The development of the economy means there is inflation in all terms. The prices of everything has increased including that of transportation. Getting up every morning and traveling for an hour to reach work is irritating. What is worse is that the person who supervises you constantly behaves rudely.
What happens after all this? The remuneration is much less than your worth. This decreases job satisfaction as well as your confidence and self-esteem. In this scenario when you are coping with frustration from your daily job, freelancing looks so attractive. This article is all about the pros and cons of freelancing.
Table of Contents
Pros of freelancing
let us start on a positive note and read the benefits or pros of choosing to freelance.
Flexible hours
Waking up early every morning and then going to sleep late was so stressful. Freelancing allows you to fix your work hours as per your convenience. You are now your boss. You can get up early in the morning, go for a walk or exercise and then work. Even better, just sleep as much as you want and then work at your own pace.
Cut back on expenses
Every time gas and fuel prices increase, so does the cost of transportation. Have you ever calculated how much money you spend on an office commute every month? Now you have a solution to this and a good one for sure. The home is now in your office and you do not need to empty your pockets to buy gas and fuel. You earn at your convenience and also save more now.
Your office can move along with you
Now that you are a freelancer, you can take your office along with you wherever you go. It means that you can carry your laptop along with you everywhere and work without a problem. The best part is, you can just visit a café or a restaurant for a nice lunch if you find it boring at home. You can carry your work there too. Most of the cafes offer free wi-fi nowadays. How about some traveling every once in a while? You have always wanted to do that, right? Even that is possible with freelancing. So, you have a more relaxed life now and a sorted work environment too.
Put on your creative hats
Let us accept this fact now! Working in an office means a more rigid environment and a fixed framework within which we have to work. There is so much distraction around with the boss shouting at your head, targets and deadlines, colleagues chattering, phone ringing and so much more. Now that you are in your own space, you can work more freely. You can focus on what you like to do and not on what you have to do. Bring out your creativity and let your talent speak now.
Live your life
Now you have a flexible schedule and some job satisfaction. It is time that you do all those things that you could not do till now. Go out with friends, watch movies, work-out and do all those extra activities that make you a happy person. Make sure that you also carve out enough time for work. Ultimately what matters is that now you can maintain a proper work-life balance.
Cons of freelancing
Now that you are convinced with all the benefits of freelancing, it is also important to be aware of the disadvantages or cons. The following are the major cons of freelancing.
No fixed payday
When you have a daily job, there is always a fixed pay-day. You have a fixed salary and based on this, you plan your budget every month. The situation is not the same when you are freelancing. There is no fixed date of payment for freelance gigs.
Moreover, you usually do not know the person you are working for on a personal level. To make sure you do not have to keep waiting for money every month, fix your terms while making a deal with the employer. You must know exactly how much payment you will receive and when.
No additional benefits
Every organization has some fixed benefits for its employees. One of the most important is the health insurance benefit. You have a habit of raising claims in case of any medical issue. Now it is not possible anymore. Either you have to bear the expense from your own pockets or depend on your partner’s medical insurance. Be ready to sacrifice all the other perks and benefits that you have enjoyed till date too.
Distractions
An office can indeed be very noisy and disturbing but situations can be worse at home. First of all, the flexibility of timing may act as a disadvantage in your case. Now that you do not have to rush to the office, you may become a little lazy. This can hamper the quality of your work. Besides, telephones ringing, television sounds, noise from the kitchen and so many other things can distract you.
It is best to fix the timing of your work every day. This is going to make you more disciplined. The timing can be during the day or night but fixing it brings in you more dedication. Also, tell your children and other family members not to disturb you when you are working. Support from family can make everything possible.
You are working for someone
Being an entrepreneur is something but freelancers usually work for other people. Now, this can become mundane after a while just like your previous job. Make things clear to yourself and decide what you want to do in life. Once you achieve clarity in your mind, things will become easier for you.
Job security
You may always have a question popping up in your head. You may keep asking yourself how long you can manage to do this. Will this job last long? There is always a question mark when it comes to job security. Freelancing has an open market and some so many people want to work freely. There is competition all around and you need to meet targets and expectations all the time. If you fail to do so, your employer will not think twice before finding your replacement.
You are now aware of all the pros and cons of freelancing. This is going to make your decision clearer and easier for you. You should consider all these points before you decide to be a freelancer.
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