Making the decision to go freelance

As a newbie to the freelance game, I thought it might be useful to document my thought process before taking the plunge.

Visiting a peace pagoda in Nepal.

The idea of being a freelancer had always been somewhat of a pipedream. But when an opportunity to take the plunge came around, it seemed like the perfect time.

Why did I decide to go freelance?

There's a lot to consider when deciding whether to go freelance or not. It definitely felt daunting as I'm used to the regular 9-5, and the regular pay cheques which come alongside it, paid leave, more security... I could go on.

But there are many positives which, for me, outweighed all of that. Here are some of the factors which caused me to make the decision.

Flexible work-life balance

In 2018 I left my job to go travelling for 6 months, and I absolutely loved the freedom that came with it. For the first time in my life I could decide what to do that day, and when. When I returned to London to find another job I really wanted to keep that feeling of freedom and time being 'slower'. But it was all too easy to get sucked back into the fast-paced London life.

Working and living in London has so many benefits. There's so much on your doorstep and it's a hive of social activity. However, sometimes it can feel like time is running away from you and you can't quite keep up.

Once lockdown came around we were all forced to slow down. It felt like a great opportunity to reconsider my options. This is when my partner and I decided to move abroad. We figured why wait until retirement when you don't know what's around the corner (essentially, #YOLO).

This was the perfect opportunity to recreate that feeling of time slowed down. With a new life in Spain on the horizon, it was the right time to regain that work-life balance I'd been craving and give a new career a go.

I've always wanted to run my own business

Growing up, both of my parents were self-employed. I admired the freedom they had and the success they could attribute to their own hard work.

I've always wanted to run my own business, but I didn't know how that could come into fruition without having a specific idea or product. After starting a health and wellness business alongside my job in 2019, it showed me that I have what it takes to take my work life into my own hands.

I've been lucky enough to gain experience in the corporate world and now I'm excited to use all that I've learnt to inspire my freelance business.

Choose what projects you work on

Freelancers have a unique situation in that they can choose who to work with, choose which projects to work on, and work with many clients at one time.

I love the variety that comes with the freelance lifestyle. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Try new things

In some ways I'm a creature of habit - I like structure and knowing what I'm doing each day. In other ways, I love being pushed out of my comfort zone and learning new skills.