Things you might want to consider before going into freelance work

We’ve all had that dream of telling our boss to take their job and shove it. To letting a rude coworker know what you really think before walking out. And even pouring an entire bowl of marinara sauce over that especially offensive guy at the table in the corner. No? Just me? Even so, we’ve all dreamt of breaking out of the restriction of our jobs from time to time. A lot of people have found one of the best ways to do this without losing out financially is to go into freelancing. Freelance work can be extremely tempting. The flexible hours, the potential lack of travel costs. It can seem like the best of both worlds. While freelancing is the perfect option for some, here are a few things you might want to consider before handing in your notice.

The hours

The first thing people think of when it comes to freelancing is usually the hours. You get to choose your own hours and don’t have to worry about clocking in on time. Now, that’s all well and good, but it does come with a downside. When you’ve got no fixed schedule, managing your time can become pretty difficult. It can be really tempting just to work when you feel like it and let your routine fall apart. That just leaves you with massive amounts of deadline stress and last minute bursts of working through the night. Now that doesn’t have to happen. But if you’re going to work freelance, you’ve got to be ready to get strict with yourself.

The taxes

Nobody likes thinking about taxes. They’re one of those things we know to be necessary but are also really tedious and inconvenient. That’s why it can be so great when you’re employed. Your company pays you, and you pay your taxes every year. You don’t have to worry about your accounting and can basically let it take care of itself. If you’re freelancing, that’s an entirely different story. When you’re freelance, you’ve got to deal with your own accounts. Now if you really hate it, there is software you can use, and you can even outsource. Just remember that outsourcing can be costly. Don’t get stuck paying more than you need to because you don’t want to deal with the accounting yourself.

The boredom

A lot of freelancers work from home and work independently. At first, this is great! You don’t have to worry about dragging yourself into an office, and no one’s going to judge you for not putting pants on all day. But the novelty of it might well wear off faster than you expect. Eventually, you may find that without the stimulus of other people in an office, you get bored, distracted and frustrated. Luckily a lot of places now have trendy co-working spaces where you can go and work with other people. Minimizing the cabin fever that might come from spending too much time with no one but your cat.

Please don’t think this is meant to discourage any potential freelancers. But choosing to go freelance is a big decision and not one that you should take lightly. Make sure you have a solid idea of all the pros and cons before undertaking such a potentially massive lifestyle change.

You might also like to read:

• Launch Your Freelance Career With Success
• Working as a freelancer: the good, the bad and the fantastic
• The fail-proof way to quit your 9 – 5 job to become a full-time blogger
• A Quick Start Guide to Freelancing
• 5 Ways to earn money whilst travelling