Are you deciding which work style is right for you: freelancer vs. employee? Deciding which work style is best is something many moms have been asking themselves when they get fed up with the imbalance of a work and family life.
When asking this question, there are a few things to consider. Like, what do I want my life to look like? Do I want to commute to the office every day or create my own schedule?
Learn more about being a freelancer vs. employee, and the pros and cons of both, so that you can decide which career is better for you.
What is a Freelancer?
What is a freelancer? What do they do? A freelancer is someone who is self-employed and operates as an independent contractor.
Typically, they offer a specific service or set of services based on skills and knowledge to business owners. Freelancers can work on a project or recurring contract basis.
We’ve covered more freelancing basics in the FAQ: What is Freelancing blog post.
The best part of being a freelancer is that it allows you to control the variables you work with. Things like where you work, when to work, who you work with, and how much you make.
The Pros of being a freelancer
- Where you work: You can work from home, in the park, or at the doctor’s office– work where you want!
- Your hours: When you work is up to you. During the day, at night, or early morning. Many moms in the LFA program choose to work when their kids are sleeping, so they can get in 2 hours in the morning, 2 hours at naptime, and 2 hours at night. It adds up quickly to 6 hours a day you have to work, interruption-free!
- Who you work with: A freelancer assesses whether they are a good fit to work with someone by conducting a discovery call. You both can determine whether working together would be a good fit or not.
- How much money you make: No more waiting for yearly bonuses or annual 3% raises. You decide how much you want to charge your clients for each project. You can increase your rates for each project as you gain experience and when you take training or certifications.
Learn how to earn $3K a month+ as a freelancer working less than 25 hours a week even if you think you have no experience.
This FREE crash course will teach you all about the freelance industry, so you can finally end the family vs. finances battle.
Cons of being a freelancer
- You have to work to get paid. Showing results to clients is the best way for a freelancer to keep a client as a retainer. Showing them the value you are providing will keep them coming back for your services and referring your business to their friends.
- There is no company making contributions to your 401k, and you don’t have access to company healthcare. You’ll be responsible for making those types of arrangements on your own.
- Working from home can be isolating if you don’t get enough communication with people. It can be overcome by connecting on and offline with other freelancers in your community or niche. Providing someone to talk to who may be going through the same things you are. If you want more ideas on overcoming common challenges of working from home check out this blog post.
What is an Employee?
Employees work for an employer for a fixed-rate hourly or annual salary. Typically, employees contract to work a fixed or minimum number of hours. Employees are often obligated to work in the office. And in a specific role.
Pros of being an employee
- You have a steady paycheck coming every pay period. (It’s worth noting that most employers are at-will employers, meaning they can hire and fire whenever they want. That makes being an employee a little less secure.)
- Many companies offer employee benefits for working there. For example, paid vacations, parental leave, access to health insurance plans, pensions, bonuses, etc.
- Periodic pay increases and opportunities to advance within the company are enticing for many employees.
Cons of being an employee
- The company you work for controls your schedule, so you work when they require you to work. Not when it works for you and your schedule. Usually, that’s between 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
- You work on a fixed salary and don’t get raises until the company allows you to. Generally, once a year or sometimes less often than that!
- You have to commute. Commuting to work takes up valuable time you could be spending on literally anything else. It also decreases the money you take home because you need to spend it on the gas it takes to commute to and from work every day.
- Employees are contracted to fulfill a specific role. Often they don’t have opportunities to try other things to advance their skills.
What is Right for You: Freelancer vs. Employee?
Ultimately, you have to choose what is right for you, your family, and your current situation. (Although, it’s easy to see why so many moms are abandoning their corporate life for a more flexible freelance position known as The Great Resignation.)
A quick summary: freelancer vs. employee?
An employee position is for you if you want to go into the office, collect your paycheck, and go home.
Freelancing is better if you don’t want to commute, be able to work while your kids play or sleep, and if you want to determine how much money you want to make.
If that sounds like it’s a great option for you, check out my free resources to learn more about how to get started freelancing. You will see wonderful freebies like the Freelance to Freedom email course which is a 5-step guide to making $3,000/month working 25 hours/week.
Or read about these women who will inspire you with their freelance stories here!
