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The Ten Blessings of a Freelancer

A lot of designers today work as full- or part-time freelancers. It’s quite easy to find lots of articles on how hard freelancing can be, but this time I’ve decided to write an article dedicated to all the positive things.
Yes, freelancing is hard work – harder than you can imagine, but it also has many benefits. The flexibility you get is the most important thing that you will notice right away. Remember to use it the right way.
Here are 10 of the best things you will experience from being a freelancer!

1. Doing what you love

Picture by Billy Alexander

Even though you have to prepare to do many extra things, like book-keeping and such, being a freelancer in a self chosen niche means you will get to do what you love a lot. Being able to support yourself by doing something you really love isn’t reserved for just anyone, it takes passion, but this thing alone can make many a hard day worth it. And usually the results will be better as you often do a better job with your designs/products when you love doing it.

2. Choosing your own projects

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You will have the freedom to choose which jobs to take and which to pass on. In early phases of your freelancing career you will probably have to say yes to most things, but after a while you will be able to decide more. This means that you can go for projects close to your skills and do work that you can stand completely behind for the future. This again will lead to you being happier and giving better service.

3. Building your own future

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No matter what your dream is, there’s a good chance that freelancing can help put you in the right direction. By building up a good portfolio, saving some extra money, and building up a reputation for yourself you can create something great for your future. This is one of the best motivations one can have.

4. The possibility to earn well

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Even though the hard work can tear you apart at times, you have some golden opportunities as a freelancer. If you need to earn extra cash in periods, you always have the chance to work extra hours as long as you have projects. You can take advantage of this by turning that extra effort into extra dollars for a vacation, a new car, your dream wedding, or anything else you may want. If you stay on top and make good decisions you will see that you can really make some good money, and budget things yourself.

5. Being your own boss

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As challenging as this can be, it can also be a blessing. You get to make the decisions so you have yourself to blame or credit. The feeling of success can be priceless, especially when the success comes from decisions you have made yourself.

6. Shaping your work environment

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Being a freelancer also means that you decide where to work from. You can get the colors, furniture, equipment you want – as long as you can afford it. If you work best with the radio on there wont be anyone there to complain. You can share your office with other freelancers from your area, or maybe work from the client’s office on bigger projects. All of this can be such a great relief and give you the perfect environment in which you can work more efficiently and have a better time doing it.

7. Planning your own days

Picture by Zsuzsanna Kilian

This point is great for many of us, but to be efficient one must be disciplined. It means that you can plan your work-hours to fit how you work best. Maybe you work better after a certain hour of the day. Instead of working 9-5 you can work 7-3 or 10-6. This leaves you more efficient while having time to do other things too. If you have a dentist appointment in the middle of the day you can also adjust this to fit into your schedule. This flexibility can be a great blessing for many. Just remember to stick to the schedule!

8. First hand client contact

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Whereas you maybe earlier didn’t have personal contact with all clients, you now will. Get to know your clients as well as possible. This is an excellent way to socialize and get valuable feedback. Not only can clients provide income, but many can provide valuable knowledge and skills. Also the chance of misunderstandings will decrease as there are fewer people between you and the actual clients. After getting to know your client you will be able to better “custom-fit” their service equaling better results!

9. Vacations

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While some people cant get their vacations on the exact days they want, being a freelancer means you can plan to have your vacations when the rest of your family has them, without anyone arguing. You can plan project deadlines around your wanted vacation time and voila! Sunny Beaches! Just remember to stick to that schedule!

10. Being around your family more

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As already mentioned you can plan your days to fit you better and put your vacations to when your family can take time off. Another awesome thing is that you can do small adjustments to be around your family more, even if you sometimes work more in total. You can go to a school show with your kids by working in that hour the day before, always leave for work half an hour later to follow your kids to daycare or start a bit later to give your better half a bedside breakfast on special occasions. As long as you are able to make up for these hours by working them in you can do almost anything you’d like. If you also have a home-based office this makes being around the family even easier.

Conclusion

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Being a freelancer can have many great benefits for you, IF you have discipline and work hard. There are many obstacles to overcome, but if you take the required precautions, and have faith in yourself, it is possible to land on your feet. Before considering to quit your regular job you need to think through all positive and negative things related to this. In this article I mentioned the better sides of being a freelancer, but make sure to go out there and read up on all aspects of it. Maybe you have some friends working in freelance that can help you by sharing their experiences.

Last but not least, I wish you the best of luck!