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Your Guide to Freelancing Success
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Grant Friedman
Grant Friedman is a design enthusiast with nearly 10 years of experience as a graphic and website designer. Grant is also and active blogger who posts on a wide range of design topics. You can learn more about Grant by visiting his website or by following him on Twitter
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Grant Friedman
Deciding whether or not to freelance full-time after graduation is a decision that most designers face. Working as a freelancer certainly has a lot of benefits; being your own boss, working from home, and setting your own schedule are some of the perks that freelancers like to brag about, but freelancers will also complain about how hard it can be. Running your own business, tracking down payments, and doing your own taxes are just a few of the challenges that freelancers face. Needless to say, the decision of whether or not to freelance after school is a tough one and one that many designers struggle with. In this article, we will review some of the up and down sides to freelancing and try to discover if it is the right option for you.
The Pros
If you ask a freelance designer how they feel about the freelance life-style, you’re likely to hear a lot of positive comments. The most common reasons given are usually the ability to work from home, be your own boss, and set your own schedule. Each option presents designers with a lot of freedom in their daily lives and is therefore very appealing.
Working from Home
This is the most common comment that you will hear from freelance designers. The ability to work from home is a fantastic option for any worker, not just designers. In fact, most designers will tell you that the only thing better than a 10 foot commute from their bed to their desk is the money that they save on gas and other expenses.
DonPelton
about 1 month ago
44 comments
Don't be too proud to get a mundane (non art) job if you go too long between small comissions.
nrosynek
about 1 month ago
6 comments
A lot of this seems like common sense, but its very true and helpful.
melrose
about 1 month ago
2 comments
I feel like the title should be though... "The Pros and Cons of Freelancing" instead of "Your Guide to Freelancing Success"
masterer
about 1 month ago
4648 comments
Nice article. I hope to freelance one day.
thegreymirror
about 1 month ago
12 comments
Very cool article. I freelance myself as well. Can't really say I am making money at the moment though. But it's not about the money for me. It's about doing what I love, and in time as I perfect my craft, the money and everything else will fall into place.
chandrima
about 1 month ago
9132 comments
So true..freelancing is tougher than we usually think !
Sam_Caudill
about 1 month ago
4 comments
One thing worth mentioning, however, is that nowadays there are many freelance networks setup so that the other con "client not paying on time" doesn't happen. Sites like iFreelance.com and getAFreelancer.com are set up for a contractor/client relationship and are really great ways to break into the freelance biz. FYI some of these sites may take a small percentage of your project pay but when you can easily search jobs down to the specifics (i.e. flash animation jobs) it helps open your network substantially.
OMS
about 1 month ago
34 comments
This article kinds leaves the reader at a cross road. I think it's the business aspect which is the deciding factor; if your able to sell yourself and handle the "paperwork", you'll have a better chance at succeeding.
TishaMJordan
about 1 month ago
94 comments
This article is so true. I freelance and work as a separate job. It is harder than you would expect!