Aspiring to become a freelancer? We hear you. With the flexibility involved, it is a dream come true for many. Today, especially with the obscurity of the market due to unexpected terms entailed by extrinsic parameters, we all fantasize about working conditions that we have control over.And freelancing is one of the seldom options that hand the strings over to you. You and only you as your own boss!
Five reasons to become a freelancer
Among a sea of benefits related to becoming a freelancer, we have selected the most prominent five reasons for you:
Being your own boss
Some like smart-casual wardrobes, orientations, directives, business lunches, incentives, open offices, and chit-chats by the water cooler. Some simply don’t. If you have always been dragging your heels as you head to your workplace, there might be a reason for it. If it gives you pain and suffering, maybe you are not meant to be in the corporate workforce.Freelancing gives you the freedom to snooze your phone into another hour of sleep. As long as you have self-discipline, you can make your business plan by your own rules. You can work from home or anywhere you please.You can have your breakfast during the corporate “lunchtime”. You don’t have to maintain a regular day job anymore. A cocktail can adorn your desk in the afternoon. And most importantly, no one can scorn you for any of your non-existing mistakes.
Controlling your workload and job description
Freelancers elaborate on their strengths, skills, expertise, and their free time slots, and come to terms with their potential clients based on what they agree to offer. The context of the work and their responsibilities are much more concrete relative to contracted positions. In other words, the surprise factor is at its lowest.Two most crucial aspects that you can control regarding the working conditions are:
- Your price: You can set your own price, whether in the form of an hourly rate or a different metric of your choice. The client will be involved if only they totally agree.
- Precise scope: You have a full acknowledgment of the freelance work expected from you. If it doesn’t sound plausible, you don’t take on the job offer.
Working from any location you please
Commuting on a daily basis is no longer a necessity when you are a freelancer. You only commute if you have a scheduled meeting with a client or for personal reasons such as getting to your favorite coffee shop or coworking space. Your home can be your new office or you can be a full-time freelancer with a mobile office, meaning that you can work as a digital nomad.Digital nomads are location-independent professionals who combine work and travel. They are free spirits pursuing their curiosity about different locations and cultures in the world. As long as they have Internet access, they can find work anywhere and continue traveling regularly.
Meeting people with different experiences and perspectives
Freelancing comes along with the virtue of a large network composed of various professionals with diverse backgrounds. Unlike workers in a stable office setting, freelancers have the freedom to work in multiple locations and this makes them open to new collaboration and career opportunities.Freelancers can meet new people through:
- Career sites
- Online marketplaces for freelancer jobs
- Coworking spaces
- Working cafés
- Voluntary training
- Virtual events
- Freelancer groups on social media
Better work-life balance
We have already briefly mentioned that time is in your hands when you go freelance. Let us elaborate on what this means in the long run.One might think that drawing the line between work and private life is easier when you have a regular day job. Yet, a freelancer would argue the exact opposite. Time being your initiative means that you work when you are convenient and you can leave work aside when you are done.Regular jobs with fixed daily working hours force us to be present for work even if we don’t have any work to do. You commit approximately 40 hours of your week to strangers, while in fact, you may have the potential to finish the work in a shorter span. All those hours spent in surveillance are taken away from your family, friends, vacation, or recreation.As such, work-life balance means more than the separation of two spheres: it requires having autonomy over when and how to prioritize which aspect of one's life.With successful time management in your freelance business, you can both fulfill your duties and your dreams. You can take long hours to sleep or to play with your kids and longer (or more frequent) vacations by clustering your work. You can eventually even take down the shutters of your small business and take a whole season off as long as you are financially good to go!
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