Perhaps you’re considering moving into 2020 with a new goal in mind. Maybe you’d like to increase your earning potential and job satisfaction by going freelance. Becoming a freelancer could be a good idea if you have a skill that you know people want, but going from working with others to working alone does have a set of pros and cons. Below, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of freelancing in 2020. Take a look:
Con: Lacking Structure/Feeling UnfocusedÂ
The first thing you’ll need to consider is how easy it is to feel unfocused. With no structure to the work day and nobody ‘telling’ you what to do, it can be tough to get everything done. You’ll probably still need to have a schedule and act like you’re at work.Â
Pro: Set Your Own Schedule
There’s flexibility in setting your own schedule. You can have an afternoon nap if you wish, eat lunch when you want, and even go to the gym when it’s quiet. Â
Con: Can Be IsolatingÂ
Many people find working alone isolating. You may need to make more of an effort to see your friends and family and speak to people in general so that you don’t get lonely.Â
Pro: Selectivity With Who You Choose To Work WithÂ
You don’t have to take on every client or job. Maybe you feel like you do at the start, but eventually, you can get a little pickier and do only the work you want to do.Â
Con: You Have to Find Your Own Work
The hustle never stops when you’re freelance, because you have to pretty much find your own work all the time. Eventually people may come to you if you build a reputation.Â
Pro: No Commuting Costs/Fewer Overheads
Unless you plan on going to work in a coffee shop or shared space, you will have no commuting costs to worry about, as well as fewer overheads.Â
Unfortunately, freelancers rarely get paid on time. In cases like this, you may need to consider Invoice Factoring to help you get the money you’re owed. Chasing payments can be a pain, so coming up with a great way of invoicing your clients is recommended.Â
Pro: Higher Earning Potential
There can be higher earning potential as a freelancer, and some may say unlimited. You will likely get paid more than in employment providing you’re getting consistent work.Â
Con: No Paid Time OffÂ
You’ll have to plan for any time off you want to make sure you can afford it. You won’t get paid time off for vacations, sick days, or even having a baby.Â
When you are starting out in business it seems like there are costs at every turn. There are so many things that cost money and a lot of them are going to be necessary to spend. You often think that costs will slow down as things get established. But the truth is that business costs can get larger and large (up to 20% more) year after year. Hopefully, you have more revenue to balance it all out as the business grows, but small businesses really are going to be squeezed more and more for their expenses. So, with all of that in mind, here are some of the ways that you can reduce the costs of your business and improve the bottom line of the business.
Reduce Office SpaceÂ
As your business grows, so will the space that you need for your team. While an expanding team can be a really great thing, it can also mean that you need more and more desk space, which is going to cost more money. A lot of larger companies are taking an approach to flexible working these days, meaning that they don’t need to accommodate space for all employees at once, as they are all expected to work from home at least once or twice a week. This can be a good way to reduce costs, and has actually shown that it can help employees to be more productive. So, what is not to love?Â
FreelancersÂ
The cost of having staff can be one of the largest costs that your business is going to have. So think carefully before you hire more and more. When you have a full-time employee, you also have to think about the cost of that, as there are things like vacation pay, sick pay, or pension contributions that you may have to make, as well as other benefits like insurance, for example. So instead, you could look to hire freelancers as a way to save money. They can work remotely (see point above), and can be hired to do a specific job, be paid for that specific job, and then that is that. It can be a good way to lighten the workload without it costing too much money for the business.Â
Improve SoftwareÂ
There are so many different things that can help us to run our businesses in the technological day and age that we live in. So, have you got the right kind of software that can help your business run at its best? Software solutions like human resources information software (or HRIS), is an example of just that. You may be wondering what’s included in an HRIS software? It can help your business with aspects like payroll, recruitment, compliance, overtime and employee expenses, all in one place. Software like that can save time, money, and could even mean that you don’t need a full HR team; again, cutting costs.
 This is only a short list of things that can help you to save. So just look at your business and audit your current spending. From there you can see what does or doesn’t need it and you can make changes accordingly.
