by John Rampton
There’s a reason why there are more than 53 million freelancers in America. It’s because freelancing is just awesome.
I mean how many of you can say that you get to chase your dreams while working from the convenience of your home?
But, if for some reason, you’re still on undecided about joining the freelance revolution, here are nine reasons why you should start freelancing today.
1. Diversity
Do you feel that everyday feels like the same tired routine? You wake up at the same time. You make the same morning commute. You do the same tasks. Every. Single. Day.
With freelancing those days are over.
Let’s say that you’re a marketing consultant. You have the chance to work with individuals and businesses in diverse industries ranging from restaurants to eCommerce sites to IT companies. Even though the concepts are the same, you aren’t working in the same projects with the same people day-in and day-out. You’re challenging yourself to develop and enhance your skills and expertise.
You also get to work with different from all over the world During the course of my freelance career I’ve worked with people from all the country, along with people in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Because of this, I’ve been exposed to new cultures and traditions that I would have never experienced if I stayed with my 9-to-5 job.
2. Satisfies Those Creative Impulses
Have you been itching to show off your skills? If you’re working 9-to-5, however, you don’t have the chance to satisfy that itch since you’re stuck within the guidelines that your employer or manager has established for completing projects.
Even worse? When you do present these ideas it’s either not the right time or it’s just not how your organization does business.
With freelancing, you can try out those new ideas by working with clients who are on the same page with you and your vision.
3. You Do What You Love
I always wanted to learn how to code. But working the daily grind at a construction company didn’t really give me the chance to learn coding. I mean who wants to sit behind a computer after you’ve put in a hard eight-hours of work?
After suffering a rather serious injury, I was able to finally learn some programming and online marketing. I couldn’t have been happier. Today, I’m still doing what I love and not working construction because I need the paycheck. And, I’m making a decent living at it as well.
4. Flexibility and Freedom
Do you have a doctor’s appointment? Want to spend time with the kids after school? Take the afternoon off and go to the beach?
You can absolutely do any of those things as freelancer. You’re the boss. You set your own schedule. You can work from wherever you want. You accept the type of projects that interest you.
Now that doesn’t mean that this could backfire. If you don’t work you don’t get paid. However, unlike traditional 9-to-5 jobs, you have an unlimited amount of flexibility and freedom.
5. You’re Free From the 9-to-5 Grind
If you tell me that you don’t mind sitting in traffic, rushing to catch the subway, or being told when you have to start and stop work, then I would say that there’s something seriously wrong with you. I’m not trying to be offensive. It’s just that daily rat race is stressful and hectic. Why do you want to keep subjecting yourself to that?
As mentioned earlier, being a freelancer gives you the flexibility and freedom to break free from that daily grind.
6. There’s Money to Be Made
There’s a common misconception that freelance work is just a side gig. I can personally tell you that that’s not the case. Myself, and plenty of my fellow freelancers, will proudly tell you that we earn a decent living as freelancers. In fact, we make enough money to buy a house and put money aside for retirement.
And, if you need to make some additional money, you can always side hustle. As I mentioned earlier, you set your own schedule, so working a second job isn’t that big of a hassle.
7. Job Security
I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable about putting my future, as well as my family’s, in the hands of someone else. I want to be in control.
As a freelancer, I never have to lose sleep over whether or not I’m going to get laid off. That doesn’t mean that clients will come and go – they will – it means that it’s easier for me to handle that burden if I lost a client because I have other clients to fall back on. If I lost a high-profile marketing position with a firm, it might be challenging to find that type of job again.
8. You’ll Learn New Skills
Josh Steimle from MWI says “As a freelancer you have to learn skills. You don’t have to be an expert. You should at least know the basics about invoicing, online marketing, managing social media, and keeping up with the latest skills within your industry.”
For example, you’re not going to have an accounting department as a freelancer. It’s up to you send invoices to clients and pay your taxes. If not, you won’t be able to pay your bills and may even face an audit.
Not only does this make you more marketable, a better businessperson, learning something new everyday can reduce stress, gain confidence, boost your mental health, make you enthusiastic, and make you a force to be reckoned with because knowledge is power.
9. It’s Inexpensive
Unlike starting any other businesses, freelancing is incredibly easy and inexpensive to start. You don’t need an office since you can either work from home or a coworking office. You don’t
need a ton of equipment or employees either. In most cases it’s just you and your trusty computer.
When things do start getting busy, you can then hire other freelancers to lessen your workload.