People have many ideas about what freelance life is like before entering it. With this, many myths have developed. So, I’ve put together a post busting myths about freelancing:
1. You Have To Start Out An Expert
My first freelance gig was as a digital marketing assistant, and although I had some social media managing and writing experience before, I was by no means an expert social media manager or SEO strategist which were both key parts of the role.
The thing about freelancing is that people have various routes to entering it. Some leave their full-time job and enter freelancing with years of experience.
Others just practice their skills here and there and choose to go freelance in something they enjoy.
The reality is you can be at different levels when you decide to go freelance- you just need to be able to do it at a level acceptable enough to the client and sometimes that can be basic.
However, I’d say you should always strive to develop to be an expert. It’s more about how you finish than start.
2. Freelancing Isn’t Reliable
Freelancing may not be a traditionally steady income, compared to a 9-5 job, as you will be looking for clients continuously.
However, it can definitely be a reliable income source when you have regular contracted clients. Putting things in place like deposits and contracts can help to increase the reliability of your freelance income.
3. You Don’t Have A Boss
Although you are self-employed as a freelancer, you will still be working for clients, and they may want things a certain way.
So orders are still likely to be given on projects you choose to work on.
Some clients may want you to have more creative freedom, but ultimately they are paying for your service and therefore still have some form of control on how they would like the project to be.
4. Freelancing Isn’t Like Starting A Business
The effort needed to market your freelance services is similar to what you do as setting up any other business.
This is coming from someone who is building thier blog as a business, whilst also freelancing alongside this.
You are self-employed and still have to put the work into marketing your services, carrying out audience research, competitor research etc. There are very similar processes you have to go through as a freelancer and business owner.
5. You Only Have To Work A Couple Hours A Day
As you progress as a freelancer you may end up having many clients which in turn means an increase in workload.
And even before you have a lot of clients, you will need to spend a lot of time pitching and marketing your services.
From my personal experience, I have worked more as a freelancer than in university and any other job I’ve had (granted I’ve only had part-time jobs prior to this point).
The main point is that freelancing doesn’t automatically mean less work – it depends on your service and workload. But what it does offer is more flexibility in how you carry out your work.
6. Working from home is so great that you don’t need to leave your house
This is one of the biggest myths about freelancing!
Although it is nice having the option to freely work from home, after a while, it can get boring.
For your mental health too, it’s important to get some fresh air and it’s nice to work in a different environment every now and again.
Simple walks can be something you can treasure when working from home as you don’t experience the daily commute.
7. Your Experience Is Enough
Don’t expect clients to just come flooding to your door because of your experience alone.
Although this could happen, it’s not always the case and should not be an expectation.
Instead, when you decide to go freelance, enter with the expectation that you need to be persistent in pitching and looking for clients.
Networking is also an ongoing journey in freelancing. Word of mouth is a great way to get recommendations and could lead to working on projects.
8. Freelancing Is Always Lonely
There are so many different types of freelancers and because you are in control of it you can choose what types of gigs you want. Some freelance gigs may mean you go into an office to work for clients (these are sometimes called contractors). But even if you’re not a contractor, you can choose to put yourself in environments where you are around other freelancers, through co-working spaces for example.
It doesn’t always or by default have to be lonely as a freelancer. We just have to do more work to connect with other freelancers.
9. You Can Never Take A Break
Again, as a freelancer, you have flexibility over your schedule and so if you really want to, you can make a schedule that ensures that you do get a break. This is something I would highly recommend, as it will help to prevent burnout. Overworking can cause stress, which can then affect the performance of your work. This is not good for your business or your client.
I hope these myths about freelancing have helped you understand more about the reality of freelance life if it’s something you’re considering going into.
If you’re looking for insight into how to become a freelancer, check out this post.
Also if you are at the start of your freelance journey and looking for some guidnace, have a look at my Beginner Freelancer E-course.
