Freelance democracy - the freedom of freelancing

Freelancing is widely considered to be the future model for work. Many people wish to be independent and flexible in their professional career and at the same time many businesses are looking for more flexible resources. There are benefits to both the freelancer and the business. With the advancements of technology and communications, it has now become an easier and smarter working model for a growing number of businesses that are embracing outsourcing work to freelancers in a variety of fields. 

I believe that the freedom of freelance provides a healthy work-life relationship. With flexible hours, greater work variety and a worldwide client base, I can spend more time at home with my family yet still successfully run my own freelance business.

Freelancing has evolved into an area of niche skills and much sought after expertise which is becoming more readily available. This in turn has developed into a newfound sense of trust and confidence with using freelance workers.

Individuals who share a certain niche skill or expertise in an area are finding it more rewarding to become a freelancer in their particular field and work across a broader and more diverse pool of clients and work. While I focus largely on creative retouching and illustration for the advertising and entertainment industry, I have also worked on a variety of jobs and for a variety of companies. Including logo designs and brand identity designs for businesses starting out or looking to grow, illustrations and retouching work for magazines as well as larger corporate jobs like brochures and catalogues.

Businesses benefit by utilising these services as they can operate on a per job basis and retain the freedom of employment flexibility by not being locked in to any one worker, therefore being a more cost effective and less involved option.  As we have seen recently with the GFC, businesses can benefit by hiring freelancers on a job-by-job basis and only pay for what is needed at the time.

Certainly in the creative industries, freelancing is a viable option if you can demonstrate a niche ability. You need a keen business sense, a unique style/skill set, and an online folio that represents that. As a Graphic Designer who specialises in Creative Retouching and Illustrations, I have examples of my work on my website www.bacreates.com which, with the proper promotion, generates work from all over the world and is a vital tool when liaising with prospective clients. With advancements in communications, it is now very easy for me to collaborate on jobs with anyone in the world across the internet. With faster internet speeds and the ability to share large files through 3rd party websites, productivity of working remotely has greatly increased. 

Also, most software is becoming multiplatform based so there are less and less compatibility issues than there once was. With the improvements and increased accessibility of WI-FI connections, it is also an option to conduct business from a variety of places. 

This communications convenience and accessibility opens up a huge range of opportunities, particularly for the freelancer and the businesses wishing to hire a freelancer.

While there are more and more people leaving their jobs to pursue their own freelancing business, there still remains the basic principles that, to be successful and get regular work, you have to:

• have a desired skill set/expertise,
• have an ability that stands above the many others in the field,
• and maintain professional business standards and practices. 

Competition is fierce and you need to work hard to stay ahead with only the best thriving. Customers have higher expectations and crave innovation, variety and high quality work. In the creative industries, natural creative flair and skills that can't be taught are important and freelancers who have this enjoy a greater volume of work. While there are many who can perform the simple tasks involved, it is worth finding and building a relationship with the freelancer who can deliver at a standard above the rest. It's worth looking around to find the right one.  

The advantages of this model of business for the freelancer are things like:

• Flexible working schedules,
• diversity of clients/work,
• control of business and output and no corporate structure to adhere to.
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With my freelance business I can be flexible with time spent on jobs. This sometimes means that I may work through to the early hours of the morning or on weekends if the job requires, but that can translate into more flexible time during the days to spend with family. For businesses, it means that I am not locked into the 9-5 structure which is beneficial as many important things need to be done outside of these hours and I can accommodate that easier by working from home.

From the clients' perspective there is the benefit of having a limitless ocean of skills to choose from across the world, less financial commitment (working on a job-by-job basis), not locked in to one worker, and dealing directly with the expert .

While many may be put off by the challenge of being a freelancer, for those who have the ability, drive and business sense, a world of opportunity awaits, and these opportunities are growing everyday.  The freedom of freelancing is set to become a large part of many families' working and home lifestyle for the future. The future is freelancing. See you at home on Monday.

About the author

Brad Anderson is a freelance graphic designer who works in Brisbane, Australia. Having recently launched his freelance design business - Brad Anderson Creates - he is fast gaining a reputation for his unique creative design flair in the advertising and entertainment industries.  For further information phone: 0407 151 656 or e-mail Email: brad@bacreates.com or visit www.bacreates.com