Working
There are downsides as well as positives, and it requires a lot of skills that you may not have had to exercise in previous job roles. So, to help you out, this guide will tell you the key think you need to know before starting work as a freelance.
Freelancing vs. Regular Employment
Regular work has its upsides. For instance, you get all the protection of employment laws like holidays, maternity leave and sick pay. You also get a great deal of security that you simply can’t get as a freelance.
As a freelance, the work can dry up at any moment, and you’ll be left scrambling around looking for work wherever you can find it. Freelance work does allow you much more flexibility though, and once you build up a reputation, the clients should be knocking down your door!
You’ll Need to be Independent
It sounds obvious, but independence is one of the biggest factors involved in freelance work. You have to be able to work on your own and not be reliant on a team or a boss because you won’t have those things.
Being able to motivate yourself and manage your own time effectively is vital to becoming a successful freelance. If you can’t motivate yourself to do the work, you’ll just be left penniless. There’s no one to compensate for your failings when you’re working by yourself.
Learn to Deal With Clients
Your only boss as a freelance will be the client. And they’re not always a great deal of fun to deal with. They have the final say on whether your work is good enough or not. So, you have to work hard to meet their expectations and not get on the wrong side of them.
If you’re a passionate person, you may be tempted to argue over disagreements with the client, that’ll get you nowhere though. If the client decides they don’t want to work with you, they will be able to find someone else to do the job quite easily.
Taxes
One of the biggest pains of freelance work is the need to sort out your own taxes. If you have a regular job, it will be worked out for you. But as a freelance, the responsibility falls to you alone.
There are people who can help you calculate your taxes though. This accounting firm at www.bswllc.com can offer tax services. You could also see if any of your friends are good with numbers, and maybe they could help you out!
Save for a Rainy Day
Due to the precarious nature of freelance work, it’s always a good idea to save some money away when times are good. Because there will be days when the work isn’t flowing so steadily. We can all find ourselves short of money sometimes, but the risk is even greater for freelances.