So you want to try freelancing, on your own time. Great.
But let’s get something clear from the start. Freelancing is no walk in the park and is not an easier option. In many cases, you will work harder as a freelancer than you ever worked before in corporate roles.
On the upside, it will allow you to wave goodbye to the constraints of working for others, in specified physical offices, often far from home, and under sets of rules made for children, not adults.
Freelancing is work, democratised.
It allows you to own your own time, set your own schedule, dress how you choose, and have the fruits of your work go directly into your own pocket.
But it doesn’t mean that anything is tolerated, and certainly isn’t simple.
To be a successful freelancer, you need discipline and maturity, the ability to wear many different hats and network professionally, and the willingness to hustle. Without these it will be tough to understand and enjoy just how “free” freelancing can be.
Still interested? We’ve put together a few pointers to help.
The Benefits of Freelancing
Freelancing has evolved from being a secondary option, generally a mid-career one for workers who felt they reached the end of their regular career trajectory, and whose only chance for increased challenges and/or earnings lay in freelancing.
Today, freelancing and the ownership of one’s own efforts, outputs and time is the first choice for millions. We’re not going to try to explain it, but we know this.
FREELANCING IS GOING MAINSTREAM
Digital technology is the main driver.
Advances in technology have killed certain industries, disrupted others and reshaped the global economy in a fairly short period of time. Today, four of the five biggest companies in the world, and seven of the top ten, are technology companies. The people who grow up in the worlds shaped by these companies don’t watch TV anymore, they consume content, and largely through mobile means. They don’t pay in either cash or card anymore. Instead they use mobile payment systems as their new norm. They see no need to visit physical shops to buy stuff when they can simply order online. This is their normal.
As is how work is delivered. Technology is a great enabler of freelancing and the wave has commenced. Companies are waking up, some slower than others.
If you’re reading this, you have also woken up, and even though you probably already know this, here is a reminder of how freelancing can benefit you.
- Flexibility. As freelancers, we make our own schedules, we work at our own pace, and only take on new tasks when we’re ready to do so. This openness gives us more time for our true passions that are non-work related. The overwhelmingly most popular reason people take to freelancing is to take control of their own time through the flexibility that freelancing offers.
- Stress. As freelancers, we dictate our own workloads and don’t chase arbitrary goals set by faceless entities, just to stay out of corporate trouble and create a few more bucks for the employer. This often comes at the expense of health, quality of life and families.
- Workplace everywhere. As freelancers, we can work from almost anywhere. Whether it’s from home, a coffee shop, or co-working space there is no office cubicle cabin fever when you’re a freelancer. Which also means – no more dreaded commute! The environmental impact of work commutes globally cannot be underestimated, and the resultant productivity downtime obliterated when people are able to carry their “offices” with them.
Freelancing while working
Choosing a side hustle is the right thing to do. It gives you:
- Opportunities for learning
Rather than solely focusing on the skills that help you do your current job, freelancing will give you the insight and information you need to know how to better manage money, manage a business, manage time and anything specifically linked to the services you offer as a freelancer that go beyond your day to day job. One of the most exciting parts of being a freelancer is the adrenaline rush associated with risks and dealing with clients. You’re constantly making decisions and that allows you to learn new things.
- Opportunities for a spiced-up career
Working on new projects can also help open new doors for your career. Freelancing helps open new doors with new companies, entire industries, or new countries. As an HR expert in banking, manufacturing, mining, or even retail, can become limiting as you will be restricted to move only within companies within those fields. However, when you freelance, you can choose to work on projects with companies that are more open to fresh thinking and different perspectives and suddenly your lack of industry experience becomes your differentiation point.
- Gives you an additional layer of job security
When people are laid off / let go / retrenched, they suddenly must start from scratch. Having a freelance presence “on the side” while employed ensures that you won’t have to, if you do get laid off. You won’t be caught offside, without a plan. You’ll have existing clients and hopefully be able to ramp up your freelance projects.
- Helps you fall in love with HR again
Working as a freelancer on the side gives you more chances to choose work that excites you the most. Like anything in life, the more you do something, the better you get at it. When you freelance on the side, you will be able to faster identify which HR projects you enjoy the most. You are in control of what you work on.
- Helps you make & save extra cash on the side
Freelancing on the side allows for extra cash in your pocket. Enough said. Just make sure you comply with all your income tax responsibilities!
Everyone is initially nervous about the idea of full-time freelancing.
Start off with a question to ask yourself. What do you really want out of life? Do you have the desire to be your own boss? Or, do you want the freedom and flexibility to work wherever you want, whenever you want? Want to spend more time with your family, as opposed to feeling guilty every time you take time off to watch your daughter swim at the gala? Think there’s more to life than a one-hour commute, one-way?
If so, give it a shot. We’ve made it easier at One Circle.
Set up your OneCircleHR.com account
1. Sign up and verify your email address.
Create your account for free and verify your registered email address to keep yourself up to date with the marketplace and to be notified for latest projects. Choose a unique username and avatar. It will be your unique ID and cannot be changed once set.
2. Complete your account details.
Chose an Avatar picture and a nickname to be displayed on your profile for the public. Provide your full name and address. Your first name and your last name will be your public display name for companies who sign up to One Circle. Also make sure that your account’s country of registration and exact address are accurate as we do validate the same before your profile goes live. Update your Language as well.
3. Complete your profile details.
Upload a professional profile pricture. Highlight your skills and experience in your summary, a short video presenting yourself could create more traction on your profile. The short personality profiling is fun and will provide clients of a better idea of your working style and preferences.
4. Add skills to your profile.
You can only motivate for a project if you have at least one of the areas of HR expertise required for it, so add relevant areas of expertise from the drop down list to your profile so you can start motivating for projects that match your expertise.
Build a great profile
Your profile is like your business brochure or company profile as it gives clients insights about you and the quality of your work. First impressions are everything, and successful profiles are always polished to perfection. Make sure yours is too.
1. Profile Picture
- Should be a clear portrait photo of yourself, from the shoulder up.
- Resolution should be at least 280×280 pixels. File size should be up to 2MB and in Jpg format.
2. Profile Summary
- Emphasize your skills and experience.
- Be specific (if you have a niche market/technology).
- Accurately represent your abilities and/or resources.
- Observe proper grammar and acceptable formatting.
- You can write up to a maximum of 250 characters.
3. Experience
- Add employers or clients you worked with previously.
4. Verifications
- Verify your email address, phone number, and payment details.
5. Banking Details
- All funds owed to you will be sent to the banking details you provide. As you initially set up your profile, you have the option to skip this step. However, you will need to go back to it later should you want to motivate for a project. Please make sure this is accurate as we validate this information from our side.
Welcome to the Circle.
One Circle is a freelancing platform for independent HR consultants.
Where businesses of all sizes can find coaches and HR specialist consultants across the entire HR spectrum with multiple areas of expertise. If you are a consultant, looking to embrace the freelance open economy and work on virtual HR projects online, on-demand, consider signing up!