Freelancing means doing specific work for clients or independent companies without committing to full-time employment.
A freelancer is an individual who earns money on a per-task or a per-job basis, usually for short-term work as an independent contractor. They are considered to be self-employed individuals that can handle contract work on a part-time or full-time basis and often sign agreements before starting projects.
Freelancing is no mean feat; it requires hard work, loads of discipline, and different sorts of skills to be able to manage client's facing tasks, as well as book keeping and marketing of your own services. Gathering from different points of view, freelancers deal with many different people (clients) all around the world.
Talking about clients, some are mostly flexible and can understand the complexity of the task/project and would agree to a fair quote and timeline for the project, some have limited budget and time and will not accept the technical difficulties associated with the project or task, some clients tend to have unrealistic expectations and unclear requirements.
There are many freelancing platforms all over the web that have provided enabling space for skilled professionals who has decided to make their way as independent freelancer. Some of the platforms are Upwork, freelance, Fiverr, People-Per-Hour, etc
These online job portals allow clients and freelancers from all over the world in a multitude of different professions to find each other and work together on projects. They give people the opportunity to become location-independent, gaining the freedom to move abroad or work while on a trip.
You get to become an autonomous entity and have total authority over what you do and how you do it. These make you Boss over yourself
Without further ado, we are going to look into the experiences of people across these platforms, their general views and perspectives on freelancing, and how they have shared their problems and advice.
I am Software developer. I am not a full-time freelancer but I do freelancing in my free time mostly on weekends. I also have my regular job. I would like to share my experience with being freelancer along with regular job. It feels really great to have multiple incomes. You almost end up getting double salary every month(not in every case).
I have been doing freelancing since last 3 years. Earning depends on person's experience and job type. I do earn around $1500-2000 per month from freelancing.
When you are in freelancing you have to deal with Client in a good way. Yeah, it is true sometimes it gets irritated but it again depends on your client. Some Clients are really good when they talk; they try to understand from freelancer point of view as well. But it is always good to keep good relation with your clients as sometimes it might give you another better opportunity in future, they might refer you to some other client if you are doing good work.
Problems that I faced while working as a freelancer is that it gets monotonous at one point where you are supposed to take a break from your daily schedule. And you really get irritated doing same work again and again. I had taken such breaks from freelancing to keep myself productive with my skills. Because it might make you less productive, sometimes might get demotivated. Very important thing is that it affects your health.
My advice to a novice would be If you are going for freelancing along with regular job then make sure you take regular breaks. Go for an outing. Take care of your health first.
- Answer from Quora
I am working as a php developer freelancer from last 2 years. I make around 60k per month. I do the required task assigned by client to best of my abilities
I connect with my client via skype or facebook. Yes sometimes freelancing can be irritating when you have to adjust sleep cycle acc. To client's times zone. Things get irritating when clients have minimal knowledge about the task assigned and they expect work to be done faster than expected.
Being a freelancer if you are struck anywhere there is no one around you to help you or from whom you can get some suggestions. One more demerit of working as a freelancer is your friend circle get limited.
Do not devote your whole day working with the urge to earn more. Always put your best efforts in every project.
- Answer from Quora
I have been freelancing for the past 6 to 8 months. I am a content writer and have produced content for various clients.
I’ve has all types of customers to deal with. The prompt ones, some who were furious, some who did not pay, some who had great opinion of my work. It really depends on the project and the type of people you deal with. It is however only recently that when one of my clients refused to pay for the services, even after 2 months of finishing it, I lost my nerve.
There is not enough legitimate employers around. Maybe I haven;t been able to find some.
The pay grades, especially for writing is pretty minimal. I’ve had the opportunity charge 50 USD for a 300 word Bio and 70 AUD for a 80 Page Ebook. Getting the right balance between pay and work load is difficult.
You never have a steady cash inflow.
There are chances of being cheated by employers. I have not been paid for a sum of 300$ for the work I’ve done. It gets frustrating sometimes.
It is not a merry world in freelancing.. I’ve worked day and night initially to get my first order. It is crucial to build a great reputation in which ever line of work you choose. Be sure you are passionate about it and can see it through.
Never default on your work or compromise on quality.
NGet noticed. Sign up with as many freelancing sites as possible and genuinely work on your portfolio. The more work you do, the more you can exhibit and more credence to you as a freelancer. That simple. Be patient. Do not give up. The initial struggles might make it worthwhile someday.
- Answer from Quora
"Two sides of the coin" Why i used this famous quote let me explain. Well being a freelancer is an easy task if you have got the skills, if you don’t then work for it. That’s the freedom it provides.
I have been a freelancer Graphic designer for 18 months now and here are the things I have experienced. 1. Delayed payments if you are new in the market. 2. Difficult to get projects you are looking for. 3. Chances of getting cheated. 4. No fix date or day of the month to get your payment. 5. People will not understand your work hence will always bargain or pay you less than you expected.
Now that being said it’s important to know that all this things can be avoided if you have a plan. It takes a lot of patience as you need to be prepared for ups and downs you are going to face in this line and always keep a backup plan. Difficult it may sound but it’s worth it. Can you dream of earning $500 in just 2 days? want to go for vacation and still earn ? Walk into restaurant and feel proud watching your work being used by them? Don’t feel like working in the morning or wish to go for a party at night?
NYou are your own boss but all this things won't come in a single day you need to work and be at your best to get the best, lot of patience and if you are starter. Personally I would suggest don’t get too dependent on it until you have made a name in the market. Live your Dream but as they say "If you learn from your own mistake you are smart but if you learn from another’s mistake you are intelligent”
- Answer from Quora
I earn more than 40k a month.
My employer have been kind enough however, the people u have to work with (co-workers) can be irritating sometimes. I had a problem with one person and I dealt with it by letting my boss know
The challenge with freelancing is that, you may not get long-term projects always or you may not know the depth of a task beforehand and you may price low. It takes time and experience to know about it
From my experience, it is best to work part-time while you are on a day job before you are confident enough to go full-time freelancing.
- Answer from Quora
Whether you’re thinking about freelancing, just getting started, or have been working on your own it takes patience and expertise. Choosing freelancing as a profession does not mean that you will earn your expectation automatically and it’s not as easy as some people think but, for some, it can be the solution for improving work/life balance. It is a lifelong journey that demands lifelong learning.
Learn perseverance and a positive attitude.
