Is it time to go Freelancing?
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
The other day while enjoying my favorite beverage (coffee), I was asked about when should one concentrate on becoming a full time freelancer? While many thoughts clouded my mind, do you have enough clients, saving in the bank, strength for the long days, patience for bad clients, and resolve for what you are signing up. Quickly closing my eyes, I gave the universal answer…there is never a good time!
Becoming a freelance designer, was probably one of the hardest decision that I have every made. Missing that expected check every two weeks, having a company pay for my family’s health insurance, paid vacations, reimbursement for school loans, 401K retirement benefits, water cooler conversations about local gossips, and a sense of worth in my community…were all gone, with a stroke of pen and conversations between a few higher ups (my boss and boss’s boss).
Good
Freelance work provides a lot of good things. The ability to attend and see my kids grow up. The ability to control my pay, meeting fellow entrepreneurs and building life long relationships, creating on line presence for clients, and speaking and volunteering at WordCamps.
Waking up and growing my faith. Working through work emails, getting my kids up and ready for school. Hitting my favorite waters spot (coffee shop) and then going to my co-work spot. Marketing my business and finishing any task, which was left undone from the previous day. Attending local MeetUp (or going to the gym) and then working on any new projects. Not to mention meeting prospective clients…trying to figure out if we would be a good fit. Losing out on prospective clients, winning prospective clients…many ups and downs. Never a dull moment in the life of a freelancer.
Bad
Fear is the worst part of being a freelancer. Fear of not getting another client. Fear of not making enough money to pay the bills. Fear of loneliness. It is very lonely being a freelancer…all your friends are going to work in Corporate America.
Fear of not having all that Corporate America offers. No social contact, no guarantee salary, no retirement funds, no paid vacation, no water cooler gossip, etc. But now that I think about it…my MeetUp offer social contact, my work has provide income, getting an Roth IRA and retirement saving (allows me to sleep at night), WordCamp are like mini vacations, and my kids provide me with more than enough water cooler gossip.
Conclusion
No time is good for becoming a freelancer. If you are asking, then you are probably looking for someone to blame during the hard times. And the hard times are going to come, but like most things they too will go away.
Image courtesy of Jonathan borba.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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