Freelancers - they are a fun bunch. When it comes to competing for jobs, the excitement in the air, and the desire to do the best possible job, is palpable. Freelancing has been around for centuries. The term itself actually came about all the way back in the early 1800's, originally relating to battle warriors, and the battles that they fought internally as well as physically. Indeed, the term has developed over time, to have its current meaning today stand as someone who works "of their own accord", and is free to take on work from more than one employer at any time. Freelance projects can be both short and long-term in nature, the key to it is that the freelancer is not locked in to any commitment past the date that the project is complete - unlike the situation of a normal 9 to 5 office worker.



Many articles have been written on the benefits and advantages of becoming a freelancer, but today I will be mentioning a few of the drawbacks, or negative aspects of the trade - and how these can possibly be solved or avoided if you choose to participate in a freelancing job. Firstly, and most obviously, is the lack of job security. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, once a project comes to an end, a freelancer has no further commitment to the company or person, and hence vice-versa. Therefore, if no more work can be found - you become instantly unemployed. Is there a solution to this? Well, of course if you fail to find enough work you will struggle, but take one piece of advice from me. Make sure you find a new project well before the one you are currently working on finishes. If you are someone who prefers to take on small freelance jobs, perhaps you could line a few of them up at the same time, so that as soon as one finishes, you can immediately shift your focus to the next. Alternatively, ask your current project issuer if they have any further jobs that will need completing after this one - that way, you can continue to work for the same person (if you are enjoying working with them of course).

Indeed, the previous issue can become a problem for some, and is quite possibly the biggest turnoff for the freelancing industry - but the risk of a substantial time period with no freelance projects can be mitigated to a large extent.

Ok, let's move on. I want to mention 2 more drawbacks quickly. The first - there are no company benefits when freelancing. You most likely won't get a nice company credit card to add expenses to, and you most likely won't get a car to use for your travel. Unfortunately, there is not a single way that I can think of to get around this, unless your freelance employer is extremely generous. Secondly, you may be required to do all the financial, legal, and administration tasks by yourself. If you are not so good with all of these things, or don't want to invest the time to learn, then freelancing may not be for you either.

So there you have it - hopefully that's given you a bit of an insight. Go and have a think if this is something that you would like to pursue in the future, then prepare and get started!