Freelancing can be very rewarding, but it can also be frustrating. It depends on many factors, such as your lifestyle, organizational and self-promotional skills, but the business environment is also very important.
The infographic below shows us some of the top pros and cons reported by some of the 42 million of freelancers in the U.S.A. It also shows what are the top professions among freelancers, their average salary compared to regular 9-5 jobs and some other interesting insights into the world of freelancing.
Pros and cons of being a freelancer
- Freelancers reportedly earn more on average than their office colleagues.
- There’s the benefit of being your own boss, or being able to take a break whenever you need it, work from the comfort of your home or a cafe, do some exercises or just stretch.
- As one of the pros, freelancers state work/life balance, but this can be pretty arguable due to the “feast or famine” cycles bringing too much work sometimes and long periods of drought other times. I believe that with time and reputation it becomes easier to manage and schedule projects in order to have more balanced loads of work during the month/year.
- Another problem many freelancers face is finding enough clients to fulfill their financial goals, or having to take care themselves of the health and social insurance.
- There’s also the issue of procrastination. When lacking a fixed work time, it’s easy to get distracted and start procrastinating, which kills productivity and increases stress levels. For that you have to have great organizational skills, focus and self-motivation.
How about you?
As stated at the bottom of the infographic, freelancing is not for everyone. Do you have what it takes to be a successful freelancer? Do you prefer freelancing or a regular job?
One response to “Why you should (not) be a Freelancer #Infographic”
Interesting related read:
Entrepreneurs: How to Cope With Pressure:
http://www.bidsketch.com/blog/everything-else/pressure/