One in every four people in India are currently working as freelancers, making us the world’s second largest freelance workforce today with over 15 million people.
Have you been contemplating leaving your 9-5 job to strike out on your own? Is the thought of whether or not freelancing is a viable alternative holding you back? As daunting as it may sound, the freelancing sector offers a lot of perks that a regular job can’t. It empowers individuals to choose the type of work they do, the clients they want to collaborate with, the location they work from, and set their own schedule, which is why more and more people are motivated to freelance.
As a matter of fact, one in every four people in India are currently working as freelancers. This makes us the world’s second largest freelance workforce today with over 15 million people. With the rising demand of freelancers in corporate and startup sectors, increased contractual work and widespread usage of Internet, this number is likely to increase by at least 10 million in the next five years.
Here are the top reasons why you should stop procrastinating and start freelancing:
Set your own work schedule
As a freelancer, you have the ability to dictate your schedule. You can work whenever you see fit; be it regular business hours, early hours of the morning or late into the night. Setting your own working hours not only lets you work to the best of your efficiency, but also makes ample time for things like hobbies that otherwise fall by the wayside when you’re restricted to a nine-to-five schedule.
Women have particularly benefited from this model as they no longer have to quit their jobs due to social factors and family obligations. Forty-eight percent of Indian women consider it a preferable career choice.
Work wherever you want
Thanks to technological advancements, you can now work from the location of your choice. Be it at home, in a coffee shop, at the library, in a park or while on vacation anywhere in the world, you can freelance from wherever you are as long as you have an internet connection. Freelancing also saves you from the misery of being stuck in traffic or travelling in crowded trains to reach office.
Pick and choose your clients
While a regular job requires you to work with anyone and everyone, freelancing gives you the choice of picking your own clients. You can choose a business that aligns with your personal goals and work with them without any inhibitions. With the freedom to work for who you want, you have the option to say no to clients who are difficult or don’t have the type of projects you’d be interested in.
Be your own boss
With everything mentioned above, it is quite clear that freelancing lets you be your own boss. When you’re working for someone else, you have to take on whatever work falls into your lap and answer to your supervisor. As a freelancer, you have no one around to micromanage you and are the one in full control over the assignments you take on. Also, you can’t fire yourself if you work for yourself!
Get paid what you’re worth
Unlike a salaried employee who gets a fixed amount at the end of every month no matter how much he or she works, your earnings as a freelancer are dependent on how many hours you put in. You’ll also be able to set your own price for your services, which means you can charge whatever you think compensates for your time and effort. This way, you will be able to control your profits as well.
An insight into the Indian freelancers’ ecosystem reveals that a majority of them have a mean annual income of around Rs 20 lakh. Some are also able to make as much as Rs 40-60 lakh in a year.
Beyond the flexibility and freedom to dictate the parameters of your work, another major advantage of being a freelancer today is to be able to live a fuller life. The perks of freelancing give you a chance to rise above the physical, mental and emotional stress, which often comes with a full-time job, and truly enjoy the bliss of doing what you love and at the same time, having a sustainable work-life balance. This is perhaps why 25% of the entire workforce in India is actively freelancing today.
So, you need not think anymore and take the plunge into the world of freelancing.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)