You might be wondering what the benefits of freelancing are. Let’s look at the pluses of pursuing a freelance career.
More security than a full-time job:
First, freelancing actually can be a more secure way of making a living than working as a full-time employee.
How can that be? Once you become a successful freelancer, you’ll know how to market yourself and your business. If you’re smart, you’ll have several clients. If one of those clients stops doing business with you, you’ll have your other clients to fall back upon, plus you’ll have the skills to go out and find another client to replace the one you lost.
If you’re a full-time employee, on the other hand, all of your eggs are in one basket. If you’ve ever lost your job due to a change in a company’s direction, you know that your destiny can be determined by what goes on in the boardroom. If the company fails or has to lay off employees, you could be out of a job with few skills to find another job quickly.
And don’t think that you’re safe just because you do an outstanding job. In the real world, people who do an excellent job often have a target on their backs. Jealous co-workers will be trying to shoot you down. Insecure supervisors will be looking for ways to let you go because you threaten them.
Even if that doesn’t happen, today’s businesses are often run by “bean counters” who don’t give a hoot about quality. All they care about is the bottom line. If they can get someone else to do your job for less money, it doesn’t matter to them that they are losing your dedication and experience.
The timing is right:
Second, there’s never been a better time to launch a freelance career. Companies have been steadily increasing the amount of work that they “outsource” to independent workers. It’s become very acceptable to use freelancers and contract workers. Technical writing is a ripe field for freelancing. Companies can hire you to work on a specific project, and then don’t have to keep you on the payroll while waiting for the next project to begin.
More freedom to work with clients you like:
Third, you really do have more freedom. No, you don’t have the freedom to sleep until noon and spend all day watching soaps, but you will have the freedom to choose what projects and companies you work for – maybe not in the beginning, when you’re willing to take on any job to get some money coming in. But after you’ve built up your business, you’ll be able to say “no” to those jobs or those companies that you don’t like. After you’ve built up your business and have some money in the bank, you may even have the freedom to take an extended vacation if you wish.
Finally, as a freelancer, you have the freedom to accumulate greater wealth. If you market yourself well and treat your business like a business, the sky’s the limit to how much you can earn.
What do you think the most awesome thing about freelancing is?
Jeremy Reger says
Good confidence builder for those freelancers! I personally have a full time job, as well as have several freelance clients that keep me feeling pretty stable, but sometimes a little stretched out.. 😀
Great article!
Randy Gonzalez says
Thanks Narendra, this was great! Perfect timing as today is my first day as a full-time freelance web developer!