Why You Shouldn’t Be A Freelancer

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Freelancing can be a lot of fun. You can work in your pyjamas, take breaks whenever you want, and you get to experience living the dream life.

However, freelancing isn’t for everyone. It is not for people who like to stay busy or who enjoy having too much on their plate because freelancing is all about priorities and maintaining control over your time and energy levels.

Freelancers also have to do something they don’t like doing—finding new clients; which takes up a lot of their time and energy as well!

You will have to be consistently self-motivated and disciplined to be successful in freelancing.

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t be a freelancer.

For example, if you are not self-motivated and disciplined, freelancing is probably not the best option for you because there will be times when you will feel like giving up. There may also be times when people around you might discourage or even question your skills in freelancing.

This means that if someone is trying to tell me “I am just a writer,” then they are not understanding what it means to be a writer or what it means to write.

Before you read on, do know that this article is not necessarily discouraging anyone from freelancing. It is only highlighting the ups and downs of freelancing. Now, continue your reading!

Why You Shouldn’t Be A Freelancer

As A Freelancer, You Will Need To Do Many Things On Your Own

• You will need to find your clients.
• You will need to market yourself.
• You will need to find your insurance.
• You will need to find your own workspace and equipment (unless you are working remotely).

When You Are A Freelancer, There Are No Rules

When you are a freelancer, there are no rules. You can work whenever you want, and wherever you want. You can wake up at noon and go back to sleep if that is what your schedule demands. Whatever floats your boat!

You don’t have to worry about being on time for anything because nobody will care if you take half an hour longer than expected on a project or task. While they may not even notice (or care) if you work from home in your pyjamas all day long, we do have one caveat: don’t let this freedom lead to procrastination!

Freelancers should also be wary of family members trying to get them to spend more time together by saying things like “I would like us all to sit down for dinner together once every two weeks.” We know how tempting being around loved ones is but remember, this job isn’t meant for everyone!

Freelancers Rarely Get Health Benefits

Let’s say you are a freelancer, and you get sick. You have no health insurance. You either pay for your health insurance or don’t have any at all. If your employer doesn’t provide one, chances are that as a freelancer, you will not be able to afford one on your own either.

Why is this? Well, when we talk about the benefits package of a company, we are talking about things like paid time off (vacation days), 401k plans (retirement plans), stock options and more—things that are often given by bigger businesses but not by small ones like start-ups and solopreneurship (freelance businesses run by one person).

On top of that, some companies offer these benefits even when they don’t have to because they want their employees happy!

Freelancers Often Make Less Money Than Their Salaried Counterparts (There Are Many Exceptions)

As a freelancer, your hourly rate is often lower than what you would earn as an employee.  If you are just starting and are looking to get your foot in the door, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but if you are trying to build a sustainable business that can support yourself and maybe even some employees of your own, then it’s something to consider.

The more experience you have under your belt the more loyal clients you have onboard willing to pay top dollar for the best results possible from their projects. You will be able to charge more per hour or project than someone who is just getting started in their freelancing career.

And this means that if your goal is financial freedom through freelancing (which is what most people want), then charging more will help ensure that happens faster.

As A Freelancer, You Will Probably Miss Out On Some Of The Stuff That Happens At Work When You Are Not There

You know, like the gossip and office politics. Sure, you might be able to get some dirt on your coworkers via Facebook or Twitter—but that also gives them a chance to hear about your life as well.

When it comes to socializing with coworkers, freelancers have a disadvantage too: no one is going out after work with them because they have kids or pets waiting for them at home (or both).

Additionally, they don’t have the same opportunities to bond over company events like holiday parties or summer picnics because their schedules are so unpredictable and varied compared with salaried employees with more predictable working hours (and less flexibility).

If You Don’t Have Enough Work, Then The Money Might Stop Rolling In Too

When you are a freelancer, there are many ways to make money—but it depends on what you do. It is not as easy as just sending jobs to your email inbox every day. You have to market yourself and find new clients too. If you don’t have enough work, then the money might stop rolling in too.

So if you are thinking of becoming a freelancer but aren’t sure if it is for you yet, here are some things to keep in mind:

Freelancers Spend More Time Doing Administrative Duties Than Anything Else

As a freelancer, you will have to be organized and disciplined enough to manage the administrative side of your business. This includes things like accounting, bookkeeping and managing your finances.

You will also be responsible for marketing and self-promotion along with handling any client relations that come up. If you don’t have these skills already, you will need to develop them as they are essential in making sure that your business runs smoothly.

Freelancers need a high level of motivation to keep going when things are tough or not going well financially or emotionally during those times when no work is coming in.

Your Clients May Not Hold To Schedules Or Deadlines As Much As They Should

The first thing you should know about this freelancing career is that it can be challenging to manage your own time. If you don’t have a good idea of how much work you can get done in a day, then you are going to find yourself running behind on your deadlines and missing out on potential opportunities.

That is why so many people choose to freelance. They need their freedom because they aren’t getting the kind of structure or schedule from their employer that they need.

The second thing is that if you want a successful freelancing career, then you will have to learn how to manage your workload effectively. You will also need to learn how effective marketing strategies for attracting new clients are crucial for long-term success in this field—even when hiring yourself out as an independent contractor with no team or office overhead costs!

You Will Also Face Pressure From Yourself To Learn New Skills And Adapt As Well As Possible To Changes In The Workplace

In addition to the added responsibility of being your own boss, you will also face pressure from yourself to learn new skills and adapt as well as possible to changes in the workplace.

Successful freelancers understand that it is their job to be self-motivated and disciplined, but they are also good communicators who can work with clients effectively.

A successful freelancer must be able to solve problems quickly because some issues may arise unexpectedly; therefore, problem-solving skills are essential. This person needs to have excellent time management abilities so that they can meet deadlines while still getting regular work done each day.

The Freelance Lifestyle Is Not For Everyone, But It Can Definitely Be Worth It If You Are Willing To Put In The Effort And Time!

As a freelancer, you can set your hours, and work from home or any place with an internet connection. You also do not have a boss watching over your shoulder who will critique every move you make.

Instead, freelancers have clients they need to please so they don’t lose them as customers. This means that everyone has different standards of what makes them happy when working with others on projects or assignments.

While all of this sounds great at first glance, some challenges come along with being self-employed.

Challenges Of Freelancing

Freelancing is a large and diverse industry that can provide opportunities for people looking to work independently, on their own schedule, and without a boss. However, freelancers come across many challenges as they try to make a living off their craft.

• There is no one to help share responsibilities so if something goes wrong on project deadlines are often missed (or worse yet – never met). It is up to you if you want things done early so there will be fewer problems later down the road.
• The income fluctuation is pretty unstable. It is not unusual for an individual to experience multiple months where they earn nothing or just enough money to pay all the bills.
• Even if you are working hard on your business (and getting paid), sometimes it is difficult to get clients who respect you—so finding new clients can be challenging if you don’t have connections or aren’t willing or able to spend money on marketing efforts like social media ads or PPC campaigns.

Uncertainty

• You don’t know how much work you will have.
• You don’t know how much money you will earn.
• You don’t know when you will get paid.
• You don’t know how much it will cost to run your business.
• And, most importantly, you don’t even know what you will charge!

Unsteady Income

The biggest challenge of freelancing is that your income is not guaranteed. You can set up a payment schedule with your client, but it doesn’t mean that they will pay you on time or at all.

One of the most common problems faced by freelancers is that their clients don’t pay them for one reason or another. Some clients may respond to an invoice late and this leads to a delay in getting you paid which can be frustrating.

It is important to keep in mind when working with clients overseas (especially those who are just starting) since sometimes there are delays due to issues with international payments.

Lots Of Work No Pay

It is important to know that there are lots of people who will offer you work, but not all of them will pay. You may have to do some research and ask around before accepting jobs from people.

You should also be aware that even if they say they will pay you, it doesn’t always mean they will. Be sure to check their payment history, for example, if they are on websites like Upwork before starting a project.

with this, you can better estimate whether or not your client might be unreliable with their payments later on down the line (which unfortunately happens quite frequently).

Workload

When you are the boss of your own business, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with that title. You need to manage your workload and time management skills or else you may find yourself working through weekends and late into the night.

Not only do freelancers have to juggle their workloads, but they also have to take on the stress of managing their finances as well as their physical and mental health.

Work-Life Balance

Don’t let the flexibility of freelancing fool you—it comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest is finding a work-life balance. There are several ways to approach this, but most freelancers find that they need to be able to separate their work from home life to keep their sanity intact.

For some people, this means taking regular vacations or scheduling time off during weekends and evenings when they are less likely to be interrupted by emails or social media notifications.

Others may decide that they shouldn’t take any breaks at all so that they can focus on getting as much done as possible during regular working hours. The important thing is not just finding what works for you, but sticking with it even when things get tough (and trust me: things will get tough).

This post isn’t meant to scare you from freelancing but to expose you to the ups and downs of the business. The choice is yours to decide if you want to become a freelancer.

There are freelancing courses that I can recommend for you to kickstart your freelancing career. If you are interested, simply leave a comment below or send me an email.

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