What is Freelancer?

Freelancer is a person/team who is generally hired or works for a employer without long term commitment. In simple, Its kinda contract that goes between a employer and the worker. Today, there are lots of auction websites that offers this service. To name them, Freelancer.com, guru.com, scriptlance.com, and many more.

Why Freelance?

If you have ability and want to make money online just working from home or work in a team, then this can be your best choice to be a freelancer. What’s it all about? Being a freelancer is very different from being employed. There are more risks, but there are also a great many advantages. You are a freelancer if you work for somebody else for a fixed period under a fixed contract to help them complete a project. You will effectively be selling your skills and time, and will usually be paid by the hour – although contracts with a fixed price to complete a fixed project are also possible depending on your field of expertise.

Every freelancer has his or her own reasons for liking it. Some of the most common are:-

• Being you own boss – which can be extremely enjoyable and satisfying;
• More money – freelancers are usually paid more than employees working alongside them on a project;
• Freedom – e.g. Freelancers can, to varying degrees, choose when and where to work, when to take holidays etc.;
• Variety – by moving from contract to contract and company to company, freelancers can develop very varied experience and an impressive CV;
• Less tax – freelancers who take professional advice can also greatly reduce the amount of tax they pay.

Who seek Freelancers?

There are several reasons why companies like to use freelancers.

For example:-

• They are usually more flexible over hours etc. than permanent staff;
• They are easier to hire and fire – and are not a long term commitment;
• They provide skills the in-house team may not have;
• They complete one off or small, regular tasks that do not require a full time employee.

The other major reason companies like freelancers is that they save money. If a company employs you they have to pay sick pay, holiday pay, redundancy pay and employer’s national insurance. But if they use you as a freelancer they don’t have to pay any of this.

Pitfall

Of course, were freelancing an easy and completely safe way to earn a living most people would be freelancers. Some skills are not suitable for freelancing(e.g. where the employer needs a stable workforce and the customer expects to deal with the same member of staff each time). But even if your skills and experience are suitable for freelancing, it may not be right for you. Only you can weigh up the pros and the cons.

Some of the disadvantages you will need to consider include:-

• Less security – freelancers are not protected in the same way as employees;
• Uncertainty – there are usually no guarantees of another contract when your current contract ends;
• Hassle – because you will be running your own business, there will be forms to fill in, rules to obey and accounts to keep;
• You will be on your own – as well as sometimes being lonely, being your own boss means, for example, that nobody will pay you when you take a holiday or are ill.

Want to Freelancer?

If freelancing is still attractive to you, and you believe you can cope with the disadvantages, the next step is to do some research. Don’t give up your job (or spend money setting up a company or talking to an accountant!) until you are sure that there is a market for your skills as a freelancer. At the very least you will need to talk to the specialist freelance agencies in your industry to see what kind of contracts might be available, whether you are suitable for them (or perhaps need additional training), and how much you could earn. Planning for Success contains some initial questions you should also be asking yourself.