I started my freelance photography business when I was in high school. It instilled in me a great passion for entrepreneurship and a taste of what it was like to work for myself. Since then, I have never lost sight of the value of freelance work. It’s a way to pursue personal interests with a flexible schedule, all while earning income and escaping the corporate world.
Sometimes when I discuss freelance work with others, it seems as though they don’t understand how much this type of work has taken over to become a career prospect for many people. The freelance world is still only in its beginning stages, but it appears that we won’t be seeing a decline anytime soon.
COVID-19’s impact on the way business operates has shown the country that it’s far more feasible to work from home than we ever imagined. Now more than ever, people are inclined to take their work into their homes and into their own hands.
According to Forbes, more than a third of the entire current U.S. workforce, as well as 6 million more people than in 2014, are freelancers.
While we still live in a time in which many workers have to physically go to a job and work for a boss, we also live in a time in which there are increasing opportunities to work for yourself. We can thank the Internet for that. Younger generations growing up with online access are realizing that there are other options than working a traditional corporate career.
There are a few different paths freelancers can choose from. One can be working solely on their own, creating a one-person business to perform services for clientele– that’s what I do with my freelance photography business.
Another option is freelancers advertising their work to be hired by a company for a set period of time. There are websites specifically crafted for this purpose, such as Fiverr. Fiverr’s mission is to “change the way the world works together.”
As all freelancers are self-employed, ones hired by companies aren’t considered official employees, but as independent contractors. For example, a company might hire a freelance writer to take care of all its necessary written material. This could include fulfilling the roles of content writing, editing, ghostwriting or proofreading. Perhaps a business requires help with accounting and consulting. It could hire a freelance worker to assist with financial analysis, HR administration and tax preparation.
You can find freelancers in almost every field. What frequently comes to mind is probably creative professions, like graphic designers, photographers, artists or writers. But there are high-demand freelancers in every industry you can imagine, such as software development, marketing, customer service, finance or legal.
Companies tend to hire freelancers because they are more cost-effective than traditional employees. Many businesses and potential freelancers alike are catching on to this, seeing that it is the future of business.
Even if someone doesn’t decide to quit their job to pursue freelance full time, many still have a freelance side hustle to earn another stream of income. A great example is the freelance workers who create products or services that are sold through Etsy, an e-commerce website where sellers can market their own products that cater toward crafty, vintage and handmade items to site users. Sellers can make products in their free time and continue to hold a traditional 9-5 job. Users are quickly realizing that they can earn a suitable amount of money from this line of work due to the site gaining popularity each year. In 2020, over 39 million people shopped on Etsy. It’s become revolutionary in the world of freelance, turning the site into a household name.
The Internet, specifically social media, has changed the game for freelance. Social media allows for users to grow their businesses from the ground up in ways that bricks-and-mortar shops never used to have the ability to do. Individuals don’t need a team running a physical location and arranging billboard advertisements. They can build their brands by marketing themselves online however they wish to audiences across the world. Products or services can be sold in various ways, from direct messaging on Instagram to e-commerce platforms.
Despite all of this opportunistic change, we have only experienced roughly a decade of the growing power of social media for entrepreneurs and freelancers. As time goes on, we can look forward to seeing how much bigger this side of business will become.
Freelance work is a force that has been on the rise for years and will continue to excel in the years to come. From people selling their own grown crops to utilizing large social media followings to earn a full-time income, the modern world of freelance is only growing. The future of business is now.