This guest article is brought to you by Peter Campion, Founder of Skillbox.
Freelancing is a career aspiration for most and a dream job to strive for. Who wouldn’t want to freelance, right!? The sky is your limit and when freelancing it brings you a vast amount of freedom, flexible work and control over your future. You will find it challenging at times, however, you cannot beat running your own business.
Are you thinking of becoming a freelance Digital Product Manager? Read 19 reasons why you would want to freelance and how flexible work can change your mind about working a regular job. You may already be a freelancer in which case, have you forgotten why you decided to freelance in the first place, check out this list to re-discover your passion.
1 #: Monday mornings are a thing of the past.
Don’t you dread Monday mornings when being overloaded with work especially after a lovely weekend away! Well, not if your freelancing. As a freelancer, you have flexible work hours as long as you pace yourself proportionally. Flexible work from home is the dream, especially on Mondays. Why are you waiting? Kick start your freelance career today!
2 #: Being your own boss.
Your boss is a distant memory as you are now a chief in command. No more office chats. No more appraisals. No more regimented control freaks! You are in control and can have a flexible work life balance without the need to report to anyone. Being a self-employed freelancer gives you opportunities, accepting projects at your discretion and yes, the profits are yours.
3 #: Office politics, what office politics.
You are leading the freelance revolution and get to determine where you have an office and who is in it. You set your guidelines and policies without the distraction of bad-mouthing office politics, and you don’t even have to get involved with competing colleagues.
Flexible work is a way to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of life doing activities you typically wouldn’t have time for and being inspired by other freelancers.
4 #: Decision maker.
As the key decision maker and entrepreneur, you can transform your business in whichever way you like. You get to decide which clients to work with, how you plan your day by day schedule and ensure your productiveness is making you money. Having an entrepreneurial spirit means the decisions you make will most likely result in more efficient operation and allow you to embed with the freelance community easily.
5 #: Choosing your working hours.
Are you looking to finish work early on Friday? Are you encouraged by the idea of taking every Tuesday off to go hiking? Even though the standard working week is 9-5 Monday to Friday, this doesn’t mean you have to. You will determine your flexibility in the workplace by freelancing online, in-person or both. Think out a routine that you are comfortable with and that will increase your overall productivity as a freelancer. Get ready to be awarded plenty of freelance jobs by planning out your week carefully.
6 #: Freedom to freelance.
Our freedom is vital to us, and it is such a benefit to having this in your working life. As a freelancer, you will be rewarded with a wealth of freedom if that is what is important to you. You are a free agent meaning that no one can tell you how to layout your day or stop you from daydreaming, you are free to work as you like and with this freedom comes a fundamental lesson, and that is to treat it with care and remain productive and engaging to enhance your freelance career.
7 #: Work from anywhere.
Flexible work from home is great but doesn’t suit everyone. If you have a computer and internet connection, this allows you to work from anywhere. The best way to work is to find a quiet place where you can focus and maintain control of your operations fluently; an alternative is to sit in the park when it is sunny and soak up the rays while going about your daily tasks. If on the other hand, it is rainy why not try sitting in a café or joining a co-working space to engage with other freelancers. Meet-up is also a great tool to stay involved and find a freelancer in a niche market or work with a group that has an array of experience whether self-employed, business leaders or freelancers.
8 #: The benefits of working more extended hours.
Flexible work hours are one thing; however, freelancing when working hard can earn you some serious money. Putting in those long hours can be financially rewarding especially if you have multiple clients with tight deadlines you will not only get paid for the work you do you will also benefit from outstanding reviews.
In a regular job you can put in long hours which might help you achieve a promotion or show your boss you are committed, however; your earning potential will be limited this is not the case when freelancing.
9 #: Choosing the right clients.
The temptation is there to take on every client that throws work your way, and this will happen when you are first starting. Once established, pick and choose your clientele. In your early years as a freelancer, you will discover who isn’t the right fit for your freelancing methods and the most suitable clients to choose. You will have the luxury of picking your clients when you are your boss.
10 #: Max out your earning potential.
When a project has been outsourced to you be open and honest about the workload and pricing as your time is valuable. Don’t undersell yourself and remain competitive in the marketplace to attract a consistent flow of clientele.
Even though earning a salary is safe and secure, you can do so much more with freelancing the potential earning power as a freelancer is unlimited and ultimately it’s down to you how much money you make, this is the beauty of flexible work.
11 #: The profits are yours to keep.
Working for someone else is not ideal in terms of lining your pockets full of profits. It’s easy to be disheartened when you are working every hour under the sun and witnessing your bosses balance sheet rise. When you are freelancing, this is not the case as the profits go directly to you.
12 #: Does freelancing give you security?
Being self-employed can give you more stability compared to a full-time job for the simple reason that no job is ever safe. Freelance security certainly applies to difficult economic times, the question you may ask, how does freelancing give you more protection? When you are your boss with a steady income stream, this will provide a higher level of security compared to a regular job. You control your destiny, and it’s down to you whether you make freelancing a success.
13 #: The more freelance work, the merrier.
Outsourcing work is popular by demand, from small businesses requiring freelance administration support, to agencies in need of a service. There is plenty of work, and it is not too hard to find. Utilising freelance marketplaces such as Skillbox can open a door of opportunity to a whole new revenue stream. Make sure you engage on social media and prioritise your marketing to be seen by the right clients.
14 #: You’ll learn something new every day.
You learn invaluable lessons throughout your freelancing career. Being self-employed has its perks and the value of educating yourself due to your genuine passion as an entrepreneur allows you to focus on self-discipline, productivity and efficiency. You will meet many other freelancers in your career through networking and social events. Your skills will be the dearest to you, an excellent way to improve is from professional establishments such a Pitman training a short course specialist.
15 #: Confidence builder.
You only have yourself to rely on meaning you need to find your confidence. You will attend meetings as a businessperson; input is limited as you are mostly relying on your knowledge and you will prioritise and manage projects from start to finish. You have a weighty amount of responsibility as a freelancer, and due to the workload, you will quickly see your confidence soar as you progress.
16 #: Build your charter
Flexible work puts you in situations than if you were working for someone else, due to the nature of freelancing you will be able to complete projects with whom you like and when you desire. There will be moments in your freelance career that bear pressure along with multiple projects for you to complete at any one time, you will get very good at multitasking!
The adverse to this, you will experience times where you feel on top of the world! Building your charter is about getting involved with freelance associations and the many activities across the U.K. If you enjoy your regular job wait until you take up freelancing full time, as you will honestly realise what it is like to have work-related freedom.
17 #: Take more extended holidays.
Nothing is stopping you from taking long holidays even if it is a working holiday for a couple of months, bring your laptop with you. A conventional job would not offer such fantastic opportunities unless you were a journalist or travel agent working for a successful business. Or on the other hand, take as much holiday as you can afford too.
18 #: Freelancing is rewarding.
Becoming a freelancer is no easy feat; not everyone can do it! It takes a specific type of person to master self-discipline, productivity and of course your workload. Perhaps you are running your own business as an entrepreneur this is rewarding in itself as it means you are ambitious and have a ‘can-do’ attitude. There is nothing more splendid than a sense of job satisfaction and running your own business; some people would find it too difficult.
19 #: Do what you love.
Finally, make freelancing a reality do it because you are committed and passionate about freelancing. The main point is you’re doing what you love and precisely what you want for a living. You can’t get better than that! Something people dream of is flexible work that pays well.
*Bonus Tip #: Bigger and better things can come from freelancing
You have the potential to grow as a freelancer from a sole trader into a limited company. You may even employ staff one day. There is a world of opportunity waiting for you when you freelance and it’s really up to you how far you take your entrepreneurial legacy and show the world that you can be a success – join Skillbox to get started.
This article was first posted on the Skillbox Blog. It is republished with the permission of the author.