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Life As a Freelancer: The Myths And Realities

  • hitmeasap Level X5
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    Life As a Freelancer: The Myths And Realities

    Being your own boss and freedom is the most common answers if you ask a freelancer of the best benefits. Few hours of work while earning full time income is also another answer you'll hear often. I'll debunk some myths for you and give you the reality.

    1. Being your own boss. Yes, that true. You are your own boss. You decide which clients you'll work for or with and you decide whenever you want a break etc. That's quite outstanding right?

    The reality is slightly different. First of all, the clients you decide to work for is, no matter what way you see it, your new boss. Your clients will expect this and that and they'll have the last word in any project as you are hired to fulfill their needs. Your clients are ultimately your new boss and you'll probably end up having several of bosses along your freelancer career.

    2. You decide whether to work, taking breaks or spend your time doing nothing. Being your own boss, being a freelancer, working from home or an office doesn't matter. You decide these things all by yourself. As Rocky Balboa said: "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows." and this fits perfectly.

    In reality you'll have to work hard and fulfill the tasks you've been hired for. Which ultimately leads to the first point. Your client is your boss. They decide how they want things done, when they need it etc. You'll need to agree on their terms.

    3. You'll have more spare time to spend with your friends or family. In one way, that is definitely true as you can decide your own working schedule.

    However, what you must not forget is that your friends are on their jobs. Your kids at school and your wife is also at work. You sit around at home, or in your own office thinking that you'll go out with your friends.. Well, think again. That won't happen so easily.

    4. You need to provide your services at huge discounts to overcome competitors prices. There's a lot of competition, I won't lie. Several buyers are looking for the cheapest deal everywhere and setting your prices too high will hurt your business.

    In reality this is only half true. As an established freelancer with good reputation and credibility it might actually hurt your business by providing too cheap services. Customers are looking for high quality services and they might assume that you provide low quality services by offering them services for a bargain price.

    5. You'll work only a few hours per day and making a full time income. Or perhaps even make millions. There is some people who managed to pull this off so you can too.

    The reality says, you can but you probably won't. Most freelancers are working their butts of 12 hours per day with buyers on sketchy orders, with deadlines to meet. Some buyers never seems satisfied and they can change their minds multiple times upon each order. This is a true stress factor and you will always need to keep an eye out for new clients to accept so you can make more money. You will probably not launch a million dollar affiliate program the first years of your freelancing career, so you better be prepared. Freelancing isn't easy.

    It's easy to become a freelancer but it's much more difficult to keep working as one.

    Best Regards,
    hitmeasap

    #Freelancer #Myths #Reality Freelance
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    hitmeasap

    hitmeasap

    Operating as a freelancer is not about being an afk millionaire at the playboy mansion... But it's usually that way it's spelled out for new people when they're searching the web for "gurus" and stuff. Filled with emotions after reading amazing sales pages with pictures of red Ferraris and all that.. They start their pursuit of happiness... And ends up in despair. It's an ugly sight but it's the reality. Most of the newcomers needs a wake-up call. And hopefully, here it is!
    10 years ago

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    anwebservices

    anwebservices

    I think that freelancing should be understood as serious business, specially if it's only thing you do for living! Freelancing includes a lot of responsibilities for you and specially to your customers. It's not so easy job to do, if you do it seriously! And if it's really your only source of income, you have to operate it like having your own shopping store in large shopping centre. Seriously! It's true that we seating at home and working at our own hours, but many times we have to over do it, because of dealing on international market, you have to be online when your customers are online, from other time zones and it can be exhausting task (to be online at 2 am for best performance) So freelancing have it's own hard times too, it's not just fun all the time as many think it is...
    10 years ago

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    augusta

    augusta

    I Will look at this points as the downside of freelancing with someone with a twisted mind.I have always known and understood that freelancing is serious business and if you don't treat it that way you lose.So I take my work very serious.

    Despite the freedom mantra,I still believe that if one is very serious as a freelancer you might not get that needed freedom because of trying to meet deadlines.
    9 years ago

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    Beverly

    Beverly

    So many things you said here that I can identify with. I got into 'work at home' when my daughter was born as I wanted to earn money and still be there to watch her grow up and do all the things she needed. And, for many years that was mostly affiliate/selling products, writing for Hubpages, etc. It was ok money, not spectacular. At some point, I started selling my skills as a freelance writer and it went really well. Though eventually, I was so busy, I had to invest more hours than a 'real job'. In those days, there was little spare time for anything that I really wanted or needed to do and work was consuming me. As much as I loved working for myself, it was definitely not afkable income.
    10 years ago

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    EliteWriter

    EliteWriter

    Very interesting. Yes, ?I am my own boss and the job is flexible, but I am still often strained that I may not be able to complete all the work on time, and so I have to work long hours more often than not. Breaks are limited, and holidays are almost inexistent as orders keep coming in even on weekends. Also when it comes to deciding prices, even though I set it, it is obviously affected by what others in the same field charge. So all in all the life of a freelancer is not as easy as it may seem to those who have not experienced it personally.
    10 years ago

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    ajlancer

    ajlancer

    Good topic by hitmeasap I think freelancer career is not easy job. Though most of the new freelancer think this is very easy to earning money by some silly job and there has lot of freedmen's no boss and able manage lot of time for friends and family etc. But I do not agree as word of freelancer. Though, I used to say outsource contractor and this word make me more responsible. And as a responsible freelancer you never freedom and you have no off time or holyday. So ,reality is you have not enough time for family and your are feeling you are your own boss but reality is your new client is your boss always until complete his project. Beside another reality is you are thinking as freelancer to do work sometimes or half time job, you will make lot of money. But reality is a as professional freelancer has to do job more than 10 hours each day and myself still working over 12 hours.

    I personally believe The Myths And Realities per away

    Thanks by Ajlancer
    10 years ago

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    sftechno

    sftechno

    Outstanding explanation! Thank you @hitmeasap. Believe it or not that is reality. From the first point everyone think that freelancing means an open field and can play here as own style. In fact,no one does not understand how much responsibilities here. These responsibilities will not allow you the opportunity to move elsewhere If you have a minimum sense of responsibility.

    However, Freelancing Let 's win.
    10 years ago

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    Barida

    Barida

    I think you're right on some of the realities you said about working as a freelancer. I mean that is the reason many are advised not to depend solely on freelancing if there is a chance of getting work in the real world. It was stressful at the beginning, but with time, I have come to adapt to the challenges of working as a freelancer.
    9 years ago

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    Corzhens

    Corzhens

    With the concept of being ypur own boss, I agree that it's a myth. Of course, the client is the boss and you have to toe the line to avoid conflicts. And having more spare time, how could you when there is work to do. If the impression on a freelancer is one with a comfortable job, that's a myth because from what I have experienced, there is pressure and stress.
    8 years ago

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    vinaya

    vinaya

    As any freelancer and he will say being your own boss is the best thing about becoming a freelancer. I have been working as a freelancer for 10 years and I tell you this is one of the myths about becoming a freelancer. When you get a freelancing contract, you are governed by your client. You have to do what your clients want and deliver the work when the client wants.
    Another myth is working flexibility. In fact there is no flexibility. If your clients want you to deliver the work in one hour, you have to do it.
    8 years ago

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