Freelancing – working for clients rather than having a traditional full-time job can be a great way to take control of your career and make more money. Of course, there are some challenges too.
Freelancing can be a lonely endeavor (especially in the beginning). You may also need to learn self-discipline since you won’t have a boss looking over your shoulder anymore. However, if you’re careful and plan things out properly, you can make the transition smoothly.
Don’t let these challenges stop you!
Consider these six factors before making the jump in your freelance career:
1. Consider the pros and cons. In a traditional job, you have someone telling you what to do. When you become a freelancer, you’ll have no one to tell you what to do or how to do it. On the plus side, you also won’t have anyone holding you accountable or monitoring your performance as a traditional employer would.
- Many people decide to become freelancers because of the income potential and flexibility it offers, but you shouldn’t jump into a freelance career without considering the cons.
- Decide which aspects of freelancing are most important to you. The ability to work at home? A steady paycheck? Don’t just assume that the pros outweigh the cons — make sure you’ve considered both.
2. Have enough savings. No matter how confident you are that you’ll make money as a freelancer, you should still ensure that you have at least six months’ worth of living expenses before quitting your job to freelance full-time.
- That way, if things don’t work out as planned, you won’t be financially in dire straits while searching for your next client. Not every client will pay you quickly, and some clients may never pay you! Having money saved ensures you won’t panic if you lose a client or two.
3. Expect your workflow to fluctuate. As a freelancer, you may go months without any work and suddenly get swamped with requests all at once! You may have to take on projects you don’t particularly enjoy to make money, and that’s okay!
- Eventually, you’ll want to build a base of clients who value your work and are a good match for your skills and interests. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to take on whatever job is available; you never know when it might pay off!
- Just remember that there may be times when your income is low, so keep saving up.
4. You will need to market your services. Although many people think of marketing as simply advertising your business, it’s much more! Marketing includes everything you do to attract clients — from building a website to writing articles for online publications to networking at conferences.
- Many freelancers make the mistake of thinking that once they’ve created a website, they’ll immediately start getting clients. But that’s not true! You still need to market yourself to get clients; otherwise, you’ll get stuck working for free until you build a reputation.
- That doesn’t mean you need to be pushy or obnoxious. It means you need to market yourself creatively to attract potential clients and let people know who you are and what you offer.
5. It can get lonely. When you become a freelancer, you might interact less with others than you would in a traditional job. You may spend time alone at your computer working on projects, which isn’t necessarily bad!
- However, it can be challenging to socialize with others when you don’t have co-workers around to chat with every day. So don’t jump into freelancing without considering what it will be like to be alone daily.
- If you work at home, reach out to friends and family members, and try to get out regularly to meet people in person!
6. Adjust your thinking. You have to work hard to get paid. With a traditional job, you have a steady paycheck every week or every month — even if you don’t work as diligently at times.
- As a freelancer, your income can fluctuate significantly depending on the number of hours worked each week, the types of projects you take on, etc. That can be a challenge for people who aren’t used to working hard to get their money!
- So remember, “hoping” you’ll get paid won’t get you paid — so work hard to earn your money!
Freelancing is an exciting new career option, but it can also be challenging! Be honest with yourself about the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing, and make sure you’re prepared to handle both the good and the bad before you take the plunge!