Home-based Freelancing - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Part 1.

The Good

Being a remote freelancer is all the fuss lately here in the Philippines - with all the positive reasons. You get to work in your pajamas, no bath or even without brushing your teeth, how cool is that? I can confidently say that being a remote freelancer has more positive notes to offer than the other way around. If you're a beginner, you get to start at $3 - $4 hourly rate.

As you gain experience and upskill your talent you can charge as much as $15 per hour - at the comfort of your own home. No traffic to deal with and gone are the days where you stand in long lines just to get home. Ask any freelancers out there, they could give an endless list of the good things home-based freelancing has brought to their lives. However, they all have one thing in common as to why they love being home-based; it is the joy of getting to spend more time with your family. The quality time your family deserves is always at hand. Beat that!

Now that's The Good part. Let us tackle The Bad and The Ugly. Of course, no system is perfect. There will always be hiccups along the way, sometimes caused by the employer but believe it or not, sometimes hiccups are caused by the home-based freelancers themselves. If you're new to this industry, I highly suggest you continue reading. If you're one of the old-timers, read through it as well, it is a great reminder for each and every one of us.

The Bad

1. NO CONCRETE PLAN - This is a common mistake that office-based people do. They go guns blazing resigning from their 9 - 5 jobs without a plan, without savings, without learning anything about home-based freelancing. Landing a home-based job is a tad bit more difficult compared to getting a corp based job, so if you resign abruptly without any solid savings and partnered with outstanding loans, you will immediately regret your action and end up going back to a 9 - 5 job. So carefully plan and map out your home-based freelancing journey.

2. ONE SKILL OFFER - Just because you’ve been doing great from your previous corporate job doesn’t mean you will get the same job online. Home-based jobs do not require a single skill. We understand that you have a great work background with your current skill to offer, but stop and think about what other things you can offer to your employer. I understand that you need to specialize in a certain skill - because job opportunities require you to do so.However, a resume may be flashy and fancy but if you have nothing else to offer - they too have nothing to offer for you. Highlight your primary skill/s and show your sub-skill/s.

3. GHOSTING - If you’re from the BPO industry, you know for a fact how fast people come and go, and some people just disappear without a trace. The same thing happens with remote work, you will see clients ranting how Filipinos (yes, we get generalized. That’s how bad the effect of this foul practice is.) just go offline and untraceable without finishing the job. This is just sad because offshore clients are so easy-to-do-business with. So don’t be shy to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to better understand the project. Don’t be afraid to ask for extensions. Don’t be afraid to meet your client halfway. Asking questions is the key to survival.

4. STARTING WITH VERY LOW RATES - emphasis on “very low.” Because you think that if you’ve set your rate very low, it will be faster for you to get clients. So what if my rate is very low? If I get 2 - 3 clients, the combined pay is pretty neat! Indeed it is, but the question is how long can you sustain it? How long before you get saturated, because sooner or later it will dawn on you that the workload does not compensate well? If your rate is too low, your client will not see the value in you, and not just you - but everyone in the industry. We are not a cheap resource. Do not set a bad practice. On the other hand, if you’re gonna charge high, show them you’re worth every penny.

Let’s end the discussion for now. I am cooking other pointers for you. We are yet to talk about “The Ugly” in the second part of this article. Home-based freelancing is a very rewarding career if done right. However, one must tread carefully because it is a whole new world and not everything is shining, shimmering, splendid. In my next article, we will discuss other things you need to look out for as a freelancer and what are the warning signs of a fraud client.