8 Freelancing Misconceptions You Must KILL!

Work from home all the time

Most freelancers are too busy going to client meetings, meeting with prospective clients, working out of the client’s office, going to networking events, working around their families’ schedules, and, you know, running their own business.

The idea that freelancers are sloppy and carefree somehow implies that freelancers just don’t work as hard as 9-5ers. Not true!

It’s not a real job

Many freelancers either go independent by choice or find they like freelancing better, whether it’s because of more autonomy or better work/life balance or a host of other reasons that don’t involve desperation and agony.

It’s true that freelancing still doesn’t have the status of a C-level position in most fields. I expect that as more workers go freelance, a more realistic perception will develop: there are bad freelancers and good freelancers, happy freelancers and miserable freelancers, experienced and inexperienced.

You don’t have a boss

It’s true that freelancers are their own bosses — but sometimes, to maintain a good client-freelancer relationship, you have to let the client have what they want.

The best clients do say: “Here is the task I want, here are my expectations, I trust you to complete it well.” There are also clients who micromanage you the whole way. And a whole host of other people who think “freelancing” means “lowest rung on the totem pole that I can treat any way I want.” This is where freelancers have to educate clients about proper relationships and expectations.

Fun work all the time!

Look, there are going to be boring days. There are going to boring projects or boring revisions or boring accounting.

Also, some freelancers are happier doing work they’re good at for steady clients than having constant new/exciting projects. They love the time they have with their family and they love the flexibility more than they love every single project they work on.

Work whenever you want to

The truth is that every job is insecure. Markets change, companies close or downsize.

The only security you have is the ability to provide a service of value that someone is willing to pay for. Your security is you. This isn’t a mindset, it’s a set of actions — all of which are easier said than done.

Smart freelancers make themselves recession-proof by having multiple income streams, constantly marketing themselves and forming new connections, and staying flexible by learning new skills, new programs, new fields.

It’s only for experts

Another thing which let people pulls away to be a freelancer is that they feel they need to be an expert with their skills. It’s not at all like that, start with the projects you know and keep learning new things too. No one is an expert, learning is a part of career and with time you do learn with your experiences. If you are a blogger, start with writing small articles and gradually you can step towards tougher projects.

It’s all about betrayal

The Internet is full of scams and fake websites which are ready to take registration fees from freelancers and don’t pay back after finishing off with work. But there are lots of genuine freelancing websites also which are very professional about services and payments. Thus if you think that all are fraud websites then you need to change your thinking. Before registering to any freelancing websites make sure you read reviews on different and reliable websites.

It isn’t secure

The truth is that every job is insecure. Markets change, companies close or downsize.

The only security you have is the ability to provide a service of value that someone is willing to pay for. Your security is you. This isn’t a mindset, it’s a set of actions — all of which are easier said than done.

Smart freelancers make themselves recession-proof by having multiple income streams, constantly marketing themselves and forming new connections, and staying flexible by learning new skills, new programs, new fields.