Being a freelancer is not like working in any other 9-5 job. As a freelancer, you’re not restricted to the 4 walls of an office space. You can work anywhere and at any time you want to.
Although there are about 1.4 million freelancers in the UK, not many people can wrap their minds around how a person can work and make money from home. They all believe that a “real” job is one that has to be in the office. As a result, freelancers get looked down upon.
If you’re not a freelancer and know someone who is, here are 5 things you should never tell a freelancer.
- “Freelancing is not a real job”
This is the first thing many people say to freelancers. The fact that someone works at home does not mean that they are not working. The home is just a space, an environment. Work is not defined by the place you’re doing the work.
The real work happens on the computer where the client’s projects are being attended to. They have to make sure that they offer the best services, they send emails, spend hours trying to do everything according to the specifications of the clients.
Freelancers spend hours trying to give the highest quality and put in their creative genius. They give advice and outline strategies to meet their client’s needs. So what they could have done in an office, they do it at home. What matters is that the work gets done.
- “Freelancing is easy”
A lot of people think that freelancing is easy. Just because freelancers carry their laptops and work anywhere, some people think that being a freelancer is just a breeze.
The truth is that there’s more to freelancing than meets the eye. Those who work from home do more than just deliver orders. They pitch to clients, post on social media, market their products and services, send emails, create products and maintain their blogs or websites. And most times they do all these tasks alone. Unlike an office job where you’re assigned to one specific task, freelancers have to do a lot of tasks to keep their businesses up and running.
- “It’s a waste of time”
Most people think that freelancers work from home only to be paid peanuts at the end of the day. That’s absolutely not true. Many freelancers are earning a good income. Many are earning even more than their employed counterparts and are on their way to growing a profitable and comfortable business.
- “You’re only a freelancer because no one was willing to hire you”
This is a major misconception and I am not sure why. I will speak for myself and say being a freelancer was a lifestyle decision. I didn’t want to go back to the job I had prior to becoming a mum, and I wanted to stay home with my kids, so working from home was the only option for me. Working from home gives me that opportunity to dictate my own terms and live the life I want to live without being subject to anyone.
- “You can’t build a future with freelancing”
There are many people who made a great career working from home. Some have made millions from it. What some people don’t understand is that they believe that working in a 9-5 is the highest level you can achieve in life. But freelancers like me believe that running their business will give them the opportunity to earn more and build a lasting empire. The freelance life is also more stable unlike working in a 9-5 where you are worried about not getting a bonus or promotion, or afraid of getting fired!
Are you a freelancer or self-employed person? Feel free to rant in the comment section about annoying comments or questions people have asked you.