The Important Facts of being a Freelancer

You may be at that point where you want to quit your full-time job and try your luck at entrepreneurship. This maybe a new area to you completely especially if you are venturing into a freelancing career. This is a life changing decision which may impact you either in a positive or negative way. Let  us look at the Pros and Cons of being a freelancer.Freelancer

Pros

You are the boss

You are not under the management of anyone other than yourself and your clients. You are responsible for all the tough decisions. To say the least, you are in control.

Flexible hours 

You can work whenever you want. You get to choose your own hours-the working hours don’t have to be the regular business hours.

You collect and Keep all the cash from various Jobs – You have no restrictions when it comes to collecting the payments whether the projects are big or small. You can allocate or keep all the profits from your large and small projects and clients. This gives you the freedom to decide how to use the money on either improving yourself or expanding the business.

You can work from anywhere

You are no longer stuck in an office or even in your home. You have the freedom to find a place that you can work best from.

Control over Jobs and Clients 

Being a freelancer gives you the freedom of choosing who you would like to work with unlike in fixed job, in some cases you will have to work with unprofessional or rude clients.

Cons

No employee Benefits 

Health benefits are expensive. Depending on your current health, switching to a freelance lifestyle might not be in your best interest. Besides, starting your own freelance business means you no longer have paid sick days or vacation time to use. Each day you  don’t work is a day you won’t get paid.

No steady or reliable workloads 

Freelancing may mean unstable income and workload that is inconsistent. In most cases you won’t be able to depend on any regular project, client or profit whereas in normal full-time job, you are sure of a salary.

A lot of Legwork

You are in charge of finding all your own clients and projects. In a traditional job, you might get projects or clients being handed to you. This means that, you do everything by yourself.

Not Getting paid

Being a freelancer also means that you run the risk of not getting paid or pushing people to pay you. Their  maybe ways to protect yourself from non-paying clients, but sometimes you may not realize the risk until it is too late.

You may overwork without realizing 

Being a freelancer, gives you the freedom to be your own boss and even work from home, this may make it difficult for you to distinguish between your work time and your personal life.

Related: Over 20 sites that offers opportunities to make money online

Bottom Line

Freelancing means having the freedom to decide which work to do and who to work with but it also means instability. You have to evaluate all these, and decide if it is worth you leaving the traditional 9-5 job.

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Author: John Mulindi

John writes on a variety of topics. He blogs on topics ranging from social media marketing (SMM), search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), email marketing, business, personal finance tech, entrepreneurship to personal development. In free time he likes watching football, reading, listening to music and taking nature walks.

145 thoughts on “The Important Facts of being a Freelancer”

  1. I can so relate to your article – but you articulate it much better than I ever could. This is a ‘must read’ for anyone contemplating becoming an entrepreneur.

  2. Your post provides someone a realistic view on building a stable income. I also believe it’s important to set goals for your business and knowing your – “why?” A true entrepreneur solves problems and enjoys serving others; the income naturally follows.

  3. Good advice. There definitely some pros and cons to being an entrepreneur, but I guess that is the risk you take. While I would like to eventually become my own boss, I do like the benefits working a 9 to 5 brings.

  4. My mummy has often thought about freelancing (she’s a graphic designer) but a steady salary is too appealing especially with a family and the need for stability. One day maybe…

  5. So true. Lots and lots of work without any employee benefits. But you are on your own clock. What is Better than working towards your own vision?

  6. Such a gerat and very informative post. This can be very helpful for those wanted to start freelancing jobs.

  7. Being a freelancer has always been such a huge deal to me. It was like I hit my late twenties and realized that that’s what I was doing owning a business. The tips you’ve been sharing on your blog that i’ve gotten to check out have been helpful to me, as a freelancer and as a content creator!

  8. Yes this is exactly a great list of pros and cons of being a freelancer. I have tried having an 8-5 job and I prefer being a work at home mom.

    1. Yeah, that is why we need to know the facts before we make the informed decision of pursing Freelancing full time. I would advice one keeping a day job and doing freelancing on the side.

  9. I agree on both, the pros and the cons, and it’s a big step to take. However, if you want to win you have to risk something. Risk assessment would be a good idea. If you can’t afford to loose, than it’s to risky to invest (meaning quitting your job and so on)

    1. Hi Lena, true but if you have a permanent job, it is advisable to keep the job while you embark on your side hustles or freelancing work. If you succeed in establishing your career as a freelancer then you can quit your day job, that way you have nothing to lose.

  10. Smart advice… There’s one major thing that I think is very important to figure out when thinking about freelancing, is the concept of concentration on tasks. For some people, working independently is great, they can move ahead without directions and feel comfortable having to figure things out on their own. But that’s not for everyone – neither is the discipline of working focused on work, rather than all the other things that calls upon us in life. Self-focused and driven work is great for some, not for everyone. And the key is to really know ourselves to understand this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

    1. Hi Hanes, am more than grateful for those insightful comments. I agree with you, that we need to weigh the options to see what works for us, while considering everything on both sides before we make that crucial decision with regard to freelancing.

  11. Good thoughts. Remember to mention that the money you make will need to be responsibly allocated for taxes. Sometimes it’s a huge con to keep track of things like that.

  12. Yes, yes and yes again! Despite all of the disadvantages (which can indeed be very annoying) I still prefer this lifestyle over being an employee working a 9-5 office job. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Hi, thanks for dropping by, yes freelancing brings in flexibility and more opportunities that you can’t get in the normal employment. Try to talk to people who’ve made it in freelancing to get some insights into what made them successful, or find a mentor or you can start by maintaining your fixed job while doing freelancing on the sides, that way you can be able to make an informed decision whether to quit your permanent job or not depending on your experience in the freelancing field.

  13. Hi John,
    I agree with your pros and cons. Sometimes I think I should retire from my day job and be a freelancer but for the reasons you’ve stated, I do both.
    Janice

    1. Hi Janice, yes, sometimes you have to weigh the options, and see what best works for you, otherwise thanks for visiting and taking time to comment on this post.

  14. I have just started my freelancing career and it is not easy. I am scared that clients will not pay me but excited that I have my own time now.

  15. Not sure if I could be my own boss. Making my own hours sounds great, but not sure if I want the pressure of bringing in all of my income on my own!

  16. These are all true! My first few months was difficult. There are clients who pay very low because I have no experience back then.

  17. Very true. I am a freelancer and have to say it’s either working great with you or completely destroy your life. Freelancer has total control and the way he or she treats the control is key to wellbeing. After starting freelance job I found tons of time I could spend whatever I like.

  18. I have run into all those pros and cons as a long time small business owner. I’ve learned a few things along the way. I’m still trying to learn not to overwork, though. I think getting lost in your job is a danger when you love what you are doing.

  19. I would love to freelance. I think I will try next year to switch from 8 work hours to 4 and to freelance in rest. This way I can still have a safety net and benefits and do something I like as well.

  20. I love the tips in your post. Going freelancer has great pros, but also good number of cons. However, I enjoy creating my own schedule and having time for myself.

  21. I would love to be my own boss. It would be so stressful at first to get going. I will have to share this with my friend. She is thinking about being a freelancer.

  22. Agree with all of the above! In some cases, it’s much more work than a 9 to 5 because you’re out searching for clients and selling yourself. Not everyone is cut out for it. I have a lot of respect for freelancers. It’s tough to be in a volatile environment where sometimes you have work and sometimes you don’t. I honestly don’t think I would be able to cope with that. I like the 9 to 5.

    1. Thanks for your comments on this post. Some people find the 9-5 working well for them while others not, so it is better to invest time where you feel you get the most value for it.

  23. I am on the fence about this myself. I have been going back and forth and with two kids the instability makes me nervous. However, a i also know there is potential to be amazing! It’s a leap of faith for sure. Thank you for sharing this info!

  24. This resonates so deeply with me as I am in the process of deciding if this is a change that I want to make. With two kids, the instability makes me nervous but the benefits could be amazing! thank you for providing this helpful information

  25. I have just started to work as a freelancer for a few clients. I can see all the benefits of course but I also understand the drawbacks now.

  26. Yup, I freelance, and I so agree with this. I love being at home and setting my own hours, but it’s tough having no benefits. Luckily I haven’t had to push many people to pay me–I deal with mostly professional companies.

  27. I was a teacher, but after becoming a mom, i could not continue. Now Kids are grown up and i could get some time but going out side is still hard for me. I planned to become a freelancer, but was still worried about my decision . Reading this now i’m 100%confident

    1. Hi April, thanks for your comments. It is good to know the cons too, so that if you are aspiring to be a freelancer you can make a wise decision.

  28. Client acquisition is probably the hardest part of having a freelance business. However, with the right spirit and perisistence, having the freedom to work for yourself or other freelancers is worth it.

  29. This is a great post for anyone considering freelancing. As a blogger, I consider myself a freelancer. I blog about blogging tips and monetization strategies on It’s All BlogSense (www.itsallblogsense.com) and recently posted about why bloggers make great VA’s.

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