Can You Make It As A Freelancer ? Part 1
It is very important to consider all of the benefits and pitfalls of being a freelancer, so you can decide if it is really for you or not. Many people do wonder what the benefits are for pursuing such a dream, but if you investigate carefully, you will find that there are many. Ultimately that depends on the amount of knowledge you have before you get involved, so do you research first.
You need to sell your time and skill set the company who hires you. So make sure you understand the importance of time restrictions and quality control. You will have a lot more responsibilities than the average employee, because your now your own boss. If a company hires you for a particular project then that actually qualifies you to be a freelancer.
It is your choice whether you get paid by the hour or by the project. You will have to negotiate your desired rates with the company and come to a compromise that works best for both parties. It always helps to contact other successful freelancers to find out how much they charge to give you better idea of how to price your services.
There are plenty of benefits for companies to hire freelancers. One thing that they love is a commited worker, so if your prepared to work all hours and be on call at anytime, you will be very valuable. Regular employees are not normally as commited because they only get paid for a set time.
There is less commitment involved when a company hires a freelancer, because they only require you for that particular project. An employee is paid to turn up for work regardless of his workload. However, if you keep solid relationships with your clients, they should come back to you again and again.
Freelancers usually specialise in a particular area that the in house design team are not familiar with. If you are thinking of becoming going into this area, it helps to find a particular niche or style that is not easily available. This will make you a great asset to many companies who are looking for something a little different.
Freelancers are often used to produce small, one off or regular jobs that do not require the commitment of a full time employee. Another major reason why companies will hire is because it actually saves them money. They do not have to fork out for sick pay or holidays, which all adds up over time.