7 advantages and disadvantages of working from home as a freelancer

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In this article, I will show you the advantages and disadvantages of working from home as a freelancer.

Thanks to communication technology, working from home has become a reality that many can access.

With its advantages and disadvantages, more and more professionals are deciding to bet on independent work, that is, freelance.

Among the most obvious advantages is everyone’s dream: to be your own boss. And all that this entails, of course.

Of course, not all work can be done remotely. But much of today’s office work can be done seamlessly from anywhere with a PC and the internet. 

All work involving only software and the internet can be worked remotely.

The most common areas are design, programming, marketing, writing, and the like. But there are many more jobs you can do from home.

Of course, deciding to freelance is a decision that takes time for some.

Advantages and Disadvantages of working from home as a freelancer

If you have not yet taken the step or if you are starting with freelance work, today we tell you the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.

Advantages of working from home

These are some of the advantages that you can weigh when choosing to work from home.

1. Don’t deal with traffic

Forget about traffic and crowds, public transport or problems with your vehicle. Or the long lines to board the subway. You just get up, turn on your computer, and you’re ready to go.

By working from home, you start the day fresh, because by not moving around, you avoid the fatigue and annoyance of the crowds, especially if you live in a populous city.

Therefore, one of the advantages that you will feel when working from home is that peace of mind of not having dealt with traffic.

2. You save money

Another advantage of working from home is that not only do you not lose valuable hours of your life in traffic, but you also save that money on gasoline or transportation (not everyone has the benefit of receiving transportation subsidies).

On the other hand, the cost of eating out is very high when compared to shopping and cooking at home. (Of course, you will have to make your time to make the food).

In addition, you save on office clothes, shoes or any other cost related to the look you must have to present yourself in an office.

3. More time with the family

Another advantage that is definitely highly appreciated is that you have more time to spend with your loved ones.

If your child is sick, you can stay home to take care of him. IF grandpa needs supervision, you won’t leave with the remorse that he is left alone. At the end of the day, you will also have more time to spend with them and share.

Or if your pet needs to be taken to the vet urgently, you can take care of it easier. And you don’t have to do it during work hours. You can go in the afternoon, calmly. 

While others are barely on the way home, you are already there and just go to the vet.

4. More flexible hours

When you work from home, you have the facility to adjust your schedule to any eventuality or even take a day off. Or a few more hours of sleep if you feel very tired.

As long as you are meeting your delivery times, you can move your schedule and make it more flexible. 

Even plan a getaway or vacation whenever you want. Contrary to a company, where you have to wait a year to have a vacation.

If you need a break during the day, you can take it. Or if your friends or family call you for lunch together, you also have the possibility.

On the other hand, in moments that you have free, you can advance pending things of the home to have clearer the weekend.

Just make sure you’re really doing things and enjoy the flexibility that working at home offers you.

5. You work more relaxed

There is no doubt about it. Not only should you not deal with the classic problems that can occur with colleagues or superiors. But you can also work as you want, even in pajamas, if you prefer. 

You can literally work in slippers and shorts if you want and nobody will tell you anything. 

As long as you can be presentable when you need to make a video call, there is no problem. Remember to have more formal clothes on hand for this or in case you suddenly have to meet a customer in person.

For the rest, working at home you can go to work on your terrace or on your favorite sofa. 

There are no long and boring meetings and you don’t have to follow any rules about how much coffee is the best you can have or where not to leave your things.

Nor will there be anyone to monitor your phone calls, browsing history or your trips to the bathroom, as sometimes happens in offices. This allows you to work more calmly.

In addition, you can create your personalized environment. Your ideal space. You can put the calendars you want and the decoration you prefer. 

The air conditioning will be at the temperature you decide, the lighting, the noise level, etc.

Everything to make you feel more comfortable. After all, you are at home. You can put it as you like.

6. Fewer distractions

This, of course, depends on each home. But generally in an office people talk to you, the phone rings (and it wasn’t even the call for you). 

Others ask you for help with things that don’t even have to do with work. What’s more, some just want to tell you a gossip or what they saw the other day, and so on.

At home, you can close the door, put on your headphones, and focus on what you’re going to do.

If you are going to make an important call, it will also be easier for you to speak than in an office full of voices. You won’t have to run to find an empty room to be able to answer someone on the phone.

Of course, if you have children or a pet, this could be less straightforward. But even so, it’s easier to ask your child to come out for a moment than to dispatch everyone in the office to hear.

7. You organize yourself better

If you are the type of person who likes to work alone and with a specific method, working from home gives you the possibility of having your own space and without the mess that others leave.

In addition, you can follow the method you want and not adhere to meaningless rules that sometimes only duplicate steps and effort, nor do you owe it to the bureaucracy or to the time of anyone else.

Disadvantages of working from home

Of course, as utopian as the benefits of working from home sound, not everything is perfect in life.

So is. Not working for a certain company and working at home has not only advantages, but also disadvantages to weigh. In fact, some of the advantages mentioned above can be a double-edged sword, as you will see below.

1. Lack of self-discipline

If you are not good at keeping track of your workload and you do not have the discipline to follow the schedule that you stipulate, even if you know that you are tired (and want with all your might to go to waste time chopping something in the kitchen), Without the guidance of a superior, it may be difficult for you to bring the level of productivity and discipline to fulfill what has been entrusted to you.

Self-discipline is an essential skill. If you don’t have it, you should work on it.

The solution: Establish a routine with specific schedules, eliminate distractions and focus with all your might on getting the job done every day, without leaving pending.

2. Difficulty separating work from personal life

Of course, part of the idea of ​​working from home is to have more time for yourself and yours. 

But some people find it difficult to find the balance or the limit to say “no, I no longer have time” when it comes to taking care of things at home, thus neglecting work.

Conversely, others find it difficult to get to the end of the afternoon and say “it was enough for today” and turn off their computer at once. 

Some even forget that it is time to eat at the right time. Above all, if you live alone, this can happen to you often.

Either case is a problem since you must have effective work time and rest time as well.

One solution: If you find it difficult to close your tasks or the day, you can set an alarm that sounds at the time you usually have lunch and another one at the time when most offices close. 17:00 or 17:30 is a reasonable time. After that, close it, get up and go do something else.

3. Domestic distractions

Now you will be thinking: “but if they said a while ago I would have fewer distractions.”

Of course, working from home offers you fewer distractions from colleagues and bosses. 

But if you don’t have space specially reserved for work at home, you could simply be distracted by anything else.

Maybe fall into the temptation to go watch Netflix. Maybe stay playing with your pet … Or maybe there are noisy neighbors who distract you.

On the other hand, you might be tempted to take a nap or go to the kitchen for a coffee and stay doing something else that demands your attention at home.

The ideal so that this does not happen: Try to accommodate your work space in a room away from outside noise (preferably facing the garden and not the main street). 

If you can make a small investment in benefits that isolate noise or minimize it, the better.

Also, do not bring snack food at the time you are working. Have water on hand if you want, but don’t be getting up every moment. 

That way you will also avoid going to bring anything and that anyone at home gets in your way and starts talking.

4. Expenses and inconveniences of adapting a home office

Of course, we are not talking about a massive expense, but remember that you must have a piece of furniture where you can work quietly and in a comfortable position. 

Also, you may need something like a printer, scanner, or small file cabinet.

When you are at home, you will also use electrical energy that you did not previously use in your hours outside, so you may notice a small increase in your energy bill. 

Not to mention the water (you will be surprised that it runs out faster as you no longer have the oasis in the office and drink water at home) or expenses on coffee or others.

It is also possible that, if you did not have certain software or tools that a company provided, you should now buy the license.

Admittedly, spending isn’t big, but keep that in mind: you’ll need more than a computer and a couch.

In addition, if you fall into the temptation to cook at home, for example, and end up ordering at home anyway, saving on food and transport, it will disappear anyway.

On the other hand, if you have a small home, keep in mind that having a home office will affect everyone’s space.

5. Fewer training opportunities

One of the benefits of working in a company is that many of them invest in training for their workers.

When you work on your own, you lose that benefit and if you want to study or train in something else, it will be on your own. 

If your generated income is not too high, you may be missing a training opportunity.

However, if the companies in which you have worked do not help workers in this regard, you are not really missing anything.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you settle. Try to take small savings to enroll in courses by having a certain amount saved to invest in your self-training and certification. 

Remember also that there are many free or very low-priced courses that you can take advantage of for this. 

6. Promotion opportunities

Of course, when working freelance, the sky is the limit. But in a company you have the possibility of being promoted to higher positions and making yourself known to a higher level of professionals in your area.

This may not sound very encouraging, but it is solvable if you focus part of your time looking for ways to get more clients and job opportunities.  

7. You will have no partners

Again, another double-edged sword: There are many who can say that they like to work alone more. 

But eventually, you will feel like you haven’t met anyone new in a long time. On the other hand, being gregarious beings, humans tend to need the friendship of others and you may feel a little lonely.

Maybe you suddenly miss the stories of your colleague’s little nieces. Or your partner, the one who played pranks on everyone.

The solution: You can go out to work at a cafe, restaurant or bookstore. Of course, it must have a relaxed and adult atmosphere (avoid the fast food restaurant with play area).

If you live in a building with common areas, you can go to work in the lobby or on the terraces. Another alternative is to rent a coworking space.

That way you can be in contact with other professionals, meet new people, make friends and find inspiration to do your job better.

Conclusion

The advantages of working from home can work against you if you don’t know how to manage your time. 

On the other hand, when you return to a full-time job, you may find that it’s not your thing and you prefer to continue working at home.

After all, there is no place like home.

Either way, you don’t have to work for a company to have friends and promote yourself. As you can see, there is always the option of going to do your job where you prefer or of meeting people through coworking spaces.

You also don’t have to stick with an employer to grow as a professional. You can seek to expand your network with other professionals like you in events related to your field.

As you have seen, the mentioned disadvantages have solutions that you can implement to combat them. It is all a matter of discipline and will.

Courage and many successes!

So this was all about the advantages and disadvantages of working from home as a freelancer.

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