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The benefits of freelancing continue expanding and providing new opportunities. Freelancing has become one of the most popular new career choices for young adults across the world.
As of 2022, there are 70.4 million freelancers in the United States, with an estimated 1.2 billion freelancers around the world.
Why has freelancing gotten so popular, so much so that almost one-third of the global workforce is doing it? The answer lies in the numerous benefits of freelancing.
Not only do you get to be your own boss, but you gain the experience of working on a variety of projects you wouldn’t have access to at a 9 to 5 job.
To help give you an idea of what freelancer benefits lie ahead of you, I’ll go over the pros and cons of freelancing and which platforms can help you get started.
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5 Benefits Of Freelancing
If you want to join the expanding number of freelancers across the world, consider the benefits of freelancing to help you decide if it’s the right path for you.
These freelancer benefits include:
- You choose the employer
We rarely get to choose our bosses in life. All of us have had that boss who demands too much without offering the support we need to get the job done.
When you work freelance, it’s up to you who you work with. It is one of the greatest benefits of freelancing. You get to be your own boss, which means you call the shots on which clients you take on.
If a client is difficult to work with, you’re perfectly able to turn down work from them in favor of clients who are a better match.
- Work as much or as little as you want
Depending on your schedule, you can take on as much or as little freelance work as you like.
If you’re freelancing on the side, then you can take on one or two projects to supplement your regular income.
Or, if you’ve decided to become a full-time freelancer, you can determine the optimal workload that doesn’t leave you feeling burned out.
- Develop your own schedule
Freelancing gives you the independence to develop your own schedule. If you’re an early bird, you can set office hours in the early morning to leave your afternoons wide open.
If you’re a night owl, there’s no one stopping you from working late nights and spending your mornings with your family or sleeping in.
The benefits of freelancing also includes giving yourself time off whenever you want, allowing you to attend special events or take vacations without having to clear it with your boss.
- Be your own boss
One of the best benefits of freelancing is the ability to be your own boss. Many jobs force you to color within the lines, delivering the work that your boss desires even if you would prefer to do things differently.
When you work freelance, you get to decide how you operate.
If you want to work from home in your pajamas, no one can stop you. If you want to outsource certain parts of the work, you have the freedom to do so.
- Work on a greater variety of projects
When we work on new projects outside of our comfort zone, we gain new skills that make us more valuable in the workforce.
While a regular job might limit the scope of the projects you take on, freelancing gives you the opportunity to work on a wider variety of projects.
You get to decide whether or not to branch out and challenge yourself, which can help you build your resumé faster and become eligible for more work.
What Are The Cons Of Freelance Working?
If freelancing didn’t have any pitfalls, everyone would be doing it. However, the people who succeed at freelancing do so because the rewards it provides exceed the cons.
Here are a few potential downsides of freelance working:
- You have to pay taxes by yourself
When you have a steady gig at a company, your employer chips in to pay part of your taxes.
This means that you only pay a portion of Social Security and Medicare while your employer helps pay for the rest.
Working freelance means you take on these taxes all by yourself, paying the full corporate share.
- You don’t have a fixed income
A steady gig guarantees you a fixed income. When you work freelance, you’ll have times where you’re making a lot of money and times where you make very little.
If you’re good at budgeting, you can weather the rough patches just fine.
But some people aren’t equipped to handle these ups and downs, preferring the security of a regular job instead.
- You may feel isolated
Isolation is a potential downside of working for yourself. Without an office of coworkers to go into every day, you need to make an effort to maintain connected to other people.
This may mean working from coffee shops or co-working spaces where you can meet and maintain relationships with other freelancers.
- It can be tough to find a work-life balance
At a regular job, you clock in and out at specific hours. When you work freelance, it can be tough to slip out of work mode.
You’ll need to work extra hard to give yourself a firm end-time to the work, just as you would if you were working at a regular job.
How Do You Start Freelancing?
The best way to start freelancing is to engage with freelancing platforms. Here are a few to help you get started:
Audo
Audo is a company that I created to help Gen Zers learn new skills and earn money at the same time.
Using data-driven recommendations, you can discover which online courses will gain you the skills you need to succeed.
You can also use the platform to find work through our Audo Earn Marketplace, putting your new skills to work right away.
Fiverr
Fiverr has sections for different freelancing skills, from graphic design to writing online content.
You’ll make a gig and set your own rates, waiting for clients to purchase your gig from a list of other freelancers.
Upwork
Upwork puts the onus on you to find work, allowing you to bid on project proposals using a personal cover letter and work samples.
This can be especially helpful for those with detailed portfolios that they can use to impress buyers.
There are many pros and cons of freelancing, but luckily the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
If you’re a self-starter who’s willing to put in the effort to find your own work, then freelancing will give you the flexibility and freedom to build a successful future.
