Wondering if freelancing is the natural next step in your career? There are many claims that freelancers make more from the comfort of their home than the average worker working out of an office. But why is it so? What makes freelancing easy and profitable? Let’s have a look.
Who Are Freelancers?
A freelancer is an individual with a certain set of highly valued skills and works for multiple clients for a price. They set a lot of the rules on their own, that is, how to price their service, work hours, etc. This flexibility is the most attractive quality of freelancing. You have more control over your day and schedule, and are not obligated to follow a 9-5 schedule.
Freelancing did not catch on so much in its genesis because it was a rather unstable career option and didn’t make much money. However, now with advancements in technology and digital marketing, it is easier than ever to work remotely with all tools necessary. Additionally, a recent trend has seen businesses running a small onsite team with remote employees supporting it from the outside. This is partially because they can cut down on costs by hiring offsite employees. But also, this way they are also not restricted to talent within their immediate location.
Some common freelance gigs are:
- Writing and editing
- Translation
- Graphic design and photography
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Digital marketing
- Social media marketing
- Video editing
- Virtual call center services
- Virtual assistant
- Web developing and programming
- Bookkeeping
- Online tutoring, and more
So, you can see that a lot can be achieved through freelance work. Anyone skilled in these fields can easily switch to freelancing and work from home.
How Much Do Freelancers Make and How Do They Do That?
Now, for the real question: how much can a freelancer make? This ultimately depends on the skill level of the person applying for the gig as well as the company they are applying to. According to ZipRecruiter, as of February 2020, the average hourly rate for a freelance writer is $31/hour, averaging to about $64,004/year. The average hourly rate for graphic designers and web designers is $27/hour, averaging to about $55,642/year. These are some promising figures. And, these are not all full-time freelance gigs. It is possible to do more than one remote job at a time because of this career option’s flexibility.
Freelancers and Technology
Most freelancing happens over the internet. And so, most freelancers have access to a strong internet connection, which by itself contributes greatly to the success of your freelancing projects. Additionally, you can run your email, chat, and business phone from the house. You can get phone numbers for businesses through a cloud-based phone service provider and have local and international calls forwarded to your personal number. This helps you connect with potential clients outside of your location at a reasonable price while keeping your business and personal calls separate.
And on top of this, you can also get access to necessary software or tools online. A lot of project and content management systems and CRMs work through their website and online portals. So, you do not need to be physically present in an office using its intranet to get work done. And if your freelance gigs are within the same field, then you do not need to purchase extra software. For example, if you’re a graphic designer working on Adobe Photoshop, you can use that account for all your projects and don’t need to invest in different ones.
Is Freelancing the Path for You?
Because of these reasons, working from home or working and traveling are growing trends. People want to work from the comfort of their home or as they travel the world. And then want to cut down on transportation costs, spend more time with their families, etc. More importantly, with access to the internet, people can go back to school or utilize online tutorials to expand their skillset. Freelancing allows you to do all of this, if you get it right and manage your time effectively.
This article was written by Global Call Forwarding (https://www.globalcallforwarding.com/), a virtual phone service provider offering services to businesses across the world.
Author Bio: Meryl D’Sa spends her days writing, reading, watching shows, and staring at her cat.