What is Freelancing? Freelancing Meaning, History, Pros & Cons of Freelance Jobs

March 6, 2023
freelancing meaning

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Freelancing is a great way to turn your passion into income by offering your skills as services. As a freelancer, you can work independently without being tied to a full-time employment contract with a company. With the rise of globalization, more and more people are turning to freelancing as a way to start a business and work independently. To begin your freelancing career, numerous websites are available where you can find projects and clients. In this article, we will explore the definition of a freelancer job, the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing, and more.

Facts About Freelancing in India

What is Freelancing Meaning?

A freelancer is a self-employed person who provides service and gets paid accordingly. Any employer can hire a freelancer on a part-time or contract basis. They get paid as soon as they complete the given freelance work. Freelancers can work independently on a particular project and can also start their own businesses.

Who is a Freelancer?

A freelancer is a self-employed person who works for different employers at a time and may or may not commit to that employer for a long time. A freelancer works on his own time and does not enjoy any employer benefits. They mostly work remotely.

Other Terms for Freelancer

There are many other terms for freelancers that you should know. Here is the list:

  • Independent contractors
  • Self-employed
  • Free-agent
  • Non-employee
  • Contract Worker
  • Unaffiliated

History of Freelancing

Now that freelancing meaning is clear to you, let’s understand its history. The origin of the word freelance dates back to the early 18th century. Medieval mercenaries fought on behalf of the nation or someone who gave them the most money.

These soldiers had already lost their king in the war and were free to fight and get paid by any king. Earlier, these soldiers were common, but with the advent of 1000 AD, these soldiers were known as condottiere or contract workers.

The word “lance” was a sword or weapon used by knights during battle. In ancient times the term was used for an independent worker. Nowadays, freelancing is referred to as a person who is working independently without coming in close contact with anyone.

Highly recommended: Discover the World of Freelancing with Chegg India

5 Steps to Start a Career in Freelancing

Freelancing revolves around the mutual agreement and contract between the employer and the freelancer. They work in coordination to provide and add value to each other’s professional lives. But taking the path of freelancing can be challenging with advantages and disadvantages.

It does not guarantee you clients and opportunities all the time. There will be days when you will have more workload, and there will also be days when you have no work in hand.

So, now that you know what freelancing means, here are 5 ways in which you can start your freelancing career.

  1. Define Your Goals
  2. Identify Your Skills
  3. Find Your Clients
  4. Form a Service Package
  5. Price Your Service

1. Define Your Goals

The first and foremost task is to set clear goals. Because without proper goals you can’t know where you are going. Setting goals first gives you a clear understanding of which direction you should go in your freelancing journey. You can do this easily by answering the following questions:

  • Why do I want to start freelancing?
  • Should I take freelancing as a part-time or full-time career?
  • How much money do I wish to make out of freelancing?
  • Is freelancing my dream job or just another side hustle?

2. Identify Your Skills

If you have learned the freelancing meaning, then identifying your skills is another important step. You must excel because a freelancing career is built on the foundation of your skills. The better you can use your skills, the more money you make. The best way to do this is to list all your freelancing skills.

Some examples are:

  • Writing
  • Photography
  • Social media management
  • Videography
  • Photoshop
  • Animation and Editing
  • Marketing

If you are starting freelancing after pursuing a job, then you can use the skills from your previous job to benefit from it.

3. Find Your Clients

Once you have shortlisted your goals and skills, the next step is to find potential clients. Do proper research and locate good customers. You can find the right customers by knowing your industry.

For example, if you are a content writer, you should look for businesses requiring copywriters and bloggers. You can easily find these on platforms like LinkedIn. Similarly, those who are good at social media management can find clients on Instagram and Facebook.

4. Form a Service Package

What most freelancers miss out on early in their careers is the difference between skill and service. Your skill is the quality you use to get the job done. And your services are work you get paid for.

For example, content writing is a skill but copywriting is a service, and coding is a skill but producing customized mobile applications is a service.

Marketing your services is all about finding out the problems of your clients. Following this, you need to show them how your services can solve these problems.

5. Price Your Services

The final step is to decide how much you will charge for your services. It depends on the client you are working for and how much effort you are putting in.

In freelancing, there are four basic ways to do this.

  • Hourly
  • Retainer
  • Fixed project fee
  • Value-based pricing fee

Recommended Article: A Beginner’s Guide on How to Become a Freelancer

Types of Freelancers

After understanding the freelancing meaning, now learn about the different types of freelancers. Here is a list of freelancers you should know.

Types of Freelancers

1. Independent Contractors 

Independent contractors are full-time freelancers and work independently on a particular project. They work for as many employers as they want, and they get paid on a project basis.

2. Freelance Business Owners 

This type of freelance job involves people who run a business and work on one or more projects collectively. The owner of this business is also called a freelancer. They work with a team of freelancers.

3. Moonlighters 

These freelancers work for a traditional 9 to 5 job and work on freelance projects at night. They are the best at managing their work-life balance. They start freelance jobs to fulfil basic needs or out of their passion. This leads to a more stable income and can lead to good savings for the future.

4. Diversified Workers  

These are the type of freelancers that fall in the middle of moonlighters and temporary workers. They tend to work at night after their traditional job and mix their time with full-time employment. Diversified workers have multiple full-time jobs and work as moonlighters at night. They are a mixture of several categories.

In this type, you are entirely devoted to freelance jobs online as well as your full-time job. As a result, an individual can be making a tremendous amount of money.

Pros and Cons of Freelance Jobs

If you plan to become a freelancer, you should know some Pros and Cons

Pros

  1. Flexible working schedule – In a freelance job, you can work on your own schedule. You can work from your home office while you work on a project. You don’t need to go anywhere. Hence, you save all your travel expenses.
  2. Work from anywhere – In a freelance job, you can work from any part of the world. You only need to communicate and stay in touch to keep your clients updated with the work. A freelance job gives you the freedom to work from anywhere you want.

Cons

  • No stability – In freelancing, sometimes, you earn an incredible amount, and other times you may not even get a new client. There is no guarantee of job stability. So doing freelance jobs from home can be challenging.
  • Lack of paid benefits – At the beginning of your freelance career, you get several benefits. But it all comes with a downside. Since you are not a full-time employee, you will not receive any health benefits, insurance, and other benefits that full-time employees receive.

Top 10 Highest-Paying Freelancing Jobs in India

India is the second largest market for freelancers in the world. And with the online resolution where all businesses shifted online, freelancers will find ample work opportunities. You can work in any industry you have expertise.

Below is the list of the top 10 highest-paying freelancing jobs in India.

  • Accountant
  • Account Executive
  • Copywriter
  • Graphic Designer
  • PR Manager
  • Professor
  • Programmer
  • Software Developer
  • Technical Author
  • Web Developer

Related Article:

  1. Top 25 Freelance Jobs from Home that Pay Really Well
  2. 15 Freelance Jobs for Students to Earn Quick Money

Where to Find Freelance Jobs in India?

Freelancing is one of the most common career options in India. As already mentioned, the availability of jobs is also high. But it is not easy to find work as a freelancer. From finding your ideal clients to talking about your services, there are a lot of things to do before starting a career in freelancing.

However, some freelancing websites can help you find the right clients. After registering on the platform, write your proposal carefully about your services.

Some of the freelancing platforms are:

  1. Fiverr
  2. com
  3. Upwork
  4. PeoplePerHour
  5. Guru
  6. Toptal
  7. Dribbble

Detailed Guide: 20 Best Freelancing Sites in India

Become a Q&A Expert at Chegg

Chegg allows you to earn extra income by giving a few hours out of your day. If you are an expert in any subject like engineering, earth science, maths, business, etc., you can become a Q&A expert in Chegg. As an expert, you have to answer questions related to the subject.

You will be paid for every correct answer. It is a part-time job that will allow you to work from the comfort of your home and will give you all the benefits including working as per your schedule and timely payments.

Work Anywhere, Anytime Hassle-free Earning

Start your freelancing journey

Freelancing meaning is simple- you are free to work from anywhere and for any employer. This is one of the best benefits of freelancing. There is a lot of demand for freelancing jobs, which have seen a growth of 22% in the last few years. You can find the best freelancing jobs online easily.

To get started, focus on building your resume and portfolio of work. A successful freelancing job requires dedication and patience. If you will be dedicated to your work, then you will get success soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a freelance job mean?

Freelancing Meaning: Freelance job means working on a contract or project basis. The person hired by the company or client is known as the person to help them complete their project. A freelance job is not full time and the freelancer is free to work on his own time. The freelancer gets paid after completing the project. Payment can be on an hourly or monthly basis.

What is an example of freelance?

Freelance jobs vary from industry to industry. You provide your skills as a service to the company and the individual and get paid as per your experience. You can work on any job as a freelancer. Some of the freelancing examples are listed below:

1. Content writing
2. Copywriter
3. Social media marketing
4. Data Analyst
5. Graphic Designing
6. Online tutor

Do freelancers get paid?

Yes, freelancers get paid. When a company or a client hires freelancers for their service, they pay them the amount charged by the freelancer. Freelancing charges can depend on various factors such as the experience of the freelancer, the budget of the client, the duration of the project, etc. After the freelancer delivers their work, clients pay them their service charges.

How do I become a freelancer?

To become a freelancer, you must know what freelancing means and have proper skills which you can use to help other businesses. You can work on a freelance basis as an online tutor, content writer, consultant, digital marketer, etc. To start your freelancing journey, register yourself on freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Chegg, etc., and start earning from the comfort of your home.

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