I’ve been freelancing for about a year now. Recently, the same company I’ve been freelancing for offered me a permanent position. I am extremely flattered that they valued my work but I am quite accustomed to being my own boss. So I needed to weigh up the pros and cons of work vs freelancing. I thought it might be useful to share my thoughts to help anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation. I’m sure it will prompt you to think about a few things you may not have otherwise considered.
Finances
You shouldn’t let finances be your only thought when considering work vs freelancing. The salary you are being offered by your potential new employer may outweigh what you’re getting paid as a freelancer. There are a few other points that may not be at the forefront of your mind but should be taken into account. My new employer will have to pay me holiday pay and contribute towards my pension. At present, I have to make provision for these things myself. Then there’s the time I would need to spend doing my accounts and submitting tax returns. Nobody pays me for this as a freelancer. As an employee of a company, their payroll department will take care of that headache for me.
Travel
My office for the last year has been about four feet away from the end of my bed. I have literally been able to crawl out of it and get right to work in my pyjamas. Heck, I could even work in bed if I really wanted to! My new office is a train ride away with a considerable walk on either side. Alternatively, my commute by car would be about 45 minutes each way. Along with the cost of road tax and car insurance, the car is the most expensive option by about £100 p/m. A monthly train ticket will only get me to work and back, any weekend travel will cost extra.
Working from home I have absolutely no travel costs or travel time. Travelling to work is going to cost me between £300 – £400 per month and take around ten hours per week. Then again, I can’t put a price on the freedom that having a car will give me.
How to maintain a healthy lifestyle is something I need to take into consideration when weighing up work VS freelancing
" data-orig-size="780,585" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" aperture="aperture" />This is the kind of yummy, fresh food I’m used to. When considering work VS freelancing food is going to be a major consideration!Food/Diet
I like to take care of myself and since I’ve been working from home, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have eaten processed food for lunch. If I go to work in the office I will need to consider what I’m going to eat for lunch and plan in advance. There are some super healthy microwavable lunch options available but the cost of them could mount up considerably if I take them with me every day. On the other hand, if I cook my own food to take with me, when am I going to find the time in my day to do that? Meal planning is something I need to consider.
Then there’s coffee… ahhh coffee. I’ve invested in a Nespresso machine at home which makes the loveliest coffee! I don’t know what kind of coffee they have in the office but I bet it’s not as good as I have at home!
Health
The only time I get up from my desk throughout the day is to go downstairs and make myself a cup of tea or some lunch. When I look at my Fitness tracker at the end of the day, sometimes I haven’t even managed to take 2k steps! Whilst I’m aware that this is really bad for my health, I’m so focused on the fact that time = money, it makes me reluctant to leave my desk. If I went to work in the office on the other hand, even if I drove a car, I would have to walk to and from the car park and up a lot more steps to reach the office. Little things like the kitchen and the bathroom being further away than they are at home will mean that I’m getting my circulation moving more.
My new employer also offers health insurance from BUPA as standard to all their employees. This is something that I would never even consider getting myself because it’s something I can’t really afford and as I am in relatively good health, I can’t see myself using it. However, if I do discover that I have something seriously wrong with me at some point in the future, I know I will be extremely grateful for health insurance. Not only will I get seen quicker if I have private health insurance but there is also the possibility that I will get better treatment.
Work/Life Balance
As a freelancer, in my mind, I work from home. In the mind of my family and friends, I work from home. You see the difference? It’s very easy for others to drop in or call unannounced because they think I’m always available. In actual fact, this makes it very difficult for me to manage my time. I probably end up working longer hours than I’m paid for because I feel that I need to overcompensate for these inconveniences. You need to be extremely disciplined to work for yourself and very strict with those around you to strike a work-life balance.
Little Things Often Overlooked When Considering Work VS Freelancing
There are other things about work vs freelancing that aren’t immediately obvious but do have a positive impact on your life. Such as:
Working with other people
It’s so much easier to ask a direct question than sending someone an email and wait for their response. The tone of emails can also easily be misconstrued. Having conversations with people increases productivity and cuts out any ambiguity.
Bank holidays
This is a toughie for freelancers. Either you work those days when everyone else is out enjoying themselves or you don’t get paid.
Christmas party
This is one of those things I didn’t consider when making the move from work to freelancing but actually, I really missed!
Birthdays are more fun
My new employer gives birthdays as an additional holiday day. It’s nice to swap gifts with colleagues and go for birthday drinks too.
Several heads are better than one
Working in a team can stimulate creativity because you can bounce ideas off each other which will improve my productivity.
A sense of security
I am confident that I always do the best job that I can possibly do. Since freelancing, I’ve had niggling doubts that my contract could be cut short, which is scary. As an employee, I will have the security of a permanent contract.
Dogs VS Cats
OK, this is not something most people will need to consider but at home I have my cats. In the office, there are office dogs. I wonder which make the best supervisors?
This work VS freelancing is a tough decision. Cats make the best supervisors but I bet we don’t have any in the office
" data-orig-size="780,584" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" aperture="aperture" />Cats make the best supervisors! How much I’ll miss them is something I need to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of work vs freelancingDoes Time Really = Money?
Are you considering work vs freelancing? Are you in the process of deciding between freelancing or going back to work? Or maybe you’re thinking of leaving work to freelance? You may think at first that it is simply a question of money VS freedom. To work out what freedom actually means to you, you need to look a little further than time VS money.
I’m sure this will resonate with anyone who has made the switch one way or the other and I think they will agree that it’s not an easy decision. What was your experience? Did you experience any unexpected changes brought about by work vs freelancing that had an impact on your life? I’d love to hear about your experiences!
Rach x
