What You Should Know About Being A Freelance Blogger
It’s appealing, the thought of creating your own hours from the comfort of your home. However, it’s not all rays of sunshine. Since you work for yourself, all the decisions you make can have a negative impact on your earnings. There are also many things you now come to expect that you will have to pay for out-of-pocket.
The Benefits Package
When you operate your own business and become a freelance blogger, there isn’t a benefits package in the form of paid medical and dental insurance. A retirement fund, vacations, and sick leave are no more. It can put you in a position of having to make difficult choices and in some cases winging it. You may ask yourself, is whole life insurance worth it?
Earning Enough to Make a Decent Living
In the first couple of years of any business, you remain with your head just above the water. The same applies to the freelance world. However, unlike a storefront, your monthly earnings can vary drastically. For instance, one month you may make a thousand more than previously projected and the other months you barely bring in enough to pay your bills.
Independent and Aggressive
There are certain qualities that successful freelancers have in common. They are aggressive and can work independently. You need to be a self-starter in order to survive. You also need to have the ability to find work and complete projects on time. Knowing where to find jobs takes time and there are many trials and errors that follow. Not all sites looking for people for projects are legitimate. So you may end up doing the work without ever receiving payment.
Distractions
Working from home can also reduce your income potential due to the fact that family members may assume you are available simply because you are home. Having a family meeting can help, but in many cases, distractions in the home can consume valuable time and prevent you from putting in enough hours to make a decent income.
Replacing Equipment
When you work in an office for an employer if your computer fails, they buy a new one or have a technician on speed dial to get you up and running. However, when you work for yourself, if the same scenario plays out, the cost is on your shoulders. In addition, while you’re waiting for a computer technician to come or out to buy a replacement, you’re not making any money.
Living Alone
Working from home means no co-workers to chat with at the office. For some, this can create feelings of total isolation. If you enjoy having the background noise of others working around you, working from home may take a toll on your mental health.
Plus Factors
It’s not all bad news working from home. In fact, there are quite a few benefits. You don’t have to approach your boss to ask for a raise and you can run the business the way you want to run it. If you are not a morning person, it’s not an issue, create a work schedule that works best for you. If you need to get away, you can make plans to leave any time you are able. The same applies to school functions; you can attend without the need to leave work early. When the weather is bad outside, you can admire it from your house window and your commute is a few steps from the bedroom. There are no out-of-pocket costs for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or a new wardrobe.
While working from home is not a good fit for everyone, there are some advantages. Weigh the pros and cons and then make a well-informed decision.