The world is advancing towards a work culture that doesn’t need an office to operate. 9 to 5 jobs will soon become a thing of the past. While it will never go extinct, it’ll quickly become a choice rather than a necessity. Businesses around the world are working with independent workers, especially in the creative fields.
Freelancers have become the number one choice for brands, marketing agencies, and coaches to handle their creative business affairs. The only prerequisite is to be good at their work. Payments have become easy with e-wallet apps and payments through the ACH system.
Top marketing companies have openly praised the contribution of freelancers to their overall revenue. As far as freelancers are concerned, they can monetize their skills into a side-hustle or a full-time career option. Basic knowledge of the business can get a lot of interesting opportunities. It’s a win-win for all.
Rise of Freelance culture in the USA
According to CNBC, more than one-third of the total American workforce has resorted to freelancing. This number increased substantially during the pandemic. A study by Upwork suggests that these freelancers are contributing a lot of $1.2 trillion to the county’s economy. This was a 22% increase since 2019.
The freelance culture has fueled an influx of youngsters who excel in their respective fields. They’re seeking pliable alternatives to the traditional 9 to 5 job culture as young workers consider such companies do not appreciate their hard work.
Upwork’s seventh annual survey entitled ‘Freelance Forward’ surveyed more than 6,000 U.S. workers over the age of 18. They found that 59 million Americans worked as freelancers in the past 12 months. These numbers represent 36% of the U.S. workforce.
How do Businesses benefit from Freelancers?
Not all kinds of tasks require someone to be in the office the whole day. For example, content and copywriters, graphic designers, video creators, and editors can easily work from home. They submit their work before deadlines, and that’s how the cycle continues.
This saves businesses a lot of money in the long run as they don’t have to pay a regular salary. On top of that, freelancers are champions when it comes to connection building. After all, their work relies on that.
They can connect businesses with talented artists and other professionals. This is a precious asset for businesses as they get tested professionals who can get work done.
How does Freelancing Work?
Freelancers are independent workers who don’t wish to commit to one organization. They take multiple projects at a time, and they make more than the average American worker.
Freelancing gives you control over your workload and who you work with. Your income increases significantly when you start to market your services to potential clients.
You decide what jobs to take on, which clients to work for, and your pay rate. The only challenge is to upscale according to the market demands. If you manage to align your skills with the market demands, it’s possible to work part-time hours but make full-time pay.
Here are some apps where you can start freelancing:
- com
- com
- com
- Craigslist
- Clubhouse
Apps like freelancer.com, upwork.com, and fiver.com have the best freelancers for hire. It’s natural that the competition there is immense. It’s home to the most experienced freelancers in the market, who’ve been in the game forever.
As a newbie, it’s best to be patient while looking for a gig there. Focus on building a solid profile that positions yourself as an expert in your niche, and you’re good to go from there. Target clients in your niche so that you can do the task easily and accurately.
Traits that help you become a good Freelancer :
There are a few qualities that a good freelancer must possess. These can set you up for freelance success.
Discipline
Self-discipline is your greatest asset in freelancing. If you have a schedule, stick to it so you’ll submit everything on time. The work will only pile up, and you’ll lose good clients.
Persistence
Persistence is necessary as you’ll need to handle quite a few rejections and re-edit many articles. Once you overcome these hurdles, the road becomes smooth.
Organization
You’re responsible for many tasks. You’ll keep track of your income and expenses, reply to emails by clients, and make sure your workload is streamlined. Therefore, organization skills are necessary.
Proactive
If you want to grow your business, it’s necessary to get comfortable networking with people in the industry. This is one skill that’ll take you places as a freelancer.
Communicative
As a freelancer, communication skills are your superpowers. It would be best if you were willing to have hard conversations like negotiating prices that may shift the deal in your favor.
These skills are extremely important for building a sustainable income through freelancing. Following these tips will set you up for a bright freelancing future. A freelancer can earn more than a full-time worker in a company. The only prerequisite is continuous learning and upscaling.
