Freelancing is a method of working which is gaining more popularity as time goes on. Freelancing is commonly defined as when an individual works for themselves and is ultimately self-employed.
Due to COVID, working from home has become extremely popular which is where freelancing plays its role. Many people who are artists, writers, graphic designers etc. display their skills online to earn money. Websites such as Fiverr have helped further promote freelancing and entrepreneurship. On that note, hear what an expert at entrepreneurship has to say and whether it is right for you.
Now the world of freelancing can be confusing and a lot to understand if you don’t have someone to guide you. Sure you may have valuable skills but if you don’t know how to advertise them and turn them into a career then all that skill and effort goes down the drain. However, fret not as for that is exactly why this article is here to guide and help you.
Is Freelancing for you?
Though it sounds intriguing it is important to weigh the pros and cons and find out if you really will enjoy freelancing. It sounds like an easy way to earn money but truly it is a lot more complicated than that and requires that you put in your time and effort and don’t just treat it as a way of earning quick money. Now firstly the pros:
- Flexible working hours: You are at a position where you get to choose your clients and when you work. You get to choose how many jobs you take up at a time including when and who. This allows you to build a schedule extremely personalized to you and your lifestyle. If you have school or other responsibilities on the side it allows that you are able to manage them alongside freelancing
- Potential to earn a lot: It’s true that building up a good work image may take up time but once you have a good name and reputation clients may be willing to pay a lot more to have customized work done or the work done at a quicker rate.
- Good work-life balance: Since you are in complete control of your prices, which jobs you take up, and how many you take up at a time you get to control your schedule. Except this you also get to control how much workload you take up on at one time. If a job comes up and you don’t find it suitable for you there is no harm in rejecting it as you an in complete control.
However along with pros comes a list of cons you need to consider before deciding if you should get involved in freelancing:
- Unstable income: As stated before it takes a while before you can build up a good reputation as a freelancer and begin to earn a steady income. At the end of the day you will have to wait a certain time before you can depend on studying as your sole source of income.
- Competitive work: You will not be the only person who is looking to freelance their work. For a client you are seemingly just another freelancer which is why you need to make sure your work stands out from others as there is a hefty amount of competition in the industry.
- Working from home: Though many people get into freelancing because they find this lifestyle attractive, it can get lonely as you are working alone. Except this if you get distracted easily it may take you a lot more time to get work done then you would have if you were comparatively in an office space.
What can I advertise?
A lot of people find themselves confused when asked what they want to freelance. There are many jobs available and if you possess one of the following skills, either you can advertise those or anything else which you may find a suitable market for.
- Content Writing: Writing blogs or articles has to be one of the biggest freelancing markets available out there. Depending on the job you may be asked to write social media captions, articles, or even entire ebooks. Which is why it is important that you ask the details of the job first including how many words/pages are required and how much time you will be given to get the said work done.
- Graphic Designing: Graphic designing is another industry which has gained extreme popularity amongst freelancers. The work can include designing logos, animating videos, or designing posters amongst other jobs. However, the graphic design industry is an extremely competitive and challenging one so it is important you have knowledge about topnotch softwares and are able to customize said project to the best of your client’s needs.
- Programming or IT: Programmers are typically asked to design websites or help out with search engine optimization (SEO) which basically helps your website be more visible in search engine results. However, these are only a few of the various jobs you may be asked for.
These are only some of the options for what you can freelance, feel free to take your time and examine which skills you have and figure out how you want to and will freelance them.
How do I receive payment?
Freelance jobs are often paid for in two typical way; either by an hourly rate or a fixed fee. Many people charge a fixed fee and another extra amount if the client requires that any changes be made to the project. It is also important that you keep in mind that freelancing sites will usually take a small percentage of your earnings. Other than that it is also important that you make sure that the method of payment is secure and that the client does not pay you outside of freelancing sites.
Which are some websites for freelancing?
Other than that the only thing you have left to know is to find a freelancing site that suits you best and set up your profile. Here are a few sites that you can advertise your skills on:
You can also take our aptitude test which can help determine if freelancing is right for you. It is easy to attempt and takes just 5 steps to obtain your custom Career Assessment Report. Here is a short video on the steps it takes:
