Freelancing has many categories you will choose from. Just make sure your niche is close to your heart. As a freelancer, I want to share to all of you the benefits that I reaped during my freelancing career. If you don’t have a niche yet, General Virtual Assistance is a way to go. As you progressed in your job as a freelance virtual assistant, your skill-set will grow allowing you to focus on your strengths. Experiencing failure is inevitable because you will know where you will be vulnerable at.
There are online freelance training platforms such as FVA Academy, Teachable (sign in required) and Skillshare that will boost your certain freelancing skills.  Now you’re equipped with your own skill-set, it’s time to share you the pros and cons of a freelancer.
Pros:
1. Freedom with a flexible schedule, hours and location
As a freelancer, you will be given an opportunity to do the tasks in a different location anytime. You can go everywhere as long as you have your laptop and an internet connection. As a freelancer here in the Philippines, our internet connection is slow and expensive but still you can work even without an internet connection.
Many freelancers here in the Philippines uses a postpaid plan so that they will have an unlimited internet connection anytime, anywhere. But what if you’re in a location where the signal is low? Of course, you don’t want to travel without any work progress. Here’s what you consider.
Plan out the lists that you can do while you are in a vacation. That way, you will be more productive and will do the job done in time without the help of an internet connection.
2. Unlimited earning potential
Every person out there, including you have a unique potential that can turn monthly three figures in earnings to four, five or six figures. The truth is that those who earn more are often more skilled.
Either learn the skill that is in demand like Data Scientist and Programming, or hone your skills so that you can be an asset to your company and eventually raise your salary even further.
3. No commute / no commuting costs
In freelancing, commuting is a waste of time and money. You can use that time to finish the task. You don’t need to wake up early worrying about your means of transportation or that you will be late to work. That gives us freelancers a freedom when to start working.
4. Getting to pursue your passion projects
As I said earlier, Virtual Assistance is a way to go if you don’t have any experience in freelancing. However, if you have something that you are passionate of, offer it to your clients. You will not treating work as not work at all but a hobby and something that is close to your heart.
5. Freedom to choose your projects
As a freelancer, you're able to choose your own projects. When starting out, you probably won't get to be too picky, but you may have more flexibility as you become more successful. You also have the option of choosing which clients and companies you work with, allowing you to pursue the work that you are more interested in or passionate about.
Cons:
1. Feeling isolated
Even though permanent office jobs can be quite stressful, you at least get to be in a workplace with colleagues to interact with. Working at home, as a freelancer, isolated from the rest of the world can get very lonely. And doing it for a long time may take its toll on a person.
The best way to conquer isolation is to socialize with your family, friends and even social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also play games, or any recreational activities to lessen your stress.
2. No one to back you up if you're sick or injured
One of the cons of a freelancer is not getting paid if you are sick or injured. Stress is a major contributor to poor health. May it be your boss with anger management issues, your incompetent co-workers, your job that you don’t love and even isolation can contribute to stress.
Once you’re in the world of freelancing career, you need to take care of yourself always. That includes your sleeping times, eating habits, and your way of prioritizing your tasks to be done, will take your weight off your shoulders. Of course, discipline is the major factor why most freelance virtual assistants and other online freelancers are successful.
3. Inconsistent work and cash flow
Unlike your daily 9-5 job, your income as a freelancer will based on the amount of the work you do. The good thing about this is that you are in a control of how much you want to earn. If you are short on money, just take on more work or increase your rates until your finances are totally within your control.
4. Difficult to find clients
As a freelancer, you will be experiencing a difficulty finding clients. Finding clients that are reputable is even more difficult but worth the sacrifice. Clients may pay you later than they initially stated, or the worst is that they will not pay you at all.
5. Taxes
Freelancers are required to pay taxes. Here in the Philippines, Bureau of Internal Revenue or BIR will collect our taxes based on your annual income. Annual income below P250,000 will be tax exempt. The higher your annual income is, the higher your tax rates. Every Filipino citizen has the duty to pay taxes and contribute to the nation and freelancers are no exception.
Tax evasions here in the Philippines will experience an even greater penalties. These range from the imprisonment for two to four years and payment of fines, interest, compromise fee, and penalties which could sum up to at least five times bigger than the original tax due.
Conclusion
Now that you know the pros and cons of freelancing, you should understand on how to succeed as a freelancer. A great deal of commitment, excellent time-management skills, and the ability to manage a small and personal business will lead to success.
Freelancing is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and if you’re working with the right people, can be as much, or more, fun than working in an office.
If you are self-motivated, disciplined, and determined, then it’s time to get set up as a freelancer! Just make sure you’re aware of the potential problems you will be facing in your future work, and do your best to prepare for any outcomes.
Learn the skills that are in demand right now. You don’t need a college degree. All you need is your willingness to learn. There are many online courses that offers professional and real life comparable training designed to help even an eight-year-old learn new skills.