freelancing

The Benefits of Being a Freelancer

May 7, 2015 By Lilian Nwa 3 Comments

There are countless articles written about the “9-to-5 grind” and likewise, how to manage the psychological dissatisfaction and disillusionment people often feel traversing to work Monday morning. If you work as a freelancer, however, such complaints might very well sound like a foreign language to you. Yes, we have article deadlines and “bosses” in the forms of clients and editors, but the life of a freelancer can offer individuals more freedom, control and perhaps even happiness than the life of a “regular” worker bee.

On of the easiest ways to start is to sign up with a website like Fiverr. This site lets you advertise small freelance gigs for $5, and it can be a good way to break into the area of freelance you want in your spare time doing your chosen skill at its most basic form. All you need to do is take whatever freelance work you want to do, break it down into a simple service which you offer for $5 and then fulfil any requests you get in your spare time. Doing this will give you the opportunity to test out the market in the freelance area you’re interested in, let you get creative in your offerings, and it’s an easy way to get your freelance career started. Even if you aren’t completely sure what you would like to do in your spare time, you can get some great ideas here. Why do want to do this? Here are four specific benefits of being a freelancer.

Take as much (or as little) work as you desire

In the beginning, it might be difficult to find a steady gig, but if you scour the Craigslists of many cities, you might find that with a decent portfolio, you can assemble an array of clients. In this case, you can decide to take on more work at certain times, or decrease your workload at other times. This kind of flexibility is unheard of in a more traditional job because, in essence, as a freelancer, you’ve become your own boss.

Work when you want, where you want

One of the most unpleasant aspects of the “9-to-5 grind” is the commute, both to the workplace and back home. As a freelancer, you can choose to work from home and as such, can decide to work in the early morning or in the dead of night. Most importantly, not only can you decide when to work, you can also decide what to work in. Instead of stifling ties and too tight pencil skirts, as a freelancer you can choose to work in your pajamas avoiding the unnecessary drama (and discomfort) related to choosing an outfit or wearing it. .

Charge what you’re worth

At a more traditional job, you earn more when you are promoted and you are promoted when your boss or supervisor deems you “worthy.” Now, for some, the criteria for worthiness is clear, but at many other jobs the criteria can be more vague and seem strangely aligned to whomever a supervisor likes. As a freelancer, you set your own rates and can pocket the profits. You have flexiility with what you charge so what you make isn’t capped by an hourly rate or a salary.

Avoid office politics — and unpleasant people

Sometimes the worst part of working in a traditional setting is not necessarily the job, but the individuals you might be forced to work with. As a freelancer, you can work from the comfort of your dining room table and interact with those you choose to talk to. In this way, you avoid office politics and the unpleasantry of interacting with people you would rather never see again.

These are just some of the benefits of being a freelancing and a simple Google search will unearth many more (with a list of disadvantages as well). In general, the key to success in freelancing is to take on projects that interest you and with the many people interested in hiring others to perform a specific project for them, there is bound to be something (perhaps even many things) to pique your interest and sustain your checking account. Good luck!

The above post is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fiverr in partnership with Kasai Media. All opinions in the article are 100% mine.

Four Ways to Work from Home

April 17, 2013 By Jennifer Derrick 5 Comments

I see plenty of people, both online and off, who are desperate to work from home. Despite the fact that working from home is definitely not for everyone, many people idealize the lifestyle and want it for themselves. It’s funny, though, that many people seem to be seeking some sort of magical work from home job that doesn’t exist.

Usually I’ll see a post on a message board that goes something like, “I need to be home with the kids, so how can I work from home?” Or, “I hate my commute so how can I work from home?” When people start offering suggestions, though, the enthusiasm dwindles. When someone suggests starting a business, the answer is often “That’s too hard.” If someone suggests asking if their current employer will allow working from home, the answer is often, “No way!” If someone suggests sales, the answer is “But I hate to sell.”

After a few pages of this, the original poster will usually come back and say something like, “Come on, isn’t there something else?” I really don’t know what they’re looking for. None of the choices presented are acceptable, but yet they still want to work from home. Unfortunately, there are really only four basic choices if you want to work from home. If none of these work for you, working from home might not be for you. Here are the four basic categories of work from home opportunities.

Start Your Own Business

Whether you call it running a business, freelancing, or consulting, the end result is the same. You’re responsible for getting your own clients, managing projects, and handling tasks like billing, marketing and taxes. It’s a lot of work and carries some risk, which is why some people don’t like the idea. However, this is the option that gives you the most control over your vocation and your income.

Work for Your Current Employer

You can see if your current employer will allow you to do your job from home, either part-time or full-time. Some people are afraid to even ask, and some know that the answer is likely to be “No,” but if you don’t ask you won’t know. If you do ask, go in prepared to show your employer how you’ll handle things like child-care, availability, etc. The more you present it as a well thought out option, the more serious your boss is likely to take the request. If you hate your current job, though, don’t expect that bringing it home will make you feel any better about it.

At-Home Sales

If you don’t mind sales, you can sell items like Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Avon, Mary Kay, etc. You may also be able to get a job with another company doing cold calls and sales for them from home. Many people, though, don’t want to do sales and dislike the idea of pressuring friends and family into buying stuff. They also don’t like the idea of cold calling. The commissions might be good, but the work can be tough.

Work for a Company Using Work-at-Home Labor

There are some companies that hire people specifically to work from home. These are usually call centers, sales centers, or companies that contract out work such as medical transcription or billing. The downside to this is that you might not love the work and end up taking it only because “It’s something to do from home.” This is also the area of the work from home job market that is the most laden with scams. If you decide to seek out a work-from-home employer, you have to do a lot of research and be cautious.

Yes, you can also do things like take surveys or work for Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to make money at home, but nothing like that will pay you anything close to a living wage. If you want to work from home and make a living that can support you, you are really limited to the four options listed above.

Nothing is easy and nothing is perfect. There is no “wonder-job” that you’ll love everything about and which will require you to put in very little effort, even if it is work from home. You have to decide if working from home is something you want badly enough to overcome your reservations about the types of work that are available and, if so, put in the effort to pursue the right option for you.

(Photo courtesy of Fabio Bruna)

Freelancing as a Source of Income

May 8, 2009 By Jennifer Touchette 4 Comments

Who couldn’t use some extra money these days? I’m guessing you have a skill that people would pay you for, and freelancing can be a great way to earn some extra cash.

What work can you do as a freelancer? Take into account what you like to do in your spare time. Do you love yard work and wouldn’t mind offering your services to people in your neighborhood? Do you sew well? You could market that skill and take on projects when you have extra time.

One of my relatives has a sideline where she pairs people’s pictures with music using a movie-making computer program. She scans the pictures provided by the client, adds songs, and finally burns the completed project to DVD. Her clients use these movies to mark a wedding, anniversary or other special occasion. She does this out of her home in her spare time during the evenings and weekends.

Another friend became a freelancer after her son was born. She now stays home and edits manuscripts for her former employer while her child is at school.

Save money while working from home: The great part about basing your freelancing work out of your home is that you can save some money on some job-related expenses. If your work is based out of your home, you won’t need to use the car or dress yourself in nice work clothes, except on the rare occasion when you meet a client. If you have business-related expenses, you may be able to write them off on your taxes.

Speaking of taxes, there are other tax benefits to working from home. As mentioned, you may be able to write off some expenses, such as utilities, for the part of your house you use solely for business. If you do need to drive your car, you may be able to write off mileage that is directly related to your work. Check with your tax preparer for more specific information or visit the Internal Revenue Services’ website.

You can also save money with childcare. If you are able to fit your extra freelancing work into the times when your children are at school or sleeping, you can be there for when they are home and awake instead of hiring someone else to take care of your kids.

Market yourself: Many times freelancing can start as an offshoot for what you already do. My freelancing work started after I had a baby and decided to stay home. My former employer hired me to do some of their extra work at my home. Eventually, word of mouth increased my business further. However, because of the tight economy, I’ve had to be a more aggressive to secure new clients.

One of the best ways to market yourself is with a business card. You can share these with people you meet who may benefit from your skills or post the cards on bulletin boards in appropriate spots around town. There are many online printers who offer great deals to first-time customers. Online printers will often offer inexpensive design services or already-created designs to help you create your business card and then mail the completed card directly to your home.

A small poster highlighting your business can be inexpensively printed and posted around town as well. Tear-off strips with your name, business name and phone number will allow people to take your information so they can call you later.

Classified advertising can be another cheap alternative for advertising. Many newspapers have a section where you can advertise a few lines about your business for an inexpensive price. Craigslist can also be a good, free alternative, although the sheer number of listings may make hard to people to focus on your posting.

Other things to consider: If you are already working for someone else and will be freelancing in addition to that job, make sure your employer would be OK with your freelancing choice. Some employers frown on the practice, especially if you will directly compete with their business.
Do I need a business license? Some states or cities require a business license for certain types of work. My city, for instance, requires a business license for hairdressers and food preparers.
Make sure you are claiming your freelance income on your taxes as required by law. Again, the Internal Revenue’s website has some helpful information for freelancers: http://www.irs.gov/
Unfortunately, you won’t have access to the same support network while working from home as you do at a regular out-of-home job. My work, for instance, must be done on a computer, so I am the one who has to troubleshoot problems or hire someone to help me. I miss the computer techs I had access to when I worked in an office.

Be careful out there: If you are looking at the work-at-home websites for a boost in income, be very careful. While there may be some legitimate websites, use caution nevertheless. You should never have to pay a fee to get hired for a job.

Be careful with your personal information. You may want to use a post office box if you need to receive mail for your freelancing business and keep your home address off your marketing information.
Remember, if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true.