Just Freelancing

Some Fears And Exciting Facts About Freelancing

Many people want to start their own freelance business but find themselves hesitating, it’s quite natural. No one is born fearless and it's okay to be terrified of starting something as grand as starting own freelance business. But we shouldn’t allow fear to drive us out of this idea. Here are some common "fears" and doubts holding people from becoming freelancers, and how to overcome them.

Fear#1:

One of the biggest fear of people is that they don't know how to get started. It's so easy to set up your own business; you just need to know the basics. You simply pick a name and ensure no one else is using it.

Fear #2:

It's too difficult and risky to get started. Many people start freelancing by having a full or part-time job and carry out their freelancing work on the side. Unless you have a partner who can cover the bills for the both of you, this is the only way you can build up your freelance client base without taking too much risk.

Fear #3:

I don't think I'm good enough. If you're good, you'll always be busy. That's a fact. Some people go freelance and fail because their skills and experience aren't good enough. Think long and hard before you go freelance – do your skills offer value?

Fear #4:

I'm not sure I'll be able to win clients. As the saying goes, nothing seek, nothing find. If you just sit there and wait till the clients start lining up to you, you’re likely never going to start freelancing. You want to be proactive and start reaching out to potential clients and surveying the demand for various services. Although winning new clients can be difficult, as long as you work hard to market yourself you shouldn't have an issue. Remember, the more you put in, the more you'll get back.

Fear #5:

What If I get rejected? Rejection is part of the game. A “no, thanks” from a prospective client shouldn’t mean the end of the world for you. You may not be a good match for this project but there are certainly more to come.

Fear#6:

What if no one takes me seriously? Some people look at freelancers with pity. They still think freelancing is a joke and never take freelancers seriously. But if you want to become your own boss and enjoy the flexibility and other benefits of freelancing, you have to start your freelance business anyways and not care what everyone thinks.

Fear#7:

What if I can’t handle the load? Juggling multiple projects, filing your own taxes, marketing your business and closing new contracts can be overwhelming. Track the time you spend on each task. This will give you a better idea of how to price each project, optimize your routines.

Fear#8:

What if I can’t confront a client? As a freelancer, you’ll always have to step up for yourself. You may have clients delaying payment for over a month, or fail to negotiate good rates for some projects, it happens only if you are afraid of confrontation. Freelancing is a business, not a friendship circle. You have all the rights to bluntly demand what you’re worth, politely refuse the projects you don’t feel comfortable with.

Fear #9:

I'm concerned freelancing will take over my life. Freelancing is tough. You have to do all your own marketing, networking and administration as well as provide services to clients. It can take up a lot of your time and cause lots of stress, make no mistake. But if you're disciplined you can still enjoy the freedom that freelancing brings.

Fear#10.

It can be lonely. I don’t just mean lonely in the sense of literally being alone. I mean it in the deeper sense, that you lack a shared purpose. Even if you hang out in co-working spaces or work on-site with clients, you’re running a business of one. So you have to manage your routines and work solely but efficiently and effectively.

Apart from all of the above mentioned fears, freelancing can still be an exciting employment pathway. It’s clearly an increasingly popular market along with some of these fascinating facts:

Excitement#1:

You’re Your Own Boss. One of the best things about being a freelancer is that you answer to no one except yourself; you own your decisions.Obviously you still have responsibilities and those responsibilities dictate your priorities but the point is, they’re your priorities (and your consequences). Not the company’s. Not your manager’s. Your good is the greater good.

Excitement#2:

You Can Work Wherever You Want. All you need to be a freelancer is yourself, your laptop and an Internet connection.

Excitement#3:

It’s Varied. Being a freelance writer means having a portfolio of clients, rather than a single employer.

Excitement#4:

It’s Secure. One of the traditional arguments against freelancing is that you sacrifice job security. This is quite a fallacy. When you first strike out as a freelance writer, things probably are less secure than having a full-time job, but once you’ve built up a client portfolio you’ve got a properly diversified income stream.

Excitement#5:

It’s Fulfilling. For most freelancers, this is the most overwhelming positive: you get to do what you love. Precisely because it’s such a flexible career, and because you’re your own boss, you can choose the sort of life you want to build for yourself. You can work for top-dollar with huge advertising companies, or throw yourself into that creative not-for-profit that you admire, or neither, or both.

Excitement#6:

Flexible Hours. Another exciting thing about becoming a freelancer is that you can work whenever you want. You get to choose your own hours.

Excitement#7:

You Keep All the Profits. No longer do you have to work for a flat rate, no matter how large the projects are that you complete. Now, you get to allocate or keep all the profits from your large and small projects and clients. This gives you the freedom to use that money to improve yourself and expand your business.

Excitement#8:

Freelancers love that they get to make their own schedule one that works for them. They are free to work according to their own will and desire.

Excitement#8:

You Can Pick Your Own Job Title. We all know that job titles aren’t really a big deal but actually… they often are. Clients expect certain titles and in places like Asia with very formal hierarchical structures – you can’t get the job done without the right title to get people to take you seriously.