Freelancers: Entrepreneurial Mercenaries

No freelance writers are not soldiers for hire or at least none that I know. However, that is where the term freelancer came from. They were soldiers with nothing to do so they hired out the use of their lance, hence they were freelancers.

Although today’s definition of freelancer seems far removed from its origin, really, it’s not. Freelance: pursuing a career without making a long-term commitment to one employer.

We hire out our skills with words to bring ourselves fame and fortune, just as our medieval counterparts, right? If you are seeking fame and fortune this might not be the field for you to pursue. Yes, the money can be good if you’re not in a drought. As for fame can you name a freelancer off the top of your head?

There are a ton of benefits to being a freelancer. Here are seven examples of the freedoms freelancing offers you.

· You are your own boss.

· You write for the projects you want to write for. No more conflicts of moral or ethical issues.

· You set your own schedule. Working as little or as much as you want.

· You work wherever you want to. In a home office or beside the lake.

· When a loved one needs or wants your attention you can stop and give it to them.

· Your self-worth skyrockets.

· You oversee every aspect of your business.

Like anything in this world, there is always a positive and negative side. So here are five negatives of being a freelancer.

· You are your own boss. Yes, it is on both sides, being your own boss to an undisciplined mind can be very unproductive.

· You are responsible for your taxes, contacting clients, self-motivation, and all these things can become nightmares when not handled correctly.

· There are times of drought, no clients for a month or two. If you do not plan wisely these times can hurt.

· No coworkers to interact with or bounce ideas off.

· If you are not a self-motivator this is going to become a huge obstacle.

Any of these problems can be worked around. The computer opens a world to its users. There are Facebook rooms and websites you can interact with other freelancers in. There are apps that can do everything from your taxes to keeping up with your clients. Just wanted you to be aware that there is a lot of work that goes into being a freelance writer. No different than any other start-up business. You must build your clientele, learn the craft and become a self-motivation guru.

No matter how rough the road has been I would not turn around. I love the freedom of being a freelance writer. Every day I set down at my computer and do what I love. As the famous quote from Marc Anthony puts it “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Happy freelancing.