freedom to work where you want. While many folks have a dedicated space, even a home office set up, if you want to take the laptop to the porch then you can. If you want to take a trip for 2 weeks, you can and still work. If you need to move across the country for your spouse’s job, you can. Thankfully there are services, like a virtual business address, that help keep you from having to change every aspect of your life for moving or taking trips.
Control When You Work!
Some of us get stuck in a typical 9-5 rut when we are working a traditional job and that makes it hard when we have school events for our kids or doctor’s appointments. The glorious thing about freelancing is that you do get to control when you work. If you know you have a parent teacher conference, you can schedule your work around it. If you know that your parent has a major surgery scheduled for Monday at 7 am, you can work the weekend to meet your deadlines and still be present. Many freelancers still set their own hours so that they have a specific time to talk to clients and answer emails. But the work itself can be done when we have time or when we are feeling a big burst in energy.
It’s on You to Do It All!
The hardest part about freelancing is that every bit of the business is on you. It’s up to you to find the work, do the work, market yourself, network, pay the bills, keep up with all client communications, keep website and social media accounts active, and track the accounting. If you don’t have the work, you don’t get paid. If you don’t market yourself, you won’t get the clientele. Very rarely do freelancers have a team of people under them taking care of specific tasks. Because of this, you may find yourself working more often than you had originally anticipated.
You Have to Motivate Yourself!
Corporations often offer motivation to employees through perks. Some companies have employee outings, end of year bonuses, and holiday parties. All these things are designed for employees to want to work hard for the company that offers them things that bring joy to the employee. When you freelance, that all disappears. If you are someone who needs that sort of incentive for hard work, you will have to find a way to do that or stay in the corporate world. If none of that matters, then freelance work is perfect for you.
It’s often advised to start your freelance work before you leave a traditional job. It’s often harder to work two jobs but you can learn the pros and cons much easier and adjust, while building the business so that you can eventually work completely on your own. Most freelancers truly enjoy working for themselves and work harder than they would in the corporate world. However, as with most things, it really isn’t meant for everyone. Do your homework on the sustainability of your potential business and learn all that you can!
