The Business of Design

This week was all about the business of design. We looked into how much money can be made, knowing your value, how to handle costs and budgeting, etc. We also covered freelancing. This is something that interests me, so I decided to do more research on it.

Freelancing

Freelancers are people who don’t work for a specific company, but rather, work for themselves. It is becoming more and more popular, especially with remote working on the rise. Things like social media make it easier to get yourself out there and get started. In this blog post, I will be looking at some of the pros and cons of freelancing.

Pros:

• Higher earning potential: You set your own rates and decide how much you work. The more experience you have, the more you can charge people for your work. People may be more likely to pay more to an individual with the specific skill set they need, rather than going through a company.
• Very flexible: You can choose the hours you work and can take time off whenever you want. This allows you to spend the time you want on other commitments.
• Pick your own clients: You don’t have to accept every project and you can reach out to people you want to work with. This gives you a higher chance of enjoying your work and you can work on things you are passionate about.
• Remote working: With freelancing, you can work wherever you want. This means, even if you travel abroad, you can still work and continue earning money.

Cons:

• No paid time off:  This means the only time you get paid is when you are working. This can put people off taking holidays and could lead to burnout.
• You are responsible for everything: This means doing things you may find boring like research or admin.
• Isolating: You aren’t surrounded by an office of people to bounce ideas off and socialise with. Being at home in front of a screen for a long time can become lonely.
• It’s not fully reliable: There can be times where you don’t have work and it can be slow for a period of time.

 

Overall, I am very intrigued by the freelancing lifestyle, and it may be something I try in the future. The flexibility of it is attractive and I think the work could be enjoyable.