As freelancing becomes more and more popular, the one question I get more than any other is, “Do you like freelancing?” The problem with this question is it’s not easy to answer. There are many reasons why working from home is great, but I have to be honest; there are many not so good things about earning money online at home too.
So, in this short article, let me quickly tell you the pros and cons of freelancing, and maybe it will help you decide which if you’d like to try it.
The Advantages of Freelancing
There are many advantages to freelancing but the top three are as follows:
1: You Don’t Have a Boss
This is by far the best thing about freelancing. Don’t get confused; you work for someone – we all work for someone, but you don’t have a boss peering over your shoulder, telling you what to do, and/or criticizing you. There is nothing better than that.
2: You Don’t Need to Go Anywhere
Another reason freelancing is so great is you don’t need to step out the house, unless you want to. Your work is at home, in your office or even next to your bed. You get up, do your necessaries, grab a bit of breakfast, and you can start working.
3: You Make Your Own Hours
You want to work 2 hours a day, you can. 5 hours, 6 hours, 10 hours, no problem. You decide how much you work and you decide how much you earn. Your pay is directly related to your efforts, which means that if you are a good worker, the only person earning money off you is you.
The Disadvantages of Freelancing
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Here are a few of the disadvantages.
1: You Don’t Get Paid If You Don’t Work
This is a biggie. You have got to keep working or you won’t get paid. True, there are people who earn ‘passive’ incomes online but ask them how many hours they work, and you will find out that there is no such thing as passive.
2: You May Have to Work Seven Days a Week
Many people think I live the beach life, but sadly I don’t. I work hard, often seven days a week. Why? Well just look at Fiverr. I am a freelance developer and I promise to get things done in 24 hours. With no ‘day-off’ option, I may get an order on Saturday evening and there goes my Sunday.
3: You Are on Your Own
You have to do everything on your own. There are no lunch breaks or snack breaks with work colleagues. No chatting over a tea / coffee after work. You get up, you work until you are finished, and then you stop. It can be lonely… very lonely.
Which one is better?
Well, that is a hard one but here is what I think:
Freelancing is not easy, but with hard work and self-discipline, it can be the best job in the world. I have been working from home for a while now and although there are times when I miss the atmosphere of a ‘real’ job, I would never go back to the 9-to-5.
If you have any advantages and disadvantages to add, let me know what they are are in the comments below. I’d love to hear about them.