The very first issue to consider is your current employment. Will you be freelancing full-time or taking clients on the side while continuing on at your current job? If you do wish to freelance full-time, should you quit immediately or wait?
If you are anything like us you will probably be excited about quitting your job as soon as possible. However it is worth considering whether to use your current job as a platform to dive into freelancing.
Freelancing on the side while working a regular 9-5 job can help you get your freelancing business started. You can also earn extra cash without the stress of giving up your day job. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of moonlighting as a freelancer:
Advantages
• You can test the waters
Giving up the security of your day job can be a bit frightening. When you work for someone else it’s their responsibility to bring in work and pay you even when business is quiet. As a full time freelancer you’ll be inheriting all that and more.
The great thing about freelancing on the side is that you get to test the waters before you give up the security of your job. It is a little like wearing a swim vest to your first trip in the pool. If it doesn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped and you turn out to be a slow learner, those little balloons of air will make sure you don’t get into too much trouble, and if you’re the next Ian Thorpe then you can quickly slip out of them and splash away.
• You’ll still get paid holidays
As a freelancer you will still take holidays, but there is nothing quite like having an employer paying you to sip drinks by the pool. As a part-time freelancer, you can easily turn away projects with the luxury of knowing that you still have regular work to come back to after your vacation.
• Build a portfolio and stable of clients for future full-time freelancing
When we left our jobs, our employers made it clear that we were not to use any work we had done for them when bidding for new jobs, in particular on our new freelancing website. Not every employer requires this and it somewhat depends on the industry. However, as a designer in particular this can be a significant setback as your personal portfolio pieces could be out of date or nonexistent.
Freelancing on the side means that you can slowly piece together both a portfolio and a client list so that when you do switch to full-time freelancing you’ve already done the hard yards.
• Cashing up
When you have a full-time job and a part-time freelancing business, you will have a good opportunity to build up some cash reserves. As we discuss in the next section these savings will be extremely useful when you switch to full-time freelancing.
Disadvantages
• Less free time
You wanted a full-time job, freelance work AND time to have a life? More often than not that is very hard to achieve. If your job is part-time then this is easier, but even then freelancing on the side can take up your evenings, weekends and other spare time you might have previously had. Finding balance is always hard to do, but being careful with how much work you take on and focusing on productivity will help. These are generally lessons you need to learn the hard way, so expect your first few months to be a balancing act.
• No freelancing at work
There is a huge temptation to start doing your freelance projects while working nine to five. Whether it’s using lunch breaks to finish off the odd job or just spare moments here and there, this can have consequences.
Your employer may start wondering why you take longer to complete tasks, and your stress levels will go up as you invent increasingly more complex schemes to make yourself look like you’ve been working when you haven’t. You’ll likely become all too familiar with “Alt-Tab” to switch between windows to hide work you weren’t meant to be doing.
My advice is to not give in to the temptation and you’re your freelance projects out of the office. If you must mix them up, talk to your boss about it and see if you can find a solution that works for everyone.
• No pressure release valves
When you have far too much work to do, it’s good to have an emergency escape route – a way to get the work done in time without too much drama. This might be working on the weekend. Knowing that you have a weekend or an extra night up your sleeve means that you can relax in the knowledge that if you somehow don’t finish that Monday-due project by Friday afternoon that it’s not the end of the world.
As a part-time freelancer one has far fewer pressure valves since you’re already using spare time to freelance. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew - something not uncommon to freelancers - then you may find that less sleep and a timely ’sick day’ are the only cards you have left to play, and that’s no fun.
• Clients don’t always want to talk outside of office hours
Most clients see the hours of 9 to 5 as those to be used for doing business. Part-time freelancers see the hours of 9 to 5 as the hours when they need to switch off their mobile phone, not check their other email address and at least maintain the facade of working for someone else. This can often cause problems.
You may find yourself making hushed phone calls to clients in corridors or having to deal with irate requests to check your email. Try to be honest with your clients about freelancing part-time. They may expect to pay less, but you will also stress less.
Some office environments might be open to you running your freelance communications through them, but these are relatively few and far-between. Again, discuss options with your employer and see if there is a solution that keeps everyone happy.
• No pressure release valves
When you have far too much work to do, it’s good to have an emergency escape route – a way to get the work done in time without too much drama. This might be working on the weekend. Knowing that you have a weekend or an extra night up your sleeve means that you can relax in the knowledge that if you somehow don’t finish that Monday-due project by Friday afternoon that it’s not the end of the world.
As a part-time freelancer one has far fewer pressure valves since you’re already using spare time to freelance. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew - something not uncommon to freelancers - then you may find that less sleep and a timely ’sick day’ are the only cards you have left to play, and that’s no fun.
• Clients don’t always want to talk outside of office hoursMost clients see the hours of 9 to 5 as those to be used for doing business. Part-time freelancers see the hours of 9 to 5 as the hours when they need to switch off their mobile phone, not check their other email address and at least maintain the facade of working for someone else. This can often cause problems.
You may find yourself making hushed phone calls to clients in corridors or having to deal with irate requests to check your email. Try to be honest with your clients about freelancing part-time. They may expect to pay less, but you will also stress less.
Some office environments might be open to you running your freelance communications through them, but these are relatively few and far-between. Again, discuss options with your employer and see if there is a solution that keeps everyone happy.
• Limited Energy
Having a day job demands a lot of time and attention and it can be hard to have the focus or energy for freelance projects at the end of a long day. Some people love to work, and others need more downtime. It does take a great deal of stamina and commitment to work full-time and freelance. If you’re the type who needs their weekend, then explore the following alternatives instead.
If you are anything like us you will probably be excited about quitting your job as soon as possible. However it is worth considering whether to use your current job as a platform to dive into freelancing.
Freelancing on the side while working a regular 9-5 job can help you get your freelancing business started. You can also earn extra cash without the stress of giving up your day job. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of moonlighting as a freelancer:
Advantages
• You can test the waters
Giving up the security of your day job can be a bit frightening. When you work for someone else it’s their responsibility to bring in work and pay you even when business is quiet. As a full time freelancer you’ll be inheriting all that and more.
The great thing about freelancing on the side is that you get to test the waters before you give up the security of your job. It is a little like wearing a swim vest to your first trip in the pool. If it doesn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped and you turn out to be a slow learner, those little balloons of air will make sure you don’t get into too much trouble, and if you’re the next Ian Thorpe then you can quickly slip out of them and splash away.
• You’ll still get paid holidays
As a freelancer you will still take holidays, but there is nothing quite like having an employer paying you to sip drinks by the pool. As a part-time freelancer, you can easily turn away projects with the luxury of knowing that you still have regular work to come back to after your vacation.
• Build a portfolio and stable of clients for future full-time freelancing
When we left our jobs, our employers made it clear that we were not to use any work we had done for them when bidding for new jobs, in particular on our new freelancing website. Not every employer requires this and it somewhat depends on the industry. However, as a designer in particular this can be a significant setback as your personal portfolio pieces could be out of date or nonexistent.
Freelancing on the side means that you can slowly piece together both a portfolio and a client list so that when you do switch to full-time freelancing you’ve already done the hard yards.
• Cashing up
When you have a full-time job and a part-time freelancing business, you will have a good opportunity to build up some cash reserves. As we discuss in the next section these savings will be extremely useful when you switch to full-time freelancing.
Disadvantages
• Less free time
You wanted a full-time job, freelance work AND time to have a life? More often than not that is very hard to achieve. If your job is part-time then this is easier, but even then freelancing on the side can take up your evenings, weekends and other spare time you might have previously had. Finding balance is always hard to do, but being careful with how much work you take on and focusing on productivity will help. These are generally lessons you need to learn the hard way, so expect your first few months to be a balancing act.
• No freelancing at work
There is a huge temptation to start doing your freelance projects while working nine to five. Whether it’s using lunch breaks to finish off the odd job or just spare moments here and there, this can have consequences.
Your employer may start wondering why you take longer to complete tasks, and your stress levels will go up as you invent increasingly more complex schemes to make yourself look like you’ve been working when you haven’t. You’ll likely become all too familiar with “Alt-Tab” to switch between windows to hide work you weren’t meant to be doing.
My advice is to not give in to the temptation and you’re your freelance projects out of the office. If you must mix them up, talk to your boss about it and see if you can find a solution that works for everyone.
• No pressure release valves
When you have far too much work to do, it’s good to have an emergency escape route – a way to get the work done in time without too much drama. This might be working on the weekend. Knowing that you have a weekend or an extra night up your sleeve means that you can relax in the knowledge that if you somehow don’t finish that Monday-due project by Friday afternoon that it’s not the end of the world.
As a part-time freelancer one has far fewer pressure valves since you’re already using spare time to freelance. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew - something not uncommon to freelancers - then you may find that less sleep and a timely ’sick day’ are the only cards you have left to play, and that’s no fun.
• Clients don’t always want to talk outside of office hours
Most clients see the hours of 9 to 5 as those to be used for doing business. Part-time freelancers see the hours of 9 to 5 as the hours when they need to switch off their mobile phone, not check their other email address and at least maintain the facade of working for someone else. This can often cause problems.
You may find yourself making hushed phone calls to clients in corridors or having to deal with irate requests to check your email. Try to be honest with your clients about freelancing part-time. They may expect to pay less, but you will also stress less.
Some office environments might be open to you running your freelance communications through them, but these are relatively few and far-between. Again, discuss options with your employer and see if there is a solution that keeps everyone happy.
• No pressure release valves
When you have far too much work to do, it’s good to have an emergency escape route – a way to get the work done in time without too much drama. This might be working on the weekend. Knowing that you have a weekend or an extra night up your sleeve means that you can relax in the knowledge that if you somehow don’t finish that Monday-due project by Friday afternoon that it’s not the end of the world.
As a part-time freelancer one has far fewer pressure valves since you’re already using spare time to freelance. If you accidentally bite off more than you can chew - something not uncommon to freelancers - then you may find that less sleep and a timely ’sick day’ are the only cards you have left to play, and that’s no fun.
• Clients don’t always want to talk outside of office hoursMost clients see the hours of 9 to 5 as those to be used for doing business. Part-time freelancers see the hours of 9 to 5 as the hours when they need to switch off their mobile phone, not check their other email address and at least maintain the facade of working for someone else. This can often cause problems.
You may find yourself making hushed phone calls to clients in corridors or having to deal with irate requests to check your email. Try to be honest with your clients about freelancing part-time. They may expect to pay less, but you will also stress less.
Some office environments might be open to you running your freelance communications through them, but these are relatively few and far-between. Again, discuss options with your employer and see if there is a solution that keeps everyone happy.
• Limited Energy
Having a day job demands a lot of time and attention and it can be hard to have the focus or energy for freelance projects at the end of a long day. Some people love to work, and others need more downtime. It does take a great deal of stamina and commitment to work full-time and freelance. If you’re the type who needs their weekend, then explore the following alternatives instead.
