Life for many, especially young adults, seems to be a constant grind of meeting the next cost of living threshold.
We aspire to have a job that would allow us to retire relatively early and reap the benefits of our hard work sooner.
Many find it difficult to achieve this dream-like situation leading them to struggle in paying the bills despite having a proper 9 to 5.
For the unfortunate, they have to stick to a job they don’t like because it’s the only thing they have for income.
Due to this, many are willing to take their shot at freelancing.
Being your own boss and having control over your salary sounds appealing, right?
That’s basically freelancing, however, it’s not as easy as most people would think.
It’s not just sitting in front of your computer and instantly getting that bread.
Freelancers usually work more hours in a week than regular employees.
Sounds like hard work? It sure is. But this is why we have this guide for you.
Whether you’re looking into freelancing as a part-time job to earn a little bit more or as your primary source of cash, we’ll talk about it here.
Part-time vs Full-time freelancing. Which choice would be better for you? Let’s find out.
🤔 Why try Freelancing?
As mentioned previously, many find it difficult to meet the ever-increasing cost of living wherever they may be.
Though it may be true that you could just work harder at your current job and not complain.
At the point of working multiple OTs in a row just to get a small increase in income, would you be able to consider that as truly living?
Unless you’re an extreme workaholic, you would think that there must be a better way.
Something that could generate enough cash, maybe a bit more, that wouldn’t make you a corporate slave.
This is where freelancing comes in. A way to generate cash that completely relies on your skills, discipline, and passion.
In freelancing, you are your own boss. You make the calls on everything, your work hours, your salary, your clients and tasks, even your days off.
But this doesn’t mean that you should immediately present your resignation letter and go all-in on freelancing.
The beauty of freelancing is its flexibility. It’s your choice to become a part-time or full-time freelancer.
Before deciding on an ultimatum for your current job, it would be wiser to learn more about part-time and full-time freelancing.
🧐 Part-time vs Full-time Freelancing
You need to consider your skills and capabilities before choosing to bet everything on freelancing.
Many quit their jobs and try freelancing from scratch, confident that their skills and passion would be enough.
Only to realize that there is so much more than just being good at a certain something.
Though it is not to say that expertise is insignificant, it is merely just one of the many factors that contribute to success in freelancing.
This is why a lot of freelancers would advice that you should start as a part-time freelancer.
Though it may pay less than full-time, there would also be less pains and risks as compared to starting from scratch.
There are quite a few differences between part-time and full-time freelancing.
Hopefully, this guide helps you in making the better choice in your pursuit of self-employment.
Part-time Freelancing
Part-time freelancing allows college students, young parents, or people looking to earn a bit more on top of their salary to generate some income.
The difference between part-time and full-time mainly sits on the amount of work you take.
You would need relatively less time in part-time compared to freelancing full-time.
You’d be working on small projects given by a few clients.
This non-disruptive nature of part-time freelancing allows everyone interested to take a shot at it without losing much of what they already have.
You get the privilege of working freelance while having enough time to study or work at your 9 to 5 job.
Freelancing part-time allows you to see how freelancing would work for you with little to no risk.
Full-time Freelancing
With freelancing full-time, you dedicate your workdays to working on projects, getting exposure, and chasing clients.
Yes, days instead of hours.
Going full-time means most, if not all, of your income comes from freelancing.
In full-time, you accept more tasks, work on bigger projects, and present high-quality products promptly to many more clients.
Usually, full-time would mean building long-lasting business relationships with your clients.
This would create the potential into having partnerships with companies and organizations with bigger influence.
Full-time freelancing is a choice to commit to a sustainable and profitable self-developed business.
Related Article: 8 Skills That A Successful Freelancer Should Have
👀 What to choose?
The difference between part-time and full-time freelancing is mainly found in the amount of work you accept.
In part-time, you tend to accept quick, relatively low pay projects.
While bigger projects with higher pay are preferred in full-time.
If you’re interested in working as a freelancer, most in the field would recommend that you start freelancing part-time instead of committing to full-time immediately.
Freelancing may sound easy and carefree, but it’s not for everyone.
It holds you accountable for everything that has to do with your business.
You have no boss to tell you what you should do. No boss to potentially give you motivation or criticism.
You’re responsible for the quality of your outputs, the amount of money you make, your exposure. Basically everything.
There is no one else to blame but you, and no one to give credit to but yourself as well.
If you’re still just starting freelancing, worrying about all those without funds would be too stressful.
That’s why experts advise that you keep your current 9 to 5 and do freelancing part-time.
Just to have a taste of self-employment first before putting everything on the line.
In part-time, there’s less stress in looking for clients and building bridges to create a better foundation once you decide to go full-time.
You get to gauge how well you’d do without the risk of being financially unstable because you still have your regular job.
You don’t get to earn much at first, but you could start asking more from your clients the better you become.
However, part-time freelancing doesn’t mean that you should treat it like some hobby that you occasionally get back to.
Take it seriously, and create products that you would be proud of.
Remember, even if it’s just a side hustle for you, your clients are still relying on you to create good quality work.
Once you’re confident that freelancing is able to make enough for your necessities and a little bit more, then you can make the choice of going full-time.
From there on, everything would depend on the amount of work you’re able to do.
You are officially your own boss and every decision will be made by you and you alone.
📌 Bottom Line
Whether you choose to do freelancing part-time or full-time, it would most definitely allow you to pave the way to self-employment.
Yet it is a choice to be made with proper precautions and information.
The choice between part-time and full-time freelancing truly depends on your circumstances.
If you’re still studying, freelancing part-time would be a good choice to earn some extra cash.
Even if you already have a job, you could consider transitioning into full-time freelancing if you aspire to be your own boss.
Planning to make your move into freelancing? Experts in the field suggest you keep your job and do freelancing on the side.
Your lifeline in freelancing will always be your clients.
Develop good relations during part-time freelancing so you could carry them over when you go full-time.
Freelancing rewards you for your hard work, and your work translates directly into your income.
❓You Might Ask
1. What does part-time freelance mean?
Just like any other part-time job, part-time freelancing means that you do the same line of work but for fewer hours in the week.
Part-time freelancing is usually the stepping stone for many that attempt to get into freelancing.
Unlike full-time freelancing, you would most likely accept jobs that would be relatively quick to do for a few clients.
It is an opportunity for many to experience how it would be to work as a freelancer.
Students can do part-time freelancing to earn some money while finishing their academics.
Those who already have a regular office job could opt to do part-time freelancing to either just have more income, or to begin their transition to self-employment.
2. How many hours does a part-time freelancer work?
Part-time freelancers work for about 20-30 hours a week.
Full-time freelancers on the other hand dedicate their workdays to doing projects, talking to clients, and expanding their scope.
The reason for the lesser work hours in part-time freelancing is due to the amount and type of work accepted.
Usually, students who would also work as part-time freelancers would accept small projects that have flexible deadlines so they could be done during their free time.
Some part-time freelancers would already have a job which would lead to them treating freelancing as a side hustle instead of their primary job.
3. Is full-time freelancing worth it?
Like most things in life, the more effort and passion you put into something, it would eventually return good things.
For someone who likes to have control, full-time freelancing would definitely be worth it.
Being your own boss, being able to decide your work hours and days off, and having control over your type of work and income are all perks of freelancing.
However, as stated many times before, freelancing holds you accountable for everything.
This means that the amount you earn depends solely on the work you put out and the deals you have with your clients.
So if you want to save yourself from the struggle of not earning enough, you better work for it.
In a sense, you decide whether full-time freelancing is worth it for you or not.
