October is Small Business Month, so it’s a great time to consider whether the freelance movement is right for you — now or in the future.
One desirable benefit of freelancing is how well it accommodates certain lifestyles, including:
Digital Nomads: White-collar freelancers can choose to travel beyond their national borders and work anywhere there’s Internet access, even on a beach in Costa Rica. Freelancing allows workers to broaden their horizons and embrace minimalism by collecting experiences vs. stuff.
Laptops and Lattes: Freelancers who prefer more a relaxed, creative atmosphere have boundless possibilities for virtual and remote work, whether it’s from a home office or local coffee shop.
Sandwich Generation: Freelancing also accommodates workers who juggle the caretaking responsibilities of both young children and elderly parents. Freelancers can savour their children’s early years and school events, and arrange their schedule so they can take loved ones to medical appointments.
Freelancers as Entrepreneurs
Admittedly, freelancing – like any small business venture – can be challenging, uncertain and Darwinian with relentless competition among peers.
99U, a design and creative freelancing resource, cautions aspiring freelancers to “vet the decision to freelance from the perspective of an entrepreneur.”[i]
Toronto-based freelance writer and business writing trainer Paul Lima advises those seeking a freelance path to be realistic, as “it takes time to develop contacts and generate repeat business.”
Even after emerging victorious from the frantic, blurry haze of the start-up phase, freelancers must genuinely commit to lifelong learning to survive and succeed in business.
How do I know?
In 2013, I launched my own freelance company to help businesses achieve their marketing goals. As an entrepreneur, I think I’ve learned more over the past three years than I did in the past three decades.
Now I (love Mondays and) occasionally use my freelance experience to write and speak about small business best practices to help other emerging entrepreneurs live their dream.
Does freelancing fit your lifestyle?
Lisa Goller is a marketing and communications professional with over 15 years of experience serving B2B, technology, retail and consumer goods companies. She helps businesses tell their story through irresistible content marketing and strategic communications. Learn more at lisagoller.com
Related articles:
The Unstoppable Freelance Revolution
8 Reasons Workers Embrace Freelancing
Source:
i] McCue, Matt. What You Need to Consider Before You Go Freelance: A Checklist. 99U.
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