Today, I am here to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions that folks have about being a freelancer. So if you are a freelancer, please do add on to the list in your comments below.
1. We have a lot of time
Totally true if you fail as a freelancer. Because that means you don’t have much work incoming to you.
2. We can work our time around your needs
A shoutout to my friends and my family! I can’t push back my clients’ work just to run errands for you. A promise is a promise and deadlines have to be kept strictly.
3. We are just hanging around
We don’t wait for jobs to drop from the sky. We have scout for leads and network among our friends to get leads. Even you are a top freelancer, there is lull period which you have to fill in the holes by generating interest in your work.
4. We are Cheap
Well, you can hire lower fees freelancers to work for you but you can’t expect high quality from them. As the saying goes..”You pay peanuts, You get monkeys.”
5. We work in our Pajamas
May be true for some but not for me. While I don’t deck out in office suits and makeup, I do dress up at home. This because I do get clients wanting to do Skype video calls sometimes to discuss the ongoing of the task assigned to me. Besides, it makes me truly feel that I am working and this more productive.
6. Freelancing is easy
Whoever said that, have never been a freelancer before. We manage our time, we clock in our hours, we monitor our own accounting, we juggle between clients and tasks. In short, we are running a one man business, managing everything ourselves. And who says doing business is easy?
7. Freelancing is not a real job
How do you ever define a real job? By salary? Then a banker can always tell a Starbucks barista he is not having a real job and a millionaire investor can tell the banker, he is not having a…the cycle goes on. Or do you define a real job by time input? I worked from 9am to 9pm every weekday, that’s 4 hours more than an average worker.
8. We can work anywhere
To some extent it is true, however, not everywhere provides good and stable public wifi. Sometimes I handle confidential clients’ information and I need to be careful that these information does not leak out. Hence, a conducive work environment is crucial to productivity. I am lucky to have a home office build in for me that I have dedicated 100Mbps internet bandwidth and I work on both my Mac and my Lenovo with a display screen.
9. I get to turn down clients
True to a certain extent. However, in the beginning, there is no such luxury unless the client is being ridiculous and demanding. I just have to work harder, smarter and input longer hours. Now I can pick my clients but only because I want to ensure the quality output is worth my clients’ money.
10. Being a Freelancer is better than being employed
You’ve got to weigh in the pros and cons. Being a freelancer will only make you rich in knowledge and not in the pockets. Although you’re in control of your fate, but being employed means you are more secure in terms of monthly income.
Do you agree with the above? Or you have more to add on? Share with us in the comments below.
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MiddleMe 
Hey Kally! Wanted to ask you, what’s the best way to get paid through Upwork? I’m thinking of going with direct deposit but wasn’t sure if that was thee best option, any suggestions?
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Most of the freelancers uses PayPal because we don’t have direct deposit option. It is boil down to your preferences and if your bank charges admin fees.
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Okay thank you!!
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You’re most welcome
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I think the trick is getting into the freelancing industry and getting clients. That is something I’ve always struggled with for freelance writing, and so most of the time I’m happy to do one-off articles for free for websites that don’t pay. At one point a website I was writing for did pay me, and your points stuck by me. It is true that while freelancing family doesn’t always come first. If you don’t think of your clients, how would they trust you to do what they have asked you to do…
Sometimes when I’m writing on the side outside of my real day job (even if I don’t get paid), I like to put on a nice lipstick. That includes when I’m blogging or writing my book 😀
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I think freelancing is just like running your own business, only on a smaller scale.
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Very nice this is, Kally. You have probably answered every myth related to free-lancing here. I haven’t done free-lancing yet but these are the tips to follow if I ever go for it.
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Thanks for the support, Hammad!!
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Agree with this. For me and my wife it is much better to have our own “business” rather than being employed somewhere and being nearly whole day away from home.
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This is current trend on the rise as jobs get cut away with economic downturn.
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Agree! 😄😃🤔😏
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Welcome on board MiddleMe!
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Great info here and pretty much clears most assumptions! Thanks!
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You’re most welcome!
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Are those your feet kally?
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Nah.. I have nice feet than those. Oops!
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He he cul
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I agree with the post
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Every time I read a post I understand the pain you go through. I’m a self-employed photographer and people always think I have lots of free time to help them. Sorry, Mr. Whiskers comes first, folks! As always, thanks for an awesome post.
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I guess you also face the problem that friends ask you to take their photos for free since you are a friend and a photographer.
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Excellent post! Very true points!
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Thank you, Noor and welcome to MiddleMe!
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I totaly agree. I currently work at home. And its not as easy and extravagant as other people think. And true enough, not everywhere provides good and stable public wifi.
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It is definitely not as glamorous or as relaxed as everyone made out to be.
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I couldn’t agree more Kally.
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Reblogged this on Ancien Hippie.
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I have heard so much about the stay in Pajamas stuff. No one sees me at home, but my mood is so laY around and “watch” a movie if I do that. Not get anything done, so unless I really want the day to be like that or am really sick, I get dressed. And I know your job is not easy. I tried doing it before and you are a better person than me in this respect. You do seem like you are gifted in it, though it probably took time to get so well at doing it.
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I totally agree with you, Kally.
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Thank you for your support!!! Have an awesome rest of the week!
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