Why I love being freelance
After recently turning down opportunities to work at two of the best and most respected web agencies in the UK I thought I would write a little about why I love being a freelancer and why I will not rue the day that I turned down these chances.
I’m in charge!
I am my own boss with no-one to answer to and no-one to micromanage me, I work at a pace I feel comfortable working at and do not get lost in the politics of a multi-tier approval process. That’s not to say that I am not tough on myself in setting realistic goals and deadlines.
Flexible hours
Whilst I work super hard a lot of the time, being a freelancer does offer you the opportunity to simply take an afternoon or day off where and when you see fit. Working set hours every day every week can easily burn you out, having some flexibility and ability to mix it up I feel is very important to keeping a cool head and not stressing yourself out.
Personal projects
I would never have been able to launch and manage Sidepath, Commented On and soon Remindness if I was working for an agency. Personal projects are a great distraction from client work and let you play about and be as creative as you like.
Pay
Make sure to reward yourself for the hard work that you do, certainly in Scotland the level of pay in the web industry I feel is severely lacking and is definitely something to consider if looking for full-time employment. This subject is worthy of an article in-itself as you do have to be super careful being self-employed, but treat yourself well, charge at the level you believe your work is worth. Avoid spec-work.
Recurring income
A sustainable income is important, not knowing where your next pay cheque is going to come from can be very frightening, especially if you are just starting out. I have several side projects that generate monthly revenue and these help alleviate the hard times. Clients don’t always pay on time and creating yourself a small revenue stream that is constant is a great idea, be it hosting your clients sites or selling advertising space on a blog it’s never a hard thing to set up.
Location Location
Working from home has its benefits and downfalls, no doubt about it. Being free of a stuffy office situation or having the ability to simply go sit in a coffee shop for the afternoon is always something worth doing. You don’t want to get stuck at a monotonous desk all day every day, mix it up, working in fresh surroundings from time to time really is beneficial.
Like-minded people
There are a surprising amount of people in our industry that freelance, and while it may not be for everyone there is certainly a wealth of great talent out there to be tapped into. Get out and about, go to conferences, socialise with other like-minded individuals, communicate with your peers and soak up the knowledge of the wiser and more experienced freelancers.
Client choice
I am in the lucky position that I can pick and choose which jobs I take on and which I pass on, this isn’t always going to be the case for everyone but if you can get yourself in this position where you can weed out the jobs/clients that you know may still be hassling you months after completion or at 9 o’clock on a Saturday night then you are in a far superior position.
These are some of the many reasons why I love being a freelancer, I absolutely respect that it may not be for everybody and I have many friends happily in full-time employment in our industry. Do what makes you happy and if that happens to be being your own boss, go for it.
I’ll leave you with the thoughts of two of my good friends who are now working freelance after leaving full-time jobs:
“It was this sense of control over my own workload that summed up my first week of business; this was why I decided to go freelance; this is why everyone decides to go freelance.” Elliot Jay Stocks
“Despite pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines, choosing which projects to accept and which to decline, and having a lot more responsibility, freelancing is an incredible fun way of living” Tim Van Damme
