Top 10 Freelancing Work Challenges That Every Freelancer Faces

“Every cloud has a silver lining”. All the wonders of the world possess a good and a bad side. The life of a freelancer sounds pretty interesting, isn’t it? There are no workstations, no formal dress, no bossy behavior, no fixed time, no commute and lots of other exciting features. You may be overwhelmed by the pros of freelancing. You are probably planning to leave your full time job and taste the unique flavor of freelancing. But, before taking that heroic step, make yourself familiar with the flip side of the story. There are innumerable struggles of a freelancer. Let us talk about some of them.

Good Clients- Utopian Dream

Freelancing is all about finding suitable clients. They would provide you with work opportunities. You expect a butter smooth relationship with your clients, which is rare these days. You are bound to come across irritating clients in your professional tenure. There are few clients who are demanding. There are also certain clients who would be specific about the deadlines. They would create a fuss if you miss the deadline. The clients are also troublesome when it comes to payments. They would be least interested in making your payments and would never like to pay you upfront. So make a tactical plan of handling the difficult clients.

Parents Think I am a Moron

“You are wasting your life”, “You are useless”, sounds familiar, isn’t it? The common dialogues we usually hear from our parents. They are from a different generation and they view “freelancing” as the next weird thing. They find it like selling low quality stuffs that would not fetch them anything in life. Just let them know about the unique projects that you can get. Also, inform them about the endless earning opportunities of freelancing.

I am So Lonely

“I am lonesome I could cry” is a famous song by Hank Williams, which showcases the age old concern of people. Freelancers find no one beside them. They start to miss the hustle and bustle of an office. They tend to remember the gossips of the coworkers, bosses and the juniors. This has an impact on the emotional well being of the people. You need to keep yourself surrounded by your well-wishers. Stop feeling lonely all the time.

Money Management

The income opportunities are not fixed in a freelancer’s life. It is unlikely that you will be receiving the same monthly payment every month. You will have different types of expenditures every month. You have to ensure that the income flow is more than the expenditure. Manage your expenses well so that you  benefit at the end of the month.

Jack of All Trades and Master of None

If you embrace freelancing, you will be your own boss. It is your own responsibility to manage your job well. You need to manage your marketing, sales, finances, time and the projects. You have to learn to handle all the work efficiently. You will be successful only if you can handle a lot of things at the same time. This prevents you from focusing on a single task. As a result, you can’t actually become an expert in a single domain.

No Time for Personal Life

Freelancers face great challenges in balancing their personal and professional life. They are unable to devote enough time for their families. They are unable to complete their work on time. This is true when there are tight deadlines. This gives rise to frustration and stress in the lives of the freelancers.

No Fixed Office Time

One of the greatest challenges in freelancing is the absence of office time. This is a curse in disguise. In traditional jobs, you know that you have to leave office within 5 pm. As a result, you can plan your work accordingly. Yet, in case of freelancers, this is not the case. You do not keep a track of time. This causes a long stretch in the work schedules. You will be surprised to see that you have worked more than the conventional eight or nine hours. This causes a strain in your personal relationships.

Compromise is not My Cup of Tea

Freelancing is all about mutual compromise on many factors. You need to adjust with the particular time zones of your clients. Suppose your client wants to talk to you at 4 pm. The corresponding time at your place, may be 2 am. This kind of situation might be a serious concern for you. You can’t refuse to compromise under such circumstances. You have to talk to the client and agree on a workable time frame, which is suitable for both the parties.

Multiple Currencies Puzzle Me

Freelancers work with a variety of clients all over the world. It is true that the US Dollar is widely accepted as a payment currency. As a result, you won’t face difficulties due to this. PayPal ensures that you receive your payments in your own currency. Yet, you should be knowledgeable about the prevailing currency rates. You should be aware of the current value of dollar in your own currency.

Negotiation Skills Suck

You must have great negotiation skills. Clients have a tendency to extract most work from the freelancers at unfair prices. It is tiring to find a client that gives you a good payment. You should be paid at least a fair payment for all your projects (if not good!). Brush up your negotiation skills, so that you do not lose your precious clients.