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People choose to take the leap into the world of freelancing for many reasons – choosing your own hours, being your own boss, operating in new locations, and having the opportunity to earn and keep all your profit being just a few.
When IPSE released their latest research to coincide with National Freelancers Day, the annual event celebrating the UK’s 1.9 million people who make the brave step to work as independent professionals, I thought it was worth pulling out the most important reasons from the research that freelancers choose to work in this way.
1. Being your own boss
79% of people work as a freelancer because they like to be in control of their own work. As a freelancer, you don’t have to answer to anyone but your customers and yourself. Working for this way frees you from the employee mind-set as you can choose the people that you work with. And making the tough decisions is your responsibility: Freelancing is effectively like being in charge of your own business, except you are the business, you are in control.
2. A better work/life balance
69% of freelancers choose to work this way because it provides them with a better work/life balance. As a freelancer, you choose how you want to work, whether this working from home or on the move. You’re no longer constrained to a nine to five office environment. Finding the way you work best can be a real boost to productivity.
3. Flexible Hours
61% of freelancers work this way to gain greater control of their work hours. When you’re a freelancer, you choose how, where and when you work. Greater flexibility means that if you want to work at home you can, or if you need time off for a holiday or to just take a break, you can do that. Freelancers can work during their most creative and dynamic hours, and that doesn’t have to mean regular business hours.
4. Keeping the profits
59% of freelancers are motivated by the opportunity to keep their profits, maximising their earning potential. As a freelancer, you get to work at your own skill level, where you can allocate or keep all the profits from the work you do. This provides freelancers with the freedom to then use that money to save for their future and secure their finances.
5. We choose to freelance
Freelancers are sometimes cast as a vulnerable group, but IPSE’s research found only two per cent are actively looking to make the switch to becoming an employee. And only one in ten responded that they turned to freelancing because they had no other option.
It’s clear the vast majority of freelancers prefer and enjoy this way of working. Not only that, but IPSE’s research has also shown the growth in the number of freelancers has come in professional and highly skilled sectors.
Overall, freelancers just love the way and would encourage anyone else to do it.
Isn’t it about time you went freelance?
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