Time to read: 5 minutes
Date: January 5, 2024
More people are working from home as freelancers than ever before. Why is this the case though? The simple answer? Being a freelancer gives people a whole range of benefits that other work does not. If you are considering a career as a freelancer, there are a lot of great reasons to start working for yourself!
We’ve put together a blog post on five of the best reasons that freelancing is worth pursuing as a career.
More Freedom
What if you were able to set your own work schedule? As a freelancer, you are able to decide when you work, so long as you complete your projects on time of course. Many freelancers who work from home block time throughout their day for their projects. On top of that, they can also determine their own “business hours” for when they are available for their clients. Don’t want to work past 6 pm? You can do that. No work on the weekends? You have the power to set that rule too!
On the flip side of this though is that you will need to communicate with your client about what they would like completed and when they need it finished by. While you can set your own working hours, communicating with your client and addressing their needs in a timely manner is one of the best (and most important) ways to keep good clients for the long term. This means more money and experience for you with a client in a particular field.
Be Your Own Boss
If you’re tired of being in environments where you feel like your boss is micromanaging everything you work on or if you’re sick of supervisors breathing down your neck, then freelancing is perfect for you. You can work at your own pace and never have to worry about being demeaned for the pace you work at. On top of that, you can also avoid toxic work environments and office politics by working from home in a way that works best for you. You can change your commute from driving miles from home into simply walking to your computer. Want to wear whatever you want while you work. Do it. Need to take a break and nap for a bit to boost your energy and productivity? Go for it!
Remember though: you still have to keep track of your projects in order to keep your clients happy. Working at your own pace is great so long as you stay disciplined enough to stay on top of all your projects.
Flexibility
Need to take a day off of work to decompress? Maybe you have a doctor's appointment that takes you out of the office for the day or something comes up that you can’t avoid. For freelancers, these are no problem at all. If you need to take a day for yourself or handle a sudden obstacle in life, then you can absolutely do so! You don’t have to call in sick or worry about running out of sick days. Freelancers have the flexibility to take care of things like dentist appointments without it harming their career. Being that you can work when you want, you can simply handle your appointments and then work when you return home or to your office. As a freelancer, your days of having to explain every little detail about why you can’t come in today are over.
It is, however, important to remember that you should still communicate with your clients. If you do need to take the day off for yourself or if you’re sick, it is considered good courtesy to let them know, especially if it could potentially delay a deliverable that you have been working on. This is also important if you work with a team of people. Letting them know that you will be out for the day can help them focus on setting things up for success when you return.
Higher Potential Earnings
Freelancers typically command higher hourly pay than normal employees. This is because in many cases, freelancers have specialized skills that make them very valuable to employers. Additionally, they can be contracted for periods of time when a company is working on a project that needs more manpower or skill than their current team has.
It is also understood that freelancers are contracted at higher rates because they have to pay for things that normal employees get through their benefits packages. Freelancers are responsible for securing their own health insurance, tools needed for their job, supplies, and other necessities.
Opportunities for Growth
Freelancers have the opportunity to grow in ways that normal employees cannot. A freelancer may have multiple contracts in different types of work. This allows them to expand their set of skills and experience very quickly. This is especially true if they use similar skills across different contracts. Having a diverse set of industry experiences gives freelancers higher bargaining power in addition to in-depth knowledge on how each field works.
As you get more clients, your set of skills and depth of knowledge will increase. This means that the more time you spend as a freelancer, the better your prospects will become.
Conclusion
There are plenty of reasons that more people than ever are embracing freelancing as a career. With all the benefits that come with freelancing, it’s no wonder more and more people are saying no to the standard office and yes to being their own boss. At the end of the day, if you are thinking about freelancing, the big question is why not? What’s stopping you from striking out on your own? When you start to take the plunge, remember to take a deep breath, relax, and believe in yourself as a freelancer. You can also use tools like Lance to accelerate your success! Learn more about the tool that makes all freelancers better!
Stop thinking and start acting. Lance is the AI assistant that helps freelancers and entrepreneurs brainstorm ideas, workshop communications, and get advice from an experienced freelancer 24/7.
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