Comments on: Freelance vs. Full-time http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/ Personal portfolio and blog of Amy Mahon, a web designer from London, Ontario Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:39 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sean Delaney http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-485 Sean Delaney Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:13:19 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-485 Thanks for sharing your experiences. I worked as a Web Designer for a company for 5 years before taking the scary step over to Freelancing on the 20th of March 2009. At first it seemed all fine as I have work coming in from clients I had built up through the company I worked for. However it isn't all go go go at the moment! Things have gotten a little tight and work/money has basically came to a stand still. I'm looking for work every day but no much luck.... :( I have often thought about going back to full-time employement if things dont pick up in the coming weeks as I like the pros that come with full-time staff position (as everyone does)... but also like the pros of Freelancing too! Its a hard one! Thanks :) Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I worked as a Web Designer for a company for 5 years before taking the scary step over to Freelancing on the 20th of March 2009. At first it seemed all fine as I have work coming in from clients I had built up through the company I worked for. However it isn’t all go go go at the moment! Things have gotten a little tight and work/money has basically came to a stand still. I’m looking for work every day but no much luck…. :(

I have often thought about going back to full-time employement if things dont pick up in the coming weeks as I like the pros that come with full-time staff position (as everyone does)… but also like the pros of Freelancing too!

Its a hard one!

Thanks :)

]]> By: Bex White http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-463 Bex White Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:09:41 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-463 Hi Amy, This is a good concise and honest critique of your experiences. I am sure it will prove useful to anyone considering swapping from one mode of work to the other. I certainly am finding (having just made the move to freelance after 5 years of agency work) that a lot of what you have said is ringing true. Thanks :) Hi Amy,

This is a good concise and honest critique of your experiences. I am sure it will prove useful to anyone considering swapping from one mode of work to the other. I certainly am finding (having just made the move to freelance after 5 years of agency work) that a lot of what you have said is ringing true.

Thanks :)

]]> By: peter http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-462 peter Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:29:26 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-462 doing both would be the most interesting, i guess..? i probably would have a hard time facing financial insecurity, but i'd love to put more of myself into my designs, which is hard when working for a firm.. doing both would be the most interesting, i guess..? i probably would have a hard time facing financial insecurity, but i’d love to put more of myself into my designs, which is hard when working for a firm..

]]> By: mark ivey http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-451 mark ivey Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:28:27 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-451 Good summary. Here's a tip: start young if you want to "freelance" or be an entrepreneur. I worked over 15 yrs (writer at BusinessWeek, then senior corp. marketing and exec com jobs in high-tech) before starting my own business a few years ago. Luckily I had a veteran partner who'd been at this many years, otherwise I'd probably be back in a corp. job. I've seen many people leave corp. jobs later in life wanting to strike out on their own, and very few succeed. You can debate all day long why this is true and most people agree skills needed for corporate management are far different than those needed for an entrepreneur. But the bottom line: look before you leap...and try to do it early on. Good summary. Here’s a tip: start young if you want to “freelance” or be an entrepreneur. I worked over 15 yrs (writer at BusinessWeek, then senior corp. marketing and exec com jobs in high-tech) before starting my own business a few years ago. Luckily I had a veteran partner who’d been at this many years, otherwise I’d probably be back in a corp. job. I’ve seen many people leave corp. jobs later in life wanting to strike out on their own, and very few succeed. You can debate all day long why this is true and most people agree skills needed for corporate management are far different than those needed for an entrepreneur. But the bottom line: look before you leap…and try to do it early on.

]]> By: FreelancerCrowd http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-448 FreelancerCrowd Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:41:12 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-448 I still chose freedom. Might be because of some terrible experience with my ex jobs and the bosses there, but anyway I feel better. Not to mention the "go early to an office" blues. I still chose freedom. Might be because of some terrible experience with my ex jobs and the bosses there, but anyway I feel better.

Not to mention the “go early to an office” blues.

]]> By: Sharon Reus http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Sharon Reus Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:41:11 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-447 Helpful thoughts for someone thinking about making the transition. I've done both, and I love the flexibility and freedom that comes from being my own boss. But it's not for everyone... you must be disciplined and self-directed. I think on the other side of this economy we will see many more freelancers. Helpful thoughts for someone thinking about making the transition. I’ve done both, and I love the flexibility and freedom that comes from being my own boss. But it’s not for everyone… you must be disciplined and self-directed. I think on the other side of this economy we will see many more freelancers.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-446 Jonathan Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:07:54 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-446 I'm 22 and been freelancing my way through uni. I've just finished and although i want to continue i can't see how i can build my client base? Really informative article, thanks! I’m 22 and been freelancing my way through uni. I’ve just finished and although i want to continue i can’t see how i can build my client base? Really informative article, thanks!

]]> By: arisu http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-437 arisu Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:04:51 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-437 You are so right about this.! But you are lucky on the full-time job cos of the bf deal eheh. But i guess it can be great both ways right? Working as freelance or for an agency but for sure for agency, steady income and not worrying all the time. You are so right about this.! But you are lucky on the full-time job cos of the bf deal eheh. But i guess it can be great both ways right? Working as freelance or for an agency but for sure for agency, steady income and not worrying all the time.

]]> By: Lisa Rex http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Lisa Rex Mon, 18 May 2009 21:33:39 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-418 I am about to transition fully into freelance work. While I miss the financial freedom of permanent employment, I'm not ready to give up the personal freedom. My husband and I work from home, we live in a great place, and live walking distance to the town center. I love that my time is flexible. I love that I don't need to own a ton of work clothes. It'll be great when I get a steady flow of client work coming in! Also, I agree with Saddam, FreshBooks is great. I am about to transition fully into freelance work. While I miss the financial freedom of permanent employment, I’m not ready to give up the personal freedom. My husband and I work from home, we live in a great place, and live walking distance to the town center. I love that my time is flexible. I love that I don’t need to own a ton of work clothes. It’ll be great when I get a steady flow of client work coming in!

Also, I agree with Saddam, FreshBooks is great.

]]> By: Chris Wallace http://www.amymahon.com/freelance-vs-full-time/comment-page-1/#comment-416 Chris Wallace Mon, 18 May 2009 19:01:59 +0000 http://www.amymahon.com/?p=667639#comment-416 I do both. I work at a company full-time and do freelance work the rest of my time. One of the biggest things I could offer as advice is to only take credit card payments from clients. Unless you are freelancing for a big company who is trustworthy about paying on time, you should control your own billing and only allow clients to pay using a method that allows you to bill when invoices are due. This saves me days of agonizingly waiting by the mailbox and also shows your clients you are running a business by accepting credit cards. Any client that refuses to pay by credit card is not a client you should work for. They also offer protections for both service provider and card owner should a dispute arise. I do both. I work at a company full-time and do freelance work the rest of my time.

One of the biggest things I could offer as advice is to only take credit card payments from clients. Unless you are freelancing for a big company who is trustworthy about paying on time, you should control your own billing and only allow clients to pay using a method that allows you to bill when invoices are due. This saves me days of agonizingly waiting by the mailbox and also shows your clients you are running a business by accepting credit cards. Any client that refuses to pay by credit card is not a client you should work for. They also offer protections for both service provider and card owner should a dispute arise.

]]>