Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

corporate route can theoretically travel the world and maintain a full-time job at the same time.</p><p id="9c5b">No difference here.</p><h2 id="b850">3. Finding work</h2><p id="50fa">There’s often instability with freelancing. They call it “feast or famine.” Some seasons are plentiful with customers beating down your doors and others scarce.</p><p id="5576">There’s often a continuous hustle in order to find work and keep it coming your way. There’s always a tightrope to balance between hunting down and securing new work and actually getting that work done.</p><p id="a273">In a corporate job, no work needs to be sought. It’s there waiting for me each and every day.</p><h2 id="12c4">4. Consistent paychecks</h2><p id="4366">Similar to the above, freelancers face inconsistencies in terms of pay. Perhaps the workload is slim due to holidays or seasons of the year, or maybe clients have been paying late.</p><p id="fa2e">In a corporate job, there are consistent paychecks. You know the amount and the payday before they even occur.</p><h2 id="baec">5. Paid time off</h2><p id="326a">Paid time off is one perk that I really missed when I was freelancing. I felt like I didn’t want to take any time off because there would be a gap in pay.</p><p id="06fa">Sure you can save or set up some “passive” income projects, and that’s a wise move, but compared to the remote 9–5'er, there’s no comparison.</p><p id="04cb">In addition to paid holidays like Christmas, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, etc, you are given 3–4 weeks a year to take vacations. And you’re paid for that time. Maybe you’re even given an allotment of sick days.</p><p id="834e">No money lost. Time is gained.</p><h2 id="403d">6. Insurance</h2><p id="bee1">Not only do most tech companies offer lucrative insurance plans for cheap, but many actually cover the total cost for you!</p><p id="5a2b">This means full health, dental, and vision insurance for FREE, even for your whole family.</p><p id="44e1">Freelancers don’t get this. They have to subscribe to whatever outrageous government-led insurance option they’re presented, or they can go with a private company often at the same high rates.</p><p id="4c2c">There’s no one there to take that hit for them. Tally that up over a year and you’ll see that paid insurance is a huge benefit.</p><h2 id="1865">7. Growth</h2><p id="f13e">Now, this can vary. Many freelancers are happy in a specific niche and set of tools. I understand.</p><p id="0e4d">Mine was WordPress and its associated programming languages. If I was still freelancing today it would probably be the same.</p><p id="6624">But as soon as I got into the corporate software world, I began working on more cutting edge technology. I began to really grow in my knowledge of enterprise systems, best practices, and

Options

software that I never really would have been able to learn as a freelancer.</p><p id="caa5">In addition, many of my days are spent on calls working alongside other amazing developers, writing code together, and solving problems.</p><p id="34c3">All this is to say that my growth since leaving freelancing has been exponential.</p><p id="474c">There are tools and technologies that you will never learn or have access to in freelancing alone.</p><h2 id="d742">8. More pay</h2><p id="639d">Often with freelancing, you get smaller clients with smaller budgets. Thus, the pay is less. And there’s only you doing the work. This means the amount you can make is limited.</p><p id="61b4">Now I know there are really successful freelance writers, designers, developers, etc. who make really good money by being really selective and wise in how they work. That’s great.</p><p id="6d66">But I also know many who work for small businesses who not only have limited budgets but persistently try to cut the corners wherever they can financially.</p><p id="f5fd">In a corporate job, you are often working with large clients with big budgets. There is more money involved. Thus the pay is often higher.</p><h1 id="4ff8">A Better Option Than Both</h1><p id="d1aa">But there’s a better option here.</p><p id="e477">Maybe you’re worn out as a freelancer, tired of the inconsistent work and pay.</p><p id="89c0">Maybe you still don’t see the freedom and growth that you desire.</p><p id="baf3">What can you do then?</p><h2 id="9809">1. You can go to work remotely for a company in your field.</h2><p id="6a19">You still get <b>all the same benefits</b> as a freelancer <b>but better</b>.</p><h2 id="d0f3">2. You can turn your freelancing into a small business.</h2><p id="9e4d">A small business.</p><p id="36dc">Not a solo freelancer.</p><p id="d867">This is true freedom.</p><p id="7c9d">If you really want to be free, flexible, able to take time off and make good money, you’ll have to utilize the work of others.</p><p id="b90e">You’ll have to hire people to do the work.</p><p id="6a23">Maybe you’re a web designer and just do the design phase of projects. Well, you can expand your client base. You can hire a developer, another designer to take your place, and a project manager.</p><p id="9cb9">You go out and get the work and feed it to your project manager to task out to the team.</p><p id="01c0">And scale from there.</p><p id="49d5">Sure you may want to stay a single freelancer and that’s fine. But you’ll struggle more than the remote worker at a company. But that guy or girl will have bosses still, a fixed income, and a set schedule. At that point, the gold medal is to shift not back to freelancing, but into a profitable, thriving business.</p><p id="7a69">Then there will be real freedom.</p></article></body>

8 Reasons Freelancing is Worse Than Working Remotely For a Company in 2020

And why neither are really the best option.

It’s been a little over a year since I’ve been back in the corporate workplace.

Prior to that, I spent two years freelancing as a web developer.

I wanted freedom, flexibility, and no boss. After being assigned the ghastly task of helping plan the new software that would eventually take my own position, I ventured out on my own.

But now that I’m back as a software developer, now fully-remote, I realize that these two situations are actually the same things. There is really no difference between freelancing and remote work.

In fact, working remotely for a company in 2020 can be far better than freelancing.

No?

Let’s compare then, shall we?

8 Reasons Why Freelancing is Worse Than Working Remotely For a Company in 2020

1. Freedom

Freedom is a huge motivator. It’s not only a locational thing but intellectual as well.

Many of us want to be free of bosses and rigid work hours. We want to be creative and work on the things we care about the most.

But as a freelancer, you can’t really claim to be free in that regard.

You still have a boss. In fact, you have many. They are called clients and they have demands and are paying you to do work for them. You must show up. You also must report to work regularly. No work, no pay.

So in terms of freedom, those in the remote corporate world are just as free. They have one boss, you have many.

2. Working remotely

Working remotely is no longer a perk for freelancers.

A large majority of those in tech, especially since the start of the pandemic, are working remotely. And many of these companies have stated that employees can continue to do so indefinitely.

In fact, jobs have trended towards more freedom for employees including things like “unlimited vacations” and flexible work hours.

Be there for the meetings and who cares what time you work, just put in the 40 hours.

This means those who choose the corporate route can theoretically travel the world and maintain a full-time job at the same time.

No difference here.

3. Finding work

There’s often instability with freelancing. They call it “feast or famine.” Some seasons are plentiful with customers beating down your doors and others scarce.

There’s often a continuous hustle in order to find work and keep it coming your way. There’s always a tightrope to balance between hunting down and securing new work and actually getting that work done.

In a corporate job, no work needs to be sought. It’s there waiting for me each and every day.

4. Consistent paychecks

Similar to the above, freelancers face inconsistencies in terms of pay. Perhaps the workload is slim due to holidays or seasons of the year, or maybe clients have been paying late.

In a corporate job, there are consistent paychecks. You know the amount and the payday before they even occur.

5. Paid time off

Paid time off is one perk that I really missed when I was freelancing. I felt like I didn’t want to take any time off because there would be a gap in pay.

Sure you can save or set up some “passive” income projects, and that’s a wise move, but compared to the remote 9–5'er, there’s no comparison.

In addition to paid holidays like Christmas, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, etc, you are given 3–4 weeks a year to take vacations. And you’re paid for that time. Maybe you’re even given an allotment of sick days.

No money lost. Time is gained.

6. Insurance

Not only do most tech companies offer lucrative insurance plans for cheap, but many actually cover the total cost for you!

This means full health, dental, and vision insurance for FREE, even for your whole family.

Freelancers don’t get this. They have to subscribe to whatever outrageous government-led insurance option they’re presented, or they can go with a private company often at the same high rates.

There’s no one there to take that hit for them. Tally that up over a year and you’ll see that paid insurance is a huge benefit.

7. Growth

Now, this can vary. Many freelancers are happy in a specific niche and set of tools. I understand.

Mine was WordPress and its associated programming languages. If I was still freelancing today it would probably be the same.

But as soon as I got into the corporate software world, I began working on more cutting edge technology. I began to really grow in my knowledge of enterprise systems, best practices, and software that I never really would have been able to learn as a freelancer.

In addition, many of my days are spent on calls working alongside other amazing developers, writing code together, and solving problems.

All this is to say that my growth since leaving freelancing has been exponential.

There are tools and technologies that you will never learn or have access to in freelancing alone.

8. More pay

Often with freelancing, you get smaller clients with smaller budgets. Thus, the pay is less. And there’s only you doing the work. This means the amount you can make is limited.

Now I know there are really successful freelance writers, designers, developers, etc. who make really good money by being really selective and wise in how they work. That’s great.

But I also know many who work for small businesses who not only have limited budgets but persistently try to cut the corners wherever they can financially.

In a corporate job, you are often working with large clients with big budgets. There is more money involved. Thus the pay is often higher.

A Better Option Than Both

But there’s a better option here.

Maybe you’re worn out as a freelancer, tired of the inconsistent work and pay.

Maybe you still don’t see the freedom and growth that you desire.

What can you do then?

1. You can go to work remotely for a company in your field.

You still get all the same benefits as a freelancer but better.

2. You can turn your freelancing into a small business.

A small business.

Not a solo freelancer.

This is true freedom.

If you really want to be free, flexible, able to take time off and make good money, you’ll have to utilize the work of others.

You’ll have to hire people to do the work.

Maybe you’re a web designer and just do the design phase of projects. Well, you can expand your client base. You can hire a developer, another designer to take your place, and a project manager.

You go out and get the work and feed it to your project manager to task out to the team.

And scale from there.

Sure you may want to stay a single freelancer and that’s fine. But you’ll struggle more than the remote worker at a company. But that guy or girl will have bosses still, a fixed income, and a set schedule. At that point, the gold medal is to shift not back to freelancing, but into a profitable, thriving business.

Then there will be real freedom.