30+ Pros and Cons of Being A Freelancer (Explained)

Choosing the freelancing option can be challenging, no doubt that you are getting some major perks too.

However, before that, the reason behind why you want to quit the job and become a freelancer is important.

Not just that, it’s important to know the pros and cons, before you consider it as your dream career.

Pros Of Being A Freelancer	Cons Of Being A Freelancer
Be your boss	It can be lonely and isolating
Create multiple sources of income	Risky payment and not fixed
Grow as you want	It can be slow and disappointing
Improve your interpersonal skills	Not steady or reliability
Flexibility in time	No personal and work time
Control over the clients and job	Dealing with legwork
Work anywhere and anytime	No employer benefits
Keep all the profits	Lack of job security
Set your own routine	Tax consequences
No need to interact with colleagues	Can be distracting and lack productivity

Pros Of Being A Freelancer

There are a lot of people who know that they are not right for the 9 to 5 job, there is something related to routine and daily repetitions that puts you off.

Thus, you cannot stand the repetition, and that’s why you might be considering going freelance.

There are a lot of options you get when you are choosing a freelancer career.

Not just you become your own boss, but being a freelancer makes you the one who handles everything.

This gives you the freedom to choose how you want to work and with whom you like.

Here are some of the highlighted pros that you get.

I/c: Pros Of Being A Freelancer

Choose the place to work
Work in Pjs
Take your work with you
No colleagues
Balance work and life
Take break
No set hours
More income sources
Be your own boss

No Need To Travel Anywhere

Most freelancers allow you to work from your home and that gives you the freedom to be anywhere you like to be and do the job.

You can save money and time on transport and driving the car,

You Work In Pjs

No need to wear the formals, this gives you the freedom to wear whatever you like to,

You can be in your PJs and do the work.

Take Your Work Anywhere

The freelancer job doesn’t want you to stick with one place.

However, it depends on the type of work you are doing.

You can travel and work, as there are a lot of laptop lifestyle people around the world.

You can enjoy the work sitting in the nearest café and enjoy working.

No Need To Deal With Colleagues

Some of the people don’t like to deal with colleagues, they find this extremely annoying and easiest to deal with.

As a freelancer, you can choose whom you want to work with. If you find someone is messing around you, you can simply dump them.

You Can Manage The Finances

Before you decide to choose a freelance career, it’s important to understand the finances and if you don’t find it complicated and can save money for yourself both.

You can consider the freelancing job, here you have to keep a record of all the transactions including expenses related to your finances.

You Can Easily Handle The Instability And Uncertainty

There is a big chance of you earning $4000 this month and then $400 next month.

This is the important question that you should be asking yourself, is it okay for you to handle the instability and uncertainty that the career brings.

You Can Manage The Time

Working as a freelancer allows you to have a schedule and manage things on your own.

This means if you are a night owl, you can manage your work that way.

This means you have to find ways to stick with the schedule, motivating and meeting the deadlines every day.

You Prefer To Work Alone

Don’t rush into becoming freelancing before you give enough time on working alone

Because this can be a major concern, especially if you are not someone who likes to be alone.

Your Hate For Routine Is Real

If you are not the person who likes to work with the same people, office hours as it bores your mind.

You can choose to set the schedule and choose clients.

You can go as far you want without letting anything stop you.

You Have The Ability Of Resilience

The freelance path is not going to be easy, as there will be a lot of chances of getting rejected.

Maybe you don’t get the clients you are going for, getting paid enough and taking too much time.

Here you need to be patient and persevere until you can get on the right track.

You Enjoy The Learning

A freelancing career requires you to learn and be ambitious because this Is what makes you never stop growing.

You can stay ahead of the competition and offer the best services to your client.

Also, it makes you feel passionate about what you do.

I/c Types Of Freelancers You Can Consider

Designer
Writer
Editor or Copy Editor
Copywriter
Translator
Web Developer
Marketing Professional
Business Consultant
Virtual Assistant
Illustrator
Researcher
Videographer
Photographer
IT System Support
Software Developer

No Need To Deal With Corporate Decisions

A freelancer starting their business assumes that you have different roles.

You can be the COO, CEO, and CFO, and be the person who runs the whole show.

Balance Your Own Life And Work

When you are working in a corporate job, the HR department mentions the balance between work and life. However, this can be difficult.

But when you are a freelancer, you can call the shots and find the balance.

Take Your Break Whenever You Want

When you are doing the job, you are bound to not move anywhere.

However, if you want to go for groceries or pick kids or maybe a gym.

You can get the break whenever you want without having set rules.

No Set Hours

If you want to work for like 60 hours in a week, you want to take the next few days off, this allows you to do it.

Being a freelancer means that you don’t need to be on set hours to work.

You can simply do your best hours and work on that time.

Choose Your Project You Want To Work

Choosing the project you want to work is another best thing you get here,

You can enjoy the project, and be motivated. Working on them is not something like a chore.

You Choose And Change Working Hours

As a freelancer, you get the independence that allows you to change direction.

In the corporate world, this is not something you get.

Also to get the change, you need to do several meetings and approvals to be granted before the switch happens.

You Get The Financial Independence

As a freelancer, you have control of what you are earning.

You can depend on the project, also if the rates are too expensive and the client was trying to barter you down.

You can politely say no, and people value what you work and according to the rates you want.

You Get Several Sources For Incomes

If you are someone who is not interested in putting all eggs in one basket.

This is advice that is good for the freelancer.

You can build the portfolio for the clients, this helps you in creating more sources for the financial income.

So when one client pulls the plug, you still have others to keep things moving for you.

Cons Of Being A Freelancer

There are different pros you get when you choose to be a freelancer, however, launching this career needs preparation and planning.

Before you make the transition from an employee who works full time to a freelancer, there are chances of pitfalls too.

Here are some of the major cons that you can get:

I/c: Cons Of Being A Freelancer

Isolate
Alone job
Different work ethics
Variable workload
Be accountable
Lack of employee benefits
Not enough paid
Lots of legwork
Pressure on getting work
No routine
A lot of distractions

It Makes You Isolate And Alone

When you are being a freelancer, you have most of the work from home which makes you isolating,

As a freelancer where you don’t have employees, you have no interaction with the management, employees, and staff.

Also, it keeps you apart from involvement in networking.

It Has Variable Workloads And The Income

As a freelancer, it’s important for you to learn how to manage variable workloads.

Also to balance the multiple deadlines and priorities.

Your workload and income can differ based on per month and it can be hard to predict.

Carrying The Unique Ethical Considerations

Freelancing has its own legal industry which has different practical and implications when it comes to what is ethical, what is not.

Common ethics can include the unauthorized practice of law, disclosure, and consent of the client, sharing confidentiality, and data security.

You Require The Round Clock Coverage

Since the people today want the service 24 / 7, you can get the calls from the clients late at night, while you are on weekends or vacation.

You must ensure that you are providing the round to clock coverage. It gets much messy if you are serving clients who are from different countries and time zones.

You Have All The Responsibility And Accountability

Being your own boss does have its perks, but no matter what happens, you are the one who will hold the accountability.

When you are an independent contractor, you are the one who is on the bottom line.

So if there is anything that goes wrong, you have to be responsible for it.

You Might Have Lack Of Benefits

When you are an employee, most companies offer health benefits.

However, when you have a freelancer career, you don’t get the perks.

Depending on your current health, you switch to a lifestyle that might not offer the best interest.

This means you have no paid sick days or vacation.

Here every day you have to work in order to get paid.

You Are Not Getting Paid

Being a freelancer also means that you have the risk of not getting the money.

This is a common problem in the industry, also to collect your money, it will be your responsibility to get it.

It Has A lot Of Legwork

Since you are in charge of everything, you also need to work in order to find the projects you want to work on and clients.

When you work a traditional job, you don’t have to worry about it.

You have projects that you get, but being a freelancer gives you the sole person responsible, which means all of the legwork is on your part to deal with.

Handling The Cost Of Running The Business

While it’s good to have the business on your own, this gives you the burden of dealing with the taxes/

It’s even nicer when you have someone else to pay for the office supplies, internet connection, and other needs of the business.

But when you are in the industry, you have to deal with all the cost that comes with it.

Pressure Of Not Getting Paid On Time

Working as an employee gives you the relief that you will get the money on time, set dates, and amounts.

However, when you are a freelancer, you need to be extra careful handling the gigs and dealing with the clients.

Also, you have to find out the way of getting paid, and finding the legit ways to the method of payment,

It Carries The Distractions

If you fail to time manage yourself, you might end up with one of the dangerous pitfalls i.e. distracted and being lazy.

Since you are not working in the office you don’t have the set routines and the guidance of supervisors,

You work from home with all the comfort, the result can be less productive and affect the quality of the work.

When you are in freelancing, you require to be extremely disciplined,

If you have kids, pets, or someone at home, you have to set your place apart when you work, so nothing can distract you.

The Unclear Future

You have to be sure about where you want to take this, and what you want to get from it.

For example, if you are working on some projects, you can’t be too dependent on them.

It will end someday, and you have to find something else for yourself.

There are no major goals or achievements. So to motivate yourself, you have to come up with your own goals and ways.

Apart from this, you can get replaced by anyone else. So you must have something strong to work for.