The top 3 myths about freelancing debunked by freelancers
Taking time off whenever, pajamas as an office attire, tripling your salary or living on breadcrumbs?In this article, we are going to set the record straight about freelancing by debunking some of the most common myths surrounding it. So, if you are about to quit your job to become a full-time freelancer or have just opened your business, this post can give you a glimpse of what is lying ahead of you.
Myth #1: Freelancing is risky, there’s no income security
Commonly, the nature of freelancing is associated with instability. As for leaving the ‘safe haven’ of employment can leave you with an unstable income and in extreme cases, leave you living on breadcrumbs.
From freelance myth to reality:
It is no secret that for the self-employed no clients equals no income. Especially, starting-off freelancing, it can be tough to focus on your core activity and building the client base while trying to stay afloat with the income received from projects. Thus, it can be advisable to have set aside savings that cover at least a few months of living expenses before jumping into the world of freelance. But this does not mean that choosing an employment setting is always the ‘safer’ option - at least in the long run. For freelancers that have built themselves a portfolio of clients it can be easier to replace a single client compared to finding a new full-time employment and in the context of turbulent economic times, companies can act slow or reserved to hire new staff while they turn to freelancers instead to cover the work needed to be done “now”. And on top, there are clients that look for long-term collaborations with freelancers at fixed monthly rates.
Besides the arguments mentioned above, there are more contextual and individual factors that determine how risky it is from an income perspective to move to full-time freelancing. Just to mention some of them: the amount of expertise gained in the field beforehand, the competitiveness of the field, if one started building a freelance business beside a full day job or if one starts from scratch, personality traits like grit and more.
Myth #2: Freelancers have more freetime, they work when and how they feel like working (pajamas is the new office attire)
Afternoon naps, finishing the work week on a Thursday, working in pajamas in bed? Sounds like freelancing or more like a dream?
From freelance myth to reality:
Freelancing can provide greater flexibility in terms of time management and working locations compared to an employment setting, but it is misleading to believe that as a freelancer you work only whenever and however you like.
Instead of saying “Freelancers work whenever they feel like it”, it would be more accurate to say “Freelancers work under tight deadlines”. Self-employed will agree that working long hours, sometimes even late at night or on weekends, to get projects done on time is part of the freelance job description, especially at the beginning.It takes time and hard work until freelancing pays-off in the sense of enjoying more leisure time than in a 9 to 5 job. While it is true that you have greater flexibility in terms of how you set up your work schedule, you will also need to adapt it at times to fit client needs, e.g. to be available for calls in their core working hours or working with programs that fit their workflow.
And yes, as a freelancer you might not need to adhere to a strict dress code, but your personal image is your brand. And why should clients believe in your skills when you show up to meetings in pajamas, right?
Myth #3: As a freelancer you absolutely need an accountant
Out of fear of getting fined by the tax office for making mistakes with bookkeeping or tax reporting, there is the common belief that hiring an accountant is a ‘MUST’.
From freelance myth to reality:
In Romania, from a legal perspective, there is definitely no way around hiring an accountant, if you decide to operate your freelance business as an SRL. But, if you are opening a PFA, it is up to you if you turn to an accountant for help or if you handle your business admin yourself.
A part of PFAs in Romania argue that hiring an accountant is 100% worth the costs, as figuring out how to keep records for their business and dealing with taxes is complicated and would take a crucial amount of their time if they did it themselves. Other PFAs, like freelancer Alex Galben, perceive managing financial admin themselves as easy, even more so, when making use of technology to simplify it.
The truth about freelancing: is it really for you?
To succeed in freelancing it takes a lot of self-discipline, organizational skills, grit and passion. Becoming a freelancer means becoming the owner of a business, and that is not for everyone. But if it is for you, it comes with a whole new set of benefits and opportunities compared to an employment setting.
We hope that, whether you consider becoming a freelancer or you've just opened your business, we were able to give you a realistic glimpse of the freelance world by debunking the most common myths surrounding it.
A special thanks goes out to our Fairo customers & freelancers from Romania: Alex Galben, Alina Canura & Mădălin Cîrje. If you are looking to hire or collaborate with experienced freelancers in the area of graphic design, education in informatics, content creation or stand-up comedy, get in touch with them :-)