Advantages & disadvantages of freelancing

Considering that pandemic restrictions have changed workers’ mobility, remote work is becoming more attractive and in some cases, necessary. Furthermore, this imposes freelance work as a great opportunity of how to start and boost your career. Have you been considering going rogue? Here are some advantages and disadvantages of freelancing to aid your decision-making.

Have you ever wondered about being self-employed? Or did you know what you want to do, but never had the courage to actually do it? Here are a few tips and reasons to become a freelancer and to be the one who’s deciding about your own career and future.

Pros and cons of being a freelancer

A few big advantages of becoming a freelancer

  • Being your own bossone of the top reasons for sure!

You decide your work hours, where you work, who you work with. You become independent. There’s no higher management, clocking in on time, worrying about being late and no more office politics.

  • Having control

There’s no debating with anyone else, and you do not have to settle for what the majority of the management wants. You can have your own rules and play by them.

  • Flexibility

Your time is your own. You don’t have to work 9am – 5pm or on an already set schedule, the deadlines and days off are yours to create. You can decide when a project would be submitted to the client.

  • Independence

As a freelancer, you will be able to work in several sectors simultaneously. You will be able to touch on accounting, marketing, administration, all elements of your core business. This will help you to avoid boring routines and will diversify your activities.

  • You choose your projects. You can be picky if you want and choose which projects you want to do, if you’re a web designer and you hate working on tobacco company websites, you don’t have to. If you’re a vegetarian and you don’t want to work with a meat manufacturer you don’t have to.
  • You choose your own clients. Other than picking your own projects and deciding on what you want to work on, you can also pick your clients and decide whom you want to work with.  If a client is too rude then you can fire them or if the initial interaction did not leave a good impression then you can pull back from the project.
  • Money

In the beginning when you’re first starting off you won’t be making as much money, but the longer you’re in the business and the more clients you have the more money you’ll be making. Eventually, if all goes well, you’ll be making more money than if you were an employee in a company. The more you work, the more you get paid. 

  • Potential of growth

Your company can go from a solo practice where you’re the only one working to a large company. Many freelancers go on to form their own companies, to hire staff and to build a lasting legacy. That’s something that could never happen as an employee; you’re always building someone else’s legacy, not your own.

You choose completely where you work from and who you surround yourself with. You can join a vibrant coworking space such as Locus Workspace and you could be a part of an international network of other freelancers and small business owners.

Although there are many advantages of becoming your own boss, there can be a few things you would rather not having to deal with.

A few disadvantages of freelancing

  • Isolation

Although being your own boss is a great advantage, sometimes you can feel a bit isolated from others and, well, be lonely. If that problem appears, you can always reach out to many coworking spaces where you can still be your own boss and do your job, but also meet other freelancers and connect with them. Locus Workspace has a great community with members from more than 20 different countries and always welcomes new ones!

  • Lack of job security

Being a freelancer is good in all kind of different ways, but having your own business means having much more responsibilities and more fear of losing everything in a short period of time. But this mostly depends who you’re asking. Some might even say it’s way safer to work for several clients, as opposed to being dependent on one employer for your income.

  • No Employer Benefits

Working as a freelancer might be quite difficult. Starting your own freelance business means you no longer have paid sick leaves or vacation time in use. So basically, every day you don’t work is a day you won’t get paid.

  • Ultimate responsibility

As a freelancer you have to work with everything you have on your own. Although this is a great opportunity for gaining different skills, it can be a large source of stress.

 

Considering all advantages and disadvantages in the text, becoming a freelancer can be the best decision of your life!