On numerous occasions, I have had to say no to a major social event due to a website launch and I have lost count of the amount of times my best friend has visited only to find me grunting at my laptop and being very unsociable!
It’s not all bad though – I find juggling a full-time job as well as working for yourself hugely satisfying, I can be more selective regarding the jobs I undertake and the extra money comes in handy.
Here is my view on the pros and cons of working for yourself…
The pros
- The biggest benefit for me is creative freedom. You can express yourself, experiment more and whilst expectations from your clients may limit, you can still work more creatively.
- Being your own boss means more responsibility, you make your own decisions and report to no-one.
- You can have a flexible schedule and work when you want, where you want. I tend to work late in to the evening as this is when I am more productive and it fits in well with my full-time job.
The cons
- You have to deal with the consequences if you make a bad decision. There’s really no one else to blame but yourself if things go wrong.
- A strong work ethic and motivation is required to get up and get your work done. Fortunately, I never have trouble with this. I did used to sit at the computer in my dressing gown and slippers but now I make a conscious effort to get ready as if I was going to work.
- I do sometimes find it hard to balance my social life with two jobs and the domestic chores definitely take a backseat when i’m busy. You need to make sure you look after yourself too, know when to stop working and give yourself a break. I find this very difficult – there are a few times when I find that I am still on the computer past midnight and I haven’t had dinner yet!
Even with the cons I mentioned above, if you are motivated I would definitely recommend working for yourself. I feel very privileged to be able to do something that I really enjoy (most of the time!)
