Bosses—who needs them? In fact, most people do. While striking out on your own and selling your services for what you believe they’re worth is certainly a feasible, laudable and exciting enterprise, it also means operating without the sometimes underrated structure of a company, supervisors and all. If you mean to start your own freelancing business, here are a couple of things you should know.
There are no training wheels
As a rule of thumb, it’s good to remember that if you’ve ever had an idea, it’s probably been had before by someone else. This means that for almost any profession, the market is almost near saturation in terms of freelancers: people try to freelance all the time, those who fail are soon replaced by newcomers. There is hardly ever any slack.
In short, you will be competing against other professionals the moment you enter the business, and they know that the business you get could be the business they lose. Now let’s be frank, this isn’t the mafia—but the competition is stiff and you absolutely need to bring your A-game to every little thing you do.
Job security is a huge issue
Obvious, right? Well, it’s one thing to know about things and another to live those same things.
The harsh, hard to conceive truth about freelancing is that sometimes things go sideways even when you give it your all. An important client might go out of business. Getting paid could take months longer than expected. Your equipment may be destroyed by a storm. And you will get sick at catastrophically inconvenient moments.
This doesn’t mean that freelancing is impossible or unpleasant, but it is hard and it will drive you crazy at times. Always save up and prioritize clients with high repeat business potential. It will make all the difference in the world.
Back up everything
About that last point, your good habits should extend to backing up everything you do: save stuff on external drives, get signatures and archive them, double-check on everything by email, keep every bill even if it seems superfluous. And look into professional insurance, because you need back up too.
Since every job is different and every detail needs to be taken into account, there is no simple, pre-packaged insurance solution for all freelancers. However, horror stories exist and you would do well to discuss your coverage with an insurance professional to stay on the safe side of things.
It’s pretty great
Now that we’ve gotten all the scary stuff out of the way, here’s the fun part: flexibility, freedom, fairness and, potentially, more money than you could make as an employee.
True, it’s a job that can be very demanding, but it will be just as rewarding. Provided you are able to keep your feet planted on the ground and can make a few strategic decisions, freelancing can certainly become a dream job. It’s really just a matter of finding your beat and respecting the profession—but you can do those things while working from your bed whenever you feel like it.
Photo Credit
Image is from fotolia – © Peter Maszlen
Guest Author Bio
Christophe Belanger
I am a freelance web consultant who has spent over a decade helping businesses improve their image and better manage their resources. You can find me blogging, commenting in many blogs and surfing on the Web but also travelling here and there and surfing on waves of water.
Recent Guest Author Articles:
- Empowered to Advocate: How to Become the Voice for the Silent
- How to Build a Celebration-Ready Wine Cellar
- Wander, Discover, Reflect: My Most Surprising Finds in Las Vegas
- Creating Meaningful Connections: What Ecosystems and Families Teach Us About Belonging
- How Breathwork Creates a Pathway Through Trauma: Beyond Traditional Approaches
Please Share Your Thoughts - Leave A Comment!