Everything You Need to Know About Working as a Freelancer

Everything You Need to Know About Working as a Freelancer Are you a freelancer or thinking about getting into it? Here are a few statistics about the options available to you, as well as the pros and cons of freelancing, provided by Survey Bee. Freelancing: the facts More than half (57%) of freelancers find a new project online within 3 days. Self-employed workers tend to work either longer (45hours) or shorter hours (8hours) than regular employees. $930 million are spent by businesses each year to hire remote workers. The 5 types of freelancers Independent contractors: Their work is project based, however they do not have an employer. Moonlighters: The do freelance work in addition to their day job. Diversified workers: They have various sources of employment , mixing traditional jobs with freelance. Temporary workers: Their work is project based, but they have a single temporary employer. Freelance business owners: They may have hired a small team, but still consider themselves freelancers. What are the advantages of freelancing? You are your own boss. You have the flexibility or working when you want, from where you want. You save time and money but not commuting. What are the disadvantages of freelancing? No steady or reliable workload. You can easily become distracted or isolated when working from home. You dont get employee benefits or perks. What are the biggest challenges of a freelancer? Finding new clients. Project management. Managing legal and accounting matters. Top tips for succeeding as a freelancer: You are your own company, so you must understand the basics of sales, marketing, accounting and business. Networking is essential for getting your name out there and finding work. You cans start with social media and a website. Communication is key. Its important to get personal with customers and build good relationships. Find out more in the infographic below. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]