8 Benefits of Kick-starting a Freelance Business in 2024

Everyone has their reasons for wanting to become a freelancer and dreaming about beginning their freelance side hustle.?

Check out some of the top reasons that answer 'why do people go freelance' and feel free to reach out if you want to learn more about how to get started freelancing—particularly freelance writing.?

8 Benefits of Freelancing

Here are reasons to freelance you should consider if you're looking to earn more money this year or pursue creative endeavors as a freelancer.

Flexibility

If you’ve been following me, you know this is something that I talk about as it directly relates to my freelance career. I love the flexibility to work hours that are best for me. I embraced this freelance benefit when I was single and supporting myself in NYC 10 years ago and could travel on a whim.

Now, with a husband and two kids, I appreciate that I can do my best to balance their schedules and spend time with them while still being active in a career that I love.

Many freelancers say this is why they choose to freelance. They can work early mornings, weekends, late at night, around family's schedules, travel, and however it suits them.

Think you don't have time to freelance? Here's how to find one more hour a week to kick-start this side hustle.

A better work-life balance

As a freelancer, you’re in control of your workload, clients, and when you do your work. This means that you can take on projects that interest you, as well as decide if you have the bandwidth to complete them, and when things will get done (keeping in mind client expectations and deadlines, of course).

I love having an asynchronous work schedule that allows me to complete assignments on the hours that work for me. I've been able to earn a great salary while working three days a week and taking care of my kids two days in this career.

Stepping away from the typical 9-to-5 grind or feeling "always on or available" to their bosses is a reason people want to start freelancing.

All of this being said many freelancers are susceptible to taking on too much work and not having a life, skipping vacations, thinking they can never take days off, and working around the clock to earn a higher freelance income.

Make sure you're setting boundaries and keeping the reasons you freelance top of mind.

Being your own boss

This goes hand and hand with work/life balance—if you’re looking to be your own boss, this autonomy is a freelance benefit that might appeal to you.

The work is self-directed and you can determine when and how you work. You can decide on the freelance niches that interest you and pursue those.

You can also walk away from a freelance client who isn't a good fit for you. How many of you reading this can say that about your current job? (In fact, "I hate my boss" is one of the reasons people initially tell me that they want to freelance.)

Work variety and the opportunity to be creative

Another reason to freelance is the ability to stretch your creative wings. I love being a freelance writer and learning different types of writing skills to help me stay relevant and in demand in a changing digital landscape.

If you're looking for a career where you can be more creative than you are in your full-time job and get paid for it, freelancing could be one way to do that.

You can try your hand at writing for the most profitable freelance niches as well as learning graphic design skills, creating videos for freelance clients, offering copywriting for your favorite brands, and writing blogs for clients.

I've been freelancing for over 15 years and one of the reasons to freelance is that it's easy to change things up if you feel bored.

You're in control of your Income

According to Upwork industry research, 60% of freelancers who left a full-time job to become a freelancer make more money than they did in their previous jobs. If you’re looking to be more in control over your income, you may want to consider freelancing.?

In my first year of full-time freelancing, I earned more than I did at my full-time job and worked fewer hours.

Now? I earn six figures working less than I did in my FT job.

You can make as much money as you want but you need to constantly be marketing and bringing in freelance anchor clients .

I will be 100 percent honest here and share the advice I give to all of my freelance coaching clients and online course students: Don't leave your full-time job to go freelance if you don't have a hefty savings net and some samples and experience in the industry, as well as freelance clients lined up.

Learn more about how to make a six-figure freelance income .?

You can work anywhere

Not having to commute to a job each day is one of the top reasons people want to go freelance. But now that there are more flex jobs, hybrid jobs, and remote jobs available, the American workforce are already noticing and appreciating many of these work-from-home benefits.

By not having to commute to an office (in NYC for example) from my suburban home, I'm saving over $400 in monthly train fees as well as another $1,000 or so in childcare costs. (Here, the surprising ways working from home affects your budget .)

You're avoiding office politics and nonsense.

As a freelancer, I've found that you're usually not brought in to employee tiffs as much or have to deal with the annoyances of certain coworkers you might avoid if you worked in an office. And no, you don't have to put headphones on to drown out that cubiclmate's loud chewing. Ahhh...

You're wasting less time.

There are some aspects of working in a corporate office in person that I miss--the social interactions and bouncing ideas off of one another rank high up there.

But as many of us know, there's a lot of time wasted in full-time jobs and just having to "sit at a desk" for certain hours.

I don't have to attend meetings that I'm not paid for or that won't potentially lead to more business. I don't have to log on and stare at a screen pretending to work just so I can keep my job.

Better managing your time so you can pursue passion projects and learn new skills are some reasons to freelance that you might want to consider.

What are your reasons for choosing a freelance path?

Share in the comments below.

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Hi! I’m Diana.

I’m an award-nominated freelancer trained as a journalist, copywriter, editor, content marketing writer, SEO writer, and freelance coach.

I’m also a wife and a mom to two toddlers, a large dog, and an exercise enthusiast who loves baking.

I enjoy covering topics that help people and their loved ones live healthier, happier, fuller lives, whether it’s through health, wellness, personal finance or pet topics.

I also love teaching others how to become freelancers, improve productivity, and run their small businesses. I cover these topics and more on my blog and in my weekly newsletter .

You can learn more about me, my publishing background, and my nearly 20-year freelancing journey at DianaKelly.com .

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram .

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