Freelancing, or independent work, is a whole world of situations that are yet to be defined and are changeable because there is no such thing as a standard. Freelancers have taken it upon themselves to make their own rules and adjustments in order to achieve that ideal job we all dream of. But just as office jobs have their advantages and disadvantages, freelancing also has its own. The advantages of being a freelancer are flexible schedules, remote work, living from your passion and being able to choose your clients. The disadvantages of freelancing are lack of balance, loneliness and the extra burden of responsibility. Here we will take a closer look at the advantages:
Flexible schedules
One of the biggest advantages of freelancing is the freedom of schedules. You are no longer tied to be working from 9 to 5, you have all the time in the world in your hands to distribute it as you wish. This is one of the characteristics that new freelancers are happiest looking for because they are the owners of their own time.
Working remotely
Remote work can be a great advantage. The ability to work anywhere is a wonder when it comes to a freelancer as they can work on the beach, at home, at their favorite coffee shop, or in an airport. That flexibility of movement is something that makes freelancing a great option.
Knotted to this, it's also a benefit because, if you don't want to spend a lot of money or time, the ability to work from home helps you avoid the hassle of commuting.
The freedom to choose clients
Working in a permanent job can often be exhausting because of the lack of choice in who you work with. Having obnoxious clients can be something that ruins your day, or your week, and in freelancing that can be avoided. Of course, if you're interested in making more money, the choice of clients can't be too narrow, but you can have certain limits. This allows the freelancer to put themselves as a priority and guard against negative clients.
Live from your passion
If this doesn't convince someone to become a freelancer, I don't know what will. The possibilities of what you can do as a freelancer are endless; among them is what you are most passionate about doing. This advantage is one that outweighs the others and leads many to better choose the freelance path.
Working on new and interesting projects
Another great thing about freelancing is the variety of projects you can work on. Leaving behind the office and how boring it is to always work on the same thing, in freelancing you have the opportunity to explore different branches of interest.
And since not everything can be peachy, we also have to talk about the disadvantages of freelancing:
The difficulty of finding balance
As in freelancing the work depends completely on the person, this can lead to the fact that the limits of rest and work do not exist. You may not work traditional schedules, but you do have to put in a certain range of hours for maximum productivity and satisfied clients.
Feeling of loneliness
Working independently can get lonely; especially if you work from home every day. Although it has a very simple solution, it is something to consider when you want to change careers because it can affect your emotional state.
Too much responsibility and too little delegation
Being this path one of job independence, activities can increase as more projects are taken on and with this comes more pressure. But one of the disadvantages of freelancing is just not being able to delegate certain things to other people to have a little more freedom. It's really all in the hands of the freelancer; and just as this can be an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage.
Unstable income
This feature is, for the most part, the big reason why people don't quit their office jobs. It is a big possibility that, being a freelancer, you will go months without much work and, therefore, little income. The solution to this would be to always be on the lookout for new clients and that the work, even if it is little, is constant.
Lack of benefits
In a company it is common to receive certain benefits that help you either to save or have health insurance, among other things. This aspect of office work is a great advantage, which leads to a disadvantage in freelancing. Why? Well, in freelancing people have to hire the benefits themselves. Finding that is somewhat complicated, time-consuming and often something that doesn't work out as well as it does in companies.
There are many characteristics of freelancing that could be analyzed in depth, but at the end of the day it ends up being a great lifestyle that can be adopted and modified to the taste of each person to find that work happiness. If you are still not clear about what a freelancer is or does, read this article.
