I stumbled upon a thought-provoking article from the World Bank, according to which the internet economy alone had created 1.2 Million Jobs worldwide. More and more, people from all over the world are choosing to work online. The main reasons to work from home (or start a freelancer journey) are flexible hours, ability to work from anywhere, greater earning potential and more free time to spend with families.
Before you continue reading, I would not advise quitting your own job to start working as a freelancer, simply because there is a certain security that you get from working for a company. However, doing freelance work on the side could be a tremendous source of side income. It would help you advance your financial goals in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. And on top of this, there are other huge benefits of working online.
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Reasons to work from home 1: You can earn more than you did before.
Sure, in the early days of your career as a freelancer, you’ll go with the flow and take the work that you get. But as you grow in the field, you will have more offers and job propositions than you can handle. One of my huge sources of income as a freelancer right now is English/French translations. I get so many requests everyday that I have to decline at least 70% of them just because I can already meet my financial goals by doing 2-3 projects.
Reasons to work from home 2: You choose your projects and your clients.
Employees have to work on projects their boss assigns them, where as freelancers choose their own projects based on their expertise and passion. If you’re a web designer and you hate working on tobacco company websites, you don’t have to. If you’re a writer and never want to write a single sales letter, you don’t have to. You might want to bear in mind that it’s unlikely you’ll ever find a “perfect” freelance or entrepreneur job which is 100% interesting and motivating all the time. There’s still boring, repetitive work to be done (such as accounting, admin, etc.), but the majority of your time should involve doing the things you love.
Reasons to work from home 3: You are in control: your time is your own.
One of the perks I love about being a freelancer is the “FREE” part. I get to choose my projects and clients, but also whether or not I even choose to work. If I plan on traveling at some point during the year, I choose to take on projects that would help me make the money that I need for my upcoming trip. If I want to take the week off to spend some time with my friends, then I have the freedom to decline projects. You truly are in control of your time, and whenever you feel overwhelmed, you can easily take a step back, and start back when you need to.
Reasons to work from home 7: You choose to work from anywhere.
As a freelancer, you dictate where you work as long as the job gets done. Your clients pay for your work, and it’s not their decision where you work. Today, many entrepreneurs and freelancers become location-independent workers or “digital nomads”. They choose to work wherever they like and change location on a regular or semi-regular basis. This is super advantageous for those who love traveling: once you have your computer and a working internet connection, you can stay in touch with your clients, meet your deadlines and hasta vista!
Reasons to work from home 8: You never have to do unpaid overtime again
You remember that nonsense that companies like to tell you about how salaried employees are expected to hand over their free time for no compensation because they’re salaried? That’s not part of the freelancing life. If you’re working, you’re earning. You charge clients for work, and you don’t work unless you’re getting paid. You do the work you love.
Other Aspects of “Working From Home” You Should Know About…
No Employment Benefits
In general, working for a company provides advantages such as paid time off (including sick leave and holidays), assistance with retirement plans, and health insurance. As a freelancer (even with good reasons to work from home), you don’t get these benefits unless you eventually transition to being an employee on the company’s payroll. So yes, you can make tons of money, but not have any of the company’s benefits.
What’s the solution, Clem? Well, if you only do freelance work part-time and you work for a company full-time, keep your benefit from the company you work with. But if you embark on the freelance journey and start working remotely full-time, you can purchase your own health insurance and start a retirement plan with the company of your choice! (which means, more freedom to you!) In terms of paid time off or vacations, you won’t need to “apply” or “ask” for any, because you control your schedule. You can be answering emails on a beach in the Caribbean, for all we care. Once you get the job done!
Way Too Many … Distractions.
The idea of working from home makes you feel like you have all the freedom you want. But even if you have good reasons to work from home, being productive while working from home requires discipline. A lot more discipline than being productive from an office. In between lazying in bed, doing house chores, eating every two hours, or daydreaming in your pajamas, it becomes easier to procrastinate.
What’s the solution, Clem? Create a routine. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg shows us how our success is heavily dependent on the things that we do every day. Structure and routine help us be consistent, and consistency brings progress in the long run. Create a daily routine in which you carve out time for your online work everyday. It is even easier if you pick the same period of time. Outside of those hours, you can do anything else you want. If you want to work online but on a part-time basis, block key hours within each day, during which you will consistently focus on your online work. And keep the same hours everyday.
Cons of working online: Being misunderstood
During my freelancer journey, there were times when my friends and my entourage felt like I was not doing real work, or that I had more free time compared to everyone else because I was working from home. After all, how hard can it be, to work from home?
Don’t be surprised if at the beginning you get those kind of comments from your entourage. They might not always say it, but sometimes they imply it. Their attitudes or expectations would hint to you that they believe your work is not as important as what they do. They might give you a whole lot of tasks to do “at home” since you are at home anyways (eg: all household chores). They might “expect” you to attend to their needs when they come back from “real work”, because you spent all day at home doing… nothing. This is definitely not one of the benefits of working from home, but there is a way to tackle this.
What’s the solution, Clem? Have a sit down. It’s time for the talk. First and foremost, you need to set boundaries and be serious about those. Whether you’re dealing with friends, siblings, parents or a partner, be clear on the hours during which you are available to communicate or do other tasks. I always leave my phone on silence until I am done working on a project.
Secondly, explain to them (in simple terms) what you do, and who you help. Sometimes, people who are not familiar with online work do not realize that it is real work and you help real people. It is helpful to talk about the company or clients you work with. Finally, let the money talk.
When they see you earning more and affording things you always wanted in your life, they will ask you more about that “online thing” you doing. If you’re ready to jumpstart your online work career and start earning real dollars on the side, find out more about my signature course, Making Money Online for Beginners.
Missed “in-office” Networking Opportunities
If you are working online full-time, chances are, team members that you work with are located in different geographical areas than yours. So there is no such thing as “end of year” holiday parties, or team outings. This is because no one is physically in the same space.
What’s the solution, Clem? At my current online job, the manager organized a live holiday meeting. Everyone wore something Christmas-y and share a few things about holiday traditions from home. This was as close to a holiday party as we got. I’ve also had an experience where an online colleague from Jamaica came to visit Dominica for a few days. I also attended a company executive meeting in New Jersey, where I got to meet our “online boss” as well as a few colleagues I had interacted with on Skype for a few months now. All this to say that when you work online, the best way to network with your colleagues, is to travel and meet them.
No Steady Income (At first…)
When you work within an institution, you are guaranteed a certain income at the end of the month. Your company most likely already have an existing clientele, and generally meets its sales goals every month. However, when you decide to work from home as a freelancer, you do the legwork yourself. You have to find your own clients, negotiate your rates and ensure repeat business so you can keep your salary coming. There are a lot of benefits of working from home. But if you do not put in the work, you will not reach your income goals.
What’s the solution, Clem? Be strategic: first, think about multiple ways in which you can monetize your skills. Secondly, apply for hourly jobs (instead of fixed-price jobs) because they tend to give you continuous workflow overtime. In my signature course “Making Money Online for Beginners”, I have a complete module where I teach you how you can make monetize the skills you already have. I also show you how to find people who are willing to pay for those skills. Moreover, I break down the different types of online jobs you can get based on the type of income you want. If you want a one-time, fixed income, there is a certain category of jobs that you should focus on. But if you want ongoing, steady income every month, then hourly jobs are your best bet!
Countless Sacrifices (at first)
Most people who work a regular 9-5 go home, unwind, relax and chill with their friends and family. But when you work as a freelancer, things are different. Even if you have a 9-5 and do remote work on the side. Your traditional “down-time” tend to be your work time too. I can’t count how many times I had to pass on dinner invitations or holiday parties. I cancelled on daytime outings with friends, because I wanted to finish my freelance projects. I’ve worked long nights to complete tasks, keep clients happy and get raving reviews. There have been times when I worked on weekends or holidays, or did not party “too hard”. I wanted to get home with some energy to finish some work projects.
Sometimes, people don’t understand that you cannot always attend social events because you’ve got stuff to do. But I kept going on. Because I had a very good reason to work from home. I wanted to achieve financial independence. And that, I did.
What’s the solution, Clem? Stay laser-focused. Visualize where you want to go. Then, stick to that vision and work towards it. You might have good reasons to work from home,. However, it would require missing out on some awesome events, investing your time, finances or energy in your freelance work. It is important to remain focused and remember why you started. At first it is difficult, but I promise you that it gets better.
Once you start seeing the fruits of your labor, it becomes even easier to say NO to the things that do not contribute to that mission. On the other hand, it is also important for you to remember to carve out some time for yourself. You do need to celebrate your small wins along the journey!
Admittedly, not all successful freelancers (with good reasons to work from home), or entrepreneurs follow their passions. But most do. Even those who don’t find themselves coming to love what they do. Freelancing and entrepreneurship gives you pride in a job well done. Making your customers happy is a thrill. Seeing them come back time and again for more work is incredibly fulfilling.
I hope that this gave you more reasons to work from home. Now, you have more light into all the opportunities that working online will bring for you.
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