Why You Should Transition to Freelance Work

Working in an office or agency definitely has its perks, there’s no denying that. You might have good employee benefits, you could gain insights and learn about your industry from other employees, and of course, there’s the social aspect of office life. However, freelancing offers an entirely different set of benefits that – depending on your perspective – might outweigh those of a more traditional nine-to-five job.

Be your own boss

Freelancers work for themselves and only themselves. Sure, they have clients who they have to appease, but at the end of the day, they set their own business rules and establish themselves as a company comprised of one. Wouldn’t it be great to say goodbye to having a boss and not have to answer to anyone but yourself?

Set your own hours

Working freelance means you can decide what your work hours are, as opposed to having a set schedule that you have to be in-office for every day. Choosing your own hours opens up a whole new world of work flexibility where you actually have time to do the other things in life that are important to you. Whether that means spending more time with family, going out with friends more often, revisiting that hobby you didn’t have time for anymore, traveling more, or simply having more you-time to relax, you can make it a reality.

The key here is having the discipline to get work done when you have to. It helps to create a loose schedule to keep yourself on track, but you can still allow for breaks to do things like chores around the house, go to that yoga class down the street, or go out for lunch.

Choose your own clients

Agencies or other offices usually source their own clients and assign you to them, giving you little freedom to choose who you work with or what projects you work on. As a freelancer, you have the ability to seek out the type of work you want to do, find clients you want to work with, and most satisfyingly, turn away clients you find difficult. It is a bit of a grind at first, but once you get the ball rolling, your work will speak for itself and attract similar clients.

Just be sure to brand yourself appropriately so you can attract the right clients. Have a good website, social presence, and a portfolio that showcases your skills, best work, and what sets you apart from the competition. Also consider creating a logo for yourself to use on your site, social, and business cards. It’s a good idea to run your design through an image reverse search to make sure it’s an original design and not too similar to one that already exists.

Save money

Freelancing usually means working remotely, which can save you money in commuting costs. You can work from wherever you are, whether that’s from home, from a coffee shop, or on a plane or train. No more commuting into an office every day, saving you money in gas (not to mention the wear and tear on your car from driving to work and back every day) or on transit fare.

Becoming a freelancer isn’t always immediately easy though, in fact most times it takes a bit of work to get fully established and have a steady income. That being said, the perks of working for yourself are certainly worth the initial grind, so why not make the switch and start freelancing?