Becoming an independent contractor is not an easy journey to go down, but it is a popular one. So many industries are now able to move from being office based to cloud based, and it’s due to changes in this type of technology that doors have opened for more and more workers to become independent. People from all around the globe are able to work together for the same centralised company, and there’s no longer a need to be piled together in one office. This creates a freedom of autonomous working, which means that people can be far more productive than ever before.
Choosing to work for yourself is a big step, and it’s going to depend on your industry as to whether your decision is going to be a profitable one. Construction workers, for example, will have a more expensive outlay with tools, equipment and van leasing. This is opposed to a freelance writer, who – as long as they have an internet connection and a laptop – can work from a treehouse in the rainforest! A big part of being successful as a contractor is having the right tools at your disposal before looking for work. As a contractor, you are responsible for providing your own benefits, paying your own taxes and planning your own vacation time – it’s not easy!
The benefits of contracting far outweigh the cons, as once you’ve established yourself with a few companies and have a resume of experience behind you, you are then on the map. Marketing yourself doesn’t have to be difficult, either, as there is a myriad of social media websites that you can use to put yourself out there for free. Think about Facebook as an example; the marketplace and selling pages allow you to advertise yourself with no cost. You get a fantastic work/life balance, as you work the hours that you choose and when. Sure, you have to financially plan for time off, as any day not worked is a day without pay. However, the choice you made to work for yourself is one that can far outweigh any extra overtime you do to pay for your choice vacation that year.
Where possible, try to get regular work with the same clients. The way to look at it is that if you get a regular contract that you can work on, any extra jobs around that is like bonus money. You don’t have to take the time to search for more and more work if you have a regular revenue stream coming through. You can also have solid references from your steady work commitment, so any extra jobs you DO pick up can be assured of your experience. Contracting and working for yourself can feel like far more of an achievement than working for someone else and being stuck in the four walls of an office day after day. Take the freedom that you can get by the horns and drive your success home!
