Should You Freelance your Services?

Should You Freelance your Services?

There's no question that the job market is heading South... and has been for quite a while. Between layoffs and cutbacks, companies and organizations are finding it harder and harder to keep up with the demands of their employees for benefits, wages, and incentives.

And because of this, freelance work has seen one of the largest booms in recent history.

It wasn't always like this. When I was young, my mother was a freelance writer - this is primarily how she put herself through school. This was a time before the Internet brought the world together under one roof. Back then - you had to be on top of your game if you wanted to make it as a freelance writer.

And being a freelancer was a prestigious career... Only the best of the best could hope to make anything out of a freelancing career. You were paid more than a normal employee - but that was because you were hired specifically for your expertise in accomplishing a specific task. Word of mouth was your best friend... And a few hours of writing led to an cool $400+.

The advent of the Internet has opened up the world of freelance workers to a whole new generation. Freelance work has now grown to include web design, article writing, ghost writing, graphic design... even data entry and billing. And the best part is, with very little to no requirements needed to become a freelance worker - anyone can wake up one day and decide that they want to start freelancing their services.

Yes, the Internet has done wonders for freelancers. Having the world at your keyboard opens up a whole new level of potential clients. But with this new level of clients comes a whole new level of workers as well. Because you can turn into a freelancer overnight with very little to no start-up costs, there are younger and less experienced freelancers searching for projects to come to them than ever before.

And you are no longer competing with the man down the road who also happens to type 90+ words per minute. Now you are competing with freelancers from around the globe - many of whom - because of regional differences - can afford to do the same job you do for a fraction of your cost.

Thus comes the question; should you freelance your services? Well, as a freelancer myself, I am inclined to say "Yes, yes you should!" But the truth is only you can make that decision :)

Benefits of Freelancing

Freelance work is great for anyone who wants to be able to work from home. Whether you're trying to make freelancing your career or you just want to supplement your existing income, freelance work allows you the freedom to choose your own hours and work in the comfort of your sweat pants and tee shirts.

Additionally, you can work around the schedule that you choose. Not a morning person? Who cares! Start work at noon :) Children have a soccer game, dance recital, concert choir, or chess match that you want to see? Great! Then start work after you've finished cheering them to victory :) Whatever is going on in your life, your boss will always understand and will always give you the time and space you need to be there for the other aspects of your life because your boss is, well, you!

Additionally, you can never be fired; you can never get laid off. Even with the newest surplus of freelancers, there will always be books that need editing, databases that need entering, surveys that need analyzing - there will always be a need for freelancers.

Disadvantages of Freelancing

Working freelance, of course, is not all sparkles and giggles. A lot of hard work is involved. As a freelancer, it is up to you to set your salary, set your hours, promote your services, find your jobs and projects. Overnight you go from being an employee to being a boss, an accountant, a banker, a collection agency, a consultant, and a marketeer all at once.

Additionally, you have to protect yourself. There are plenty of clients who will take your hard work and run with it, claiming all copyrights and materials as their own. Before you know it, that web site that you designed is up and the article you wrote is posted, but the client is no where to be found and not answering your calls and your wallet isn't feeling any fuller. No one has ever been able to give me a good explanation as to why, but there are a lot of clients who feel they can take advantage of freelance workers; they try to get away with paying them less money than the freelancers is requesting, they pay late (or sometimes not at all). Whatever the reason for this, since you will no longer be under the protection of a company - you have to protect yourself and learn to recognize the signs of a bad client.

As a freelancer, your costs are generally a little higher as well. This is because you suddenly become your own responsibility. I know, that sounds odd - weren't you always your own responsibility. Eh... To an extent. But now you don't have an employer providing you with any benefits such as medical insurance, dental insurance or 401K. Using the computer more also means using more electricity to power it. And, of course, you'll have to do a little better with keeping your anti-virus softwares up to date.

Ultimately, the decision to become a freelancer is one that only you can make. If you don't mind working a little harder for your income - then it might just be the perfect solution. Whatever you do, just don't make the decision blindly; make sure you do your research and weigh the benefits against the disadvantages... Then make the decision that is best for you.