As a lover of the written or spoken word, I have always been a keen writer. As far back as the mid-1980’s when my parents bought me a typewriter, I have loved using words to convey a message.
Now, as an adult, I have worked as a copywriter, marketing manager and personal assistant in formal employment. Then, I started freelancing my skills and my business grew to offer not just writing and editing services but also Virtual Assistant services such as data entry and social media management.
The best thing about freelancing is the sheer range of projects I get to work on. Much more range than I would ever get in a formal, permanent role. I get to choose which projects to work on and then work with a variety of clients rather than just one.
Because I work on a range of projects, I am able to develop my writing skills further, develop different “voices” and writing styles, as well as develop my vocabulary on jobs where I need to carry out significant research. From strictly informative or technical work, to creative, funny or fiction work, the projects that I have worked on have given me a greater understanding of writing, of a vast array of topics and has earned me money – in fact I have turned it into a full-time job.
Another great thing about freelancing is the ability to work the hours that suit me, from home or wherever I choose.
This gives me greater control and freedom to be creative when I feel creative rather than being forced to be creative between 9-5.
Sometimes an idea will pop into your head at night, or you’ll hear the perfect words running through your mind while making dinner – as a freelancer I am able to work on my projects as and when my brain is at its most engaged, and this means I create quality work for clients rather than churning out anything so I can go home at 5pm.
This is a win/win for everyone – it’s a win for me and it’s a win for the client. Payments are still made upon the amount of work produced so it’s fair.
By far the best jobs I have worked on are jobs where the work is interesting to me and the client has been a good communicator. One project required me to write a tongue in cheek article about a particular job and the type of person that might do that job, and another project was to write enticing snippets about travel destinations, which was a dream job for me. Other projects include creating beautiful social media graphics or a newsletter template.
One part of freelancing that is worth considering is the communication channels. Much of my work is completed via email messaging often for clients inter-state or outside of Australia, so without any face-to-face contact I need to read the brief carefully and interpret it to deliver my work just as the client wants. Hand in hand with this are also time differences and the fact that not everyone logs into their accounts daily.
Now if you’re reading this thinking “I could do this!” that’s great but keep in mind the down sides too. Long hours at times (especially while setting up your business), self-doubt creeping in and of course the scary one - the possibility of no income if things don’t go well.
Outsourcing comes with its positives and negatives as with most things in business, however the benefits are far outweighing the negatives for me and it's proving a unique challenge, along with career development.
I would love for you to connect with me, ask for a price list, or sign up to our newsletter:
EMAIL: rachel@sbcreations.com.au
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/simplysbcreations
Comments