Poll: Why Did You Start Freelancing?

I would answer all of those listed – maybe not the one about pajamas but definitely on my sofa in front of the TV. Fundamentally though, in my industry no one gives you a job, you have to make your own.

When you say “Real Job,” do you mean it sincerely, or is it supposed to sound ironic? I ask because in my country, freelancing isn’t that popular. Some people even consciously or subconsciously equate “freelancer” with “bum.” Any thoughts on this? Is it the same in other cultures?

I think in part the bureaucracy involved in even the smallest of boutique shops chase a lot of people into freelancing…it played a big role in my leaving to work for myself, anyway. Working in a results-based atmosphere is key, and in so many 9-to-5 work environments, the tasks seem to be more about filling the time than getting good work done.

I started freelancing for the simple reason of getting more control over what I worked on and also getting the chance to work with more of a variety of clients and studios.

Have to agree with Adam – control played a big part for me. In many design firms, you’re having to work through not just what the client wants, but also the “I’m a repressed designer” sales team member who hides under the guise of “I know what the client wants”.

My freelance work has allowed me to work more closely with clients – helping to hit the target more effectively in terms of what they require. Plus, you’re not tied down by any business strategies – you can work across the whole creative gamut!

It just kinda happened. I got some projects and from there got more and more. There was never a day when I woke up and thought “Hey, why not go freelancing?” – I just happened to begin.
That, and I like working in my pajamas

My reason for going freelance is to simply accommodate my elder care responsibilities.

I started freelancing to make a little bit of extra cash over my regular job, however going forward it’s more about expanding my skill set, being able to work with clients that I like and whose projects interest me, and to have more freedom to choose what to do with my time, when I work and how I work. I’m just not that into the 9-5 grind and I want to have more control over the whole work process.

In the beginning I saw freelancing as a way for me to spend more time with my family. The other benefits that came with freelancing were just icing on the cake!

Now that I’m here living my dream life I have found myself working more than ever and have realized that being your own boss takes a lot of effort. Overall…I will say the payoff is well worth it!!

It’s extremely important for us freelancers keep our eye on the big picture otherwise we end up with tunnel vision.

Oh yeah…the fact that I have more pairs of pajamas than I do pants must be an indicator that I don’t plan to work in an office environment any time soon :O)

I think for me it was equal parts of wanting more control over my income and more control over my work/life balance.

I started freelancing because I wanted to earn more than what I currently make at my day job. Finding myself with some extra free time at home on certain days when company work is slow, I can throw all those free time over to freelancing.

Originally, back when I was an in-houser, I started freelancing just for extra money—AND because I could! Then, about a year-and-a-half ago, I got the opportunity to take try my business as a full-time solo operation. (Yeah…I was laid off!) Interestingly about that time, the 9-to-5 existence had really become no longer a good fit for how my life was evolving. And so nowadays, the reasons I’ve remained solo have more to do with control and flexibility.

Although, this scenario may be changing soon, once again, as marriage and starting a family have now become my main priorities. Life, I tell ya!

Necessity here. I got laid off a while ago and no one is hiring. Being able to work in my PJs and the other perks are a bonus. I’m going to stick with it.

I started freelancing because design jobs in my country are not well paid, and usually companies and studios “hire” interns that stays 4 months with the promise of contract, then they let them go, and hire another intern. The same for advertising agencies. The work of the creative industry is not really understood and you can see in tv or printed ads that most of them are copies or adaptations of foreign campaigns for similar products.

Being a freelancer here is an opportunity to raise the bar for the competition, and a way to keep learning and stay up to date with trends. Living in a country where 80% of the business are SoHO and medium sized, the little income they have, makes them look for cheap service providers, and the market answers on that with websites in Joomla for under $100, hosting included (with templates pirated from other sites, or sites poorly designed). Another thing is the competition from design schools, there are like 20 design schools in the city where I live, and each year at least 1400 designers graduate from those schools, so there is no regulation on the market for that.

I originally started freelancing because I was skint and had no experience in the industry. I was self taught and I thought the best thing to do was just to dive in. I had mixed results but after a year I started to turn in a steady wage.

Now I freelance because I can choose my jobs, work my own hours and generally be in control of everything.

I started freelancing because I wanted more control over my life – I couldn’t live with the 3/4 weeks of holidays a year! Now I am stretching my location-independent freelancing to the limit to see how it works out.

I’m currently working from Bali and improving my surfing. Before that I spent a season in the French alps learning to snowboard when I wasn’t working. It makes me a more relaxed person, and a more relaxed developer. I spend a lot of time on career development, learning new technologies, etc, while still getting to experience living in a foreign culture.

There are issues involved in remote working, but with good communication with the client these are kept to a minimum. My clients are happy with my work, and I am very happy with my lifestyle.

Living the dream!

Freedom. Independence. Passion. Explore my creativity. And of course, have the ability to earn more compared to a 9-5 job.

My reason for starting my freelance career is that I wanted to know if I could make it on my own. My parents are entrepreneurs and I guess it’s in my genes . So my reason was mainly because of the challenge .

Earning more is a really nice bonus . Risk should be rewarded . I started in august 2008 and so far I am earning twice as much as when I did as an employee.

I really like the responsibility that comes with being a freelancer. I take the blame for my failures but also the rewards of my successes. I like that (especially because there has been more succeses than failures so far ).

I’m still in the process of ‘getting started’ as I still work full time. I started for a number of reasons; earning extra cash (partly through necessity) and also to allow me to do more creative/less limited work than my day job (as a graphic designer) lets me.

Also I like the idea of running my own business and what better business to start in than one I already have experience in?

i totally quote Craig Scott….even if if I’m trying being freelance since 2005 but here where live this mean only advtange for companies: they pay less taxes, leave you at home when tehy wanna do it but we must going to office, working from 9 to 6 pm (or more), and of course they make exclusives contract….etc.

I fell into it. I studied graphic design (finished last year) and thru that started getting a few freelance jobs. Would rather work for someone else and learn more about design that way, but am in a small town with jobs scarce so have continued doing the freelancing to help build up my portfolio and keep my experience up to date.

So, I guess I should really say, I fell into it and to keep my skills up until employment comes along.

I just want the freedom to pursue whatever project interests me at any given time. If I wanted to start a new site I can, if I wanted to be passionate about a new interest and find a way to monetize it I can. I have so many interests and tend to get “burnt out” quickly that the only way for me to live is to be able to move onto something new all the time. I don’t want to work a job where I’m doing the same thing for a decade or two.

I’m going to say ‘all of the above’.