Being your own boss is the way to go! Freelance is the dream! You get to determine how much you earn. Flexible working hours, give you the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends. You’re not limited to a cubicle. Instead you can carry your laptop and work anywhere – from a hotel lobby to your favourite café.

Before you transition into the freelance lifestyle, you’re going to have to have to take risks. Because, let’s face it, it’s a risk to leave the safety of the cubicle. It’s a risk to move into a career that is unfamiliar to society. No matter what anyone says, the life of a freelancer is worth it.

Here are some of the most common risks you will face as a freelancer and how you can embrace the risks and make the most out of your journey as a freelancer.

Taking responsibility for the progress of your business

A 9 to 5 runs pretty much on autopilot. Most times you’re not really concerned about whether the business is doing well or not, so long as you finish your assignments or projects and meet the deadlines. But as a freelancer, you are in charge of your business, and you are the one who determines the progress and vibe of your business. If your business is failing, you have no one to blame but yourself. This can be overwhelming as the pressure is always on to be and stay successful at what you do.

Don’t let this discourage you. See your freelancing business as an opportunity to dictate the flow of your business. Being in charge is the most empowering thing ever.

Your income is not going to be stable

Just like every business, you’re going to face some down time in your freelance career. Unlike a 9 to 5, freelancers don’t get a fixed salary. Their income is determined by the volume of projects they get to handle. But there will be days when you will make a lot of money and there will be days when you won’t make a penny. This makes budgeting really difficult as you can never know how much you’ll get at the end of the month.

Don’t let this discourage you. An unstable income is a great opportunity to push you to come up with creative ideas to increase the volume of work coming to your business. You can set up programmes, pitch to potential clients, go into coaching and create courses. These help open the doors to various streams of income.

Working from home will make you lazy

There’s a huge difference between working from home and working in an office. The office gives you the illusion of serious environment where everyone is engaged in one project or another. If you’re working from the comfort of your home, the tendency to lounge is high. There will be days when you won’t feel like working when you can probably sit on your couch and watch a movie.

Don’t let this discourage you. Working from home will teach you to be disciplined with your time and space. Having a special corner where you do all you work and defined working hours would help massively. Be open with your family members and let them know that your working hours and be sure to set your boundaries.

Are you a freelancer? How do you deal with the uncertainty? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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