Many people wonder about the freelance work modality: what is it, how to take the first steps or where to get job opportunities. The truth is that it is a trend that does not stop growing. If you are a freelancer or you are looking to try it, take note that we have already started!
Independent and remote work is an expanding modality. But what exactly is the meaning of “freelance”? How is this project planned, built and sustained? We have prepared this article with the information that every freelancer needs to optimize their way of working or start on this path.
What is freelancing?
Freelance is the modality of independent work through which a professional offers services to companies, businesses or projects. In other words, it is about collaborating with a team autonomously, without entering into a dependency relationship.
So, the meaning of freelancer is the person who develops in the workplace in this way. It can be in any field: from programming, editing, design or sales to education or art.
Self-employment is organized and addressed through different projects, either with the same brand or more than one. These are, in general, contracts for specific tasks.
The freelance trend in Argentina and the world does not stop growing and this is due, to a large extent, to the flexibility that comes from developing independently.
What does it mean to be a freelancer? For many people, it is the ideal work model! The two most outstanding points lie in the possibility of managing one’s own time and working remotely, from anywhere in the world.
However, there is much more to weigh when deciding on this type of work. Now that we have a clearer understanding of what freelancing means, let’s take a closer look at it!
Freelancing: advantages and disadvantages
If we had to summarize it in a few words, we would say that the freelancer is in charge of everything. From self-promotion and customer search to organizing the routine to meet deliveries. For some professionals this can be fantastic and for others it is not.
To put it another way, being in control brings both the freedom to manage your workload and workload, for example, and the responsibility of ensuring the sustainability of the modality.
In order for you to consider the idea of freelancing in all its facets, it is valuable to take the time to think about the pros and cons that you may come across.
With this clear picture, you will be able to decide more assertively whether to start this project, whether to do it partially or postpone it for another time.
Advantages of being a freelancer
Flexible schedules
We already mentioned that freelancers tend to organize themselves around projects, that is, they work by objectives.
This is one of the most notable advantages of freelancing, since it allows the professional to advance on time, as long as the requirements and delivery dates agreed with the associated company are met.
This advantage brings many more associated: by having control over your times, you can organize your routine to plan activities at any time of the day and, even so, make the time you need to meet the deliverables.
remote work
The majority of independent workers do not attend the office of the company for which they collaborate. This allows you to work in a coworking space or even get things done in the middle of a trip.
Freedom in terms of location to perform is one of the most attractive factors of freelance work. In addition, this has associated other benefits such as choosing the clothes you want, without ties such as uniforms or specific dress regulations.
You may also like:
Article
Infinite work areas
There are no specific categories for freelance work!
This means that anyone can work with freelancers. To say it the other way around: whatever the field you dedicate yourself to, surely there are job opportunities to develop under this modality.
In this sense, we want to bring you the contents of our blog where we talk about ideas to start ventures, since you can do it as a freelancer!
In the last section of this article we list where you can investigate job offers. Now, let’s get to know in depth what freelancing is and its benefits.
Starting point and/or stable job development
Freelancers can be found at any point in their professional career: from junior to senior.
We bring this point as a special advantage, since it can be both a project to start entering a market, gain experience and knowledge on a specific topic, as well as a stable job development.
I did the test! Create an online store and sell online
Control in the value of work
Earnings from freelance work are defined by the professional himself and, in this sense, there are no limits!
When you contact the company you want to work with, you will spend your budget according to your level of knowledge, your experience and your skills and the tasks and responsibilities that they propose to you.
Disadvantages of being a freelancer
Fewer job guarantees
By not being in a dependent employment relationship, there are some guarantees that you will not have. The most important are the payment of bonuses, vacations and licenses.
Take the case of vacations. Freedom in terms of time management is associated with the fact that the freelancer only earns money when he actually works and meets his deliveries.
In this sense, the best thing is that you can plan your financial income and expenses with time. One way to do this is to be clear about your business.
Variable amount of work
Hand in hand with the idea that each freelancer is responsible for getting new opportunities to stay active in their work, there is the situation that the flow and quantity of work is intermittent.
There will be moments of greater load, which will be rewarded with experience and good earnings, and others where it will be necessary to resort to savings and dedicate more energy to the search for new proposals.
little social interaction
Strictly speaking, this is a point that, on the one hand, is not guaranteed in all freelance work and, on the other hand, it may not be a disadvantage for some people.
Anyway, we bring it because the freelancer’s routine is usually lonely. By not going to a common workplace with other colleagues and, especially, if it is not a freelance team, this is a point worth considering.
It should be noted that, even so, there are coworking spaces that can be the solution for those who want to interact with other people. These are shared offices that can serve as a meeting point with your team, or to meet other freelancers who work there.
Self-management of collections
If you are working for an honest and responsible client, of course, this will not be a problem. But since you’ll be in charge of making sure payments are made once the job is delivered, it’s important to keep in mind that this can take time and energy.
As you gain experience you will have more freedom to choose which clients you want to work with. Thus, you yourself will be able to decide who to collaborate with so that there are no frictions or unforeseen events at the time of payment.
Being a freelancer comes with the responsibility of taking full charge and that can be great!
If you are wondering if it is the work modality for you or not, keep reading. Let’s move on to consider what characteristics and skills are needed to be successful in this project.
What do I need to be a freelancer?
Let’s go on to consider what are the requirements to work in this way or what characteristics can help you to undertake this challenge. We tell you what you need to become a successful freelancer.
Choose a field to specialize in
Although you can take on a variety of projects, especially at an early stage, it is advisable to grow professionally in a particular market.
In this way, you are gaining experience on a subject and you can go climbing and acquiring more and more authority in the field.
Have a digital portfolio
Here it is about generating a complete and robust virtual profile. Customers will search about you on the web to meet you and choose you. For this, you need to have a web portfolio where you share your work.
This way, people will be able to see the quality of your performance and will be more likely to contact you to start projects together.
Know more:
Article
Be present and active on the most popular platforms
Online presence is becoming more significant every day, whatever your field. In this case, where jobs are assigned remotely, this is your cover letter!
is the professional social network par excellence to upload and nurture your profile, in addition to contacting colleagues, generating interesting content for your field and participating in debates on trends in your niche or ways of working.
💡 Bonus tip: download our content calendar for free and organize the posts you’re going to spread on your LinkedIn profile, to attract job offers to your freelance venture:
Be responsible and persevering
There are many , but this is a trait that they all have in common with freelancers. The enthusiasm to see your business grow must be accompanied by work and dedication.
At this point it is essential to maintain self-motivation, be curious, keep learning and strive to achieve better opportunities and challenges.
Consider the price of your work fairly and honestly
When you get in touch with a potential client, there will come a time when they discuss the fee for the project they are coordinating.
To calculate your fees and make a budget proposal, it can be useful to think about how many hours of work the task will take you and how much they are worth.
We also advise you to enter discussion forums where information about your particular field is shared, so you will have more context to decide safely.
Another alternative is to check the prices of the competition to have as a guide. In any case, what must not be lost sight of is that production costs are covered.
This comes hand-in-hand with the need to develop self-promotion skills, as we discussed earlier. Remember that you are responsible for making your potential known and assigning a value to it.
Facebook Comments
Disqus