Working from home and stepping away from the 9 to 5 has become a popular move for some West Islanders who have had the opportunity to do so. Because of the pandemic, working from home and remotely was encouraged.
The situation also made many consider taking on freelance work, not only to create another stream of income but also to begin working independently. This would allow them to be able to work for themselves rather than for a company and have the ability to choose the amount of work they want to take on.
Some of you may ask, What is Freelancing?
Freelancing is another word for Self-Employed. Normally there are many different departments handling specific tasks. Instead, Freelancers take on all aspects of the work themselves, this includes invoicing and taxes and the payment of whatever tools may be needed to complete the work.
What are the Pros?
Freelancing has a lot of advantages. Unlike regular jobs that have a defined schedule and hours, Freelancing is highly flexible and you can work at any time that best suits your schedule. This means that if you find working full-time overwhelming, you can choose to work fewer hours.
You are able to select the jobs you want to take on in a given field, as well as choose your clients. Realistically, you can accept or decline anything that comes your way for any number of reasons. This can be because of client personality, aligned goals, or even content.
As a Freelancer, you can also choose to work from wherever you would like. You can pick the most comfortable option that works best for you. There are freelancers who accept jobs from all over the globe. For those who want to work at home, be sure to do your research to make working as comfortable as possible
What are the cons?
Despite all of the positives, there are some negatives you have to consider while becoming a Freelancer.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of steady income. Unlike being an employee, you are not guaranteed a fixed salary or number of hours. There is also the situation of not being paid on time by your clients, which can be frustrating if you are relying on that income.
Being an employee at a company sometimes comes with benefits that are unavailable as a freelancer. You will unfortunately not have any sort of health or protection insurance offered by an employer. Insurance would have to come from a private source.
After weighing the pros and cons of Freelancing, you are ready to make a decision. As always, it is important to do the proper research to see if it really is the right decision for you. Freelancing may add extra responsibilities that you may not have experience with, but the reward of being able to work whenever and wherever can be infinitely rewarding!
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