3 Things You May Not Know About Freelancers

3 Things You May Not Know About Freelancers

Every day, we hear more and more about freelancers. We have friends who say they just completed a freelancing job. Others dream about becoming one, working from home and getting full control over their time and life. Newspapers keep including them in their headlines. However, freelancing seems to be covered with lots of myths and tends to be looked at through rose-tinted glasses. What are the things you may now know about freelancers?

The freelancing generation

Freelancing isn’t a thing developed in the XXI century. This style of living and working is present with us for ages. You can find plenty of freelancers in every single generation. However, it is true that the biggest percentage of them can be found among millennials. The reason is quite simple. Millennials were raised surrounded by technology which makes remote work a lot easier.

Their generation learned to use the available digital resources for their professional and personal advantage which many employers appreciate. Why? The more trustworthy remote employers, the smaller the need for an expensive office space. Generation Z starts to slowly enter the workforce now too and is expected to potentially have an even bigger number of freelancers.

The 36 hours work week

In a traditional full-time job, employees work between 36 to 40 hours a week, not counting overtime. Many of these workers like to believe that, in comparison to freelancers, they dedicate more time to work. There are myths that people working freelancing contracts spend way too little time on their task and in return charge way too much for it.

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In reality, however, freelancers work on average 36 hours a week! Which is pretty much the same as a normal full-time employee. When they work these hours is up to them though. Some will follow the traditional 9 to 5 lifestyle, others will rather work in the evenings, and some will separate their day into two working shifts. But all together, freelancers are productive the same number of hours as their full-time working colleagues.

(Ir)regular income

This article talks a lot about remote work because it’s a common characteristic of freelancing. However, it is not a synonym or a definition of the term. Freelancing is really about not being attached to one employer but taking on separate tasks, with separate and irregular incomes. Since freelancers need to work on landing clients instead of being given tasks by their superior, the amount of work each month can differ. Consequently, income can differ each month.

For example, a freelance wedding planner will experience a lot more cash flow during spring and summer – the wedding seasons. The rest of the year he or she will have to financially plan and budget to not run out of funds. For a single freelancer, that’s not too big of a deal. However, for one with kids or family to support financially, the route uphill during less fruity months may be too much to handle.

Also Read: Why Should You Become a Freelancer?

Final words

No matter if you were aware of these three facts about the world of freelancing before or not, it’s a good reminder that becoming a freelance worker isn’t always as colorful as portrayed. Nonetheless, with this conclusion, we don’t want to discourage anyone to pursue this style of work. It’s a great lifestyle, with a great deal of benefits. Before choosing it though, preparation is strongly advised.

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Author bio

Natalia is an admirer of design and the arts. Takes care of marketing at DesignBro. In free time loves to visit museums and teach photography.