What are the pros and cons of being a freelancer?

In times past, people thought of a way to perform simple tasks from home without having to own an office or work in one. But in recent times, technological advancement has bridged that gap. It has provided seasoned professionals the chance to work as freelancers from their homes’ comfort with their personal computers.

Hiring freelancers online has become arguably the easiest and fastest way to get jobs done. This is especially true with the creation of various freelancing platforms, which is only majorly affected by feedback from places like US-reviews. However, there are several pros and cons to consider before becoming a freelancer; we shall be taking a look at some of them subsequently.

Pros of a freelancer

Workload control

One of the pros of being a freelancer is that you can control your workload as you deem fit, working as much or as little as you can.

Financial freedom

Another advantage of being a freelancer is that unlike the regular 8 am to 5 pm work routine where you hardly get a raise, working as a freelancer means you can demand a raise on a new project provided you are very skilled in your field. This can help you attain financial freedom and save from your earnings with finance companies.

Flexibility

Working as a freelancer gives you the ability to work flexibly. This means that you can set your time of availability depending on the platform you freelance from, giving you the chance to do other things.

Work exposure

This is also one of the pros of being a freelancer. Getting to work on several projects and for different clients broadens your perspective, exposing you to so many new topics and tasks. Working statically for a company or organization may not provide you with enough experience like when you are a freelancer.

Cons of a freelancer

Irregular income

This is one of the notable cons of being a freelancer. As a freelancer, you are always unsure of your next job, especially when you freelance from an online platform, and you have to bid for jobs to get them, unlike a regular day job where you get paid daily, weekly, or monthly.

No employee benefits

This is another con of being a freelancer. You don’t get any employee benefits, unlike when you are actively working for a company, and in the advent that you get sick, you are entitled to some benefits and possibly, time off. Also, there’s the prospect of getting a pension upon your retirement. But as a freelancer, you have to provide your emergency funds by yourself. 

Issue of cash flow

One of the issues of working as a freelancer is that of cash flow. Although most freelancers can set their demand to meet their clients’ needs, they are also charged with collecting payment. But, sometimes, some freelancers have encountered clients that do not pay for services rendered. Hence, freelancers need to ask their prospective clients the nature of the project to ascertain if it’s long-term, seasonal, or ongoing.