Your Career Called, It’s Time To Freelance
Freelancers are not only changing the economy, but they’re also transforming the business world. Indeed, the world where kids were limited to standard professional options when discussing their career choices is coming to an end. You don’t need to struggle with the unfair workload of an office job. You don’t have to worry about your boss being in a terrible mood during your yearly appraisal. You don’t even need to consider driving to work when you’re feeling under the weather because your colleagues might comment about your absence.
Freelancing takes your work-related problems and makes them disappear for good. As a freelancer, you are your own boss. You choose how much you work and when. You don’t even have to deal with difficult coworkers, because you decide who you work with. The question is: Are you ready to invest in your freelancing journey?
Freelancing: An investment in your career & life
Yes, there’s an investment to start with
You can’t launch your freelancing career without making the first investment. Unlike employees in an office, you need to buy your equipment. However, most freelancers find that they can cover all basics with nothing more than a quick loan. Indeed, you will need to get a laptop you can use for everyday work – and now’s the best time to buy a powerful device that will last long. Think of your computer as your workstation; it’s an essential tool to get in touch with your client, build your online presence, keep track of your earnings and taxes, etc. For such a versatile instrument, the investment is comparatively small. More importantly, once you’re set, you can rapidly notice a positive return from your first expense.
You will also benefit from taking the time to put together a resume of your previous experience to show to potential clients when pitching. If this isn’t your strong suit, it’s a good idea to invest in a resume writing service like ARC Resumes to make sure you appear as professional as possible.
And you gain a lot rapidly
The return from your equipment investment is not monetary. On the contrary, you can grow creatively, emotionally, and professionally. Ultimately, freelancing gives you the ultimate freedom of decision. You can choose where to work. If you want to work at home, you can. But if you’re feeling a little lonely, you can head to a cafe or even hire some office space in town for the day. It’s a change from your desk at the office! Additionally, you are free to add new skills to your portfolio and cover the projects that interest you. Once again, it’s not the kind of advantage you can get as an employee. Last, but not least, you are in charge of when you work. If you are not a fan of the typical 9-to-5 schedule, you can make your working hours fit your lifestyle.
You are in charge of your worth
Finally, unlike any other investment, you can also decide how much you want to earn in return. Indeed, freelancers choose how much to charge their clients. The calculations to define your rates are reasonably straightforward. Consider how much you’d be likely to earn in an office and divide it by the number of days you would typically work if you were employed in an office environment – aka make sure to discard weekends and holidays. The result you find is your billable time. You can then add non-billable hours and business expenses to get a more accurate rate.
As a freelancer, you need to be ready to invest in your career to make it work. At this point, we assume that you are already trained to provide the best service you can. Therefore, your investment is material only. But if you’re successful, it can give you the freedom and earning you desire.
