When I describe my job to friends and family, they nearly always ask the same question.

“But don’t you get lonely working on your own?”

A lot of people got a taste of the homeworking life over the past 18 months, and many of them couldn’t wait to get back into the office. But I also know a lot of people have managed to thrive in their new home office setup.

Working from home and running your own business certainly has its challenges, but it also has a lot of perks that I wouldn’t give up for the world.

What I don’t miss about office life

There’s a quote I really love: “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” I understand why some people are happy to trade freedom for stability and security. But is any job really stable and secure anymore?

Since leaving behind office life, there are a few things I can safely say I really don’t miss, starting with the commute. It would zap my energy before I’d even made it to the office, and then steal time that could be spent with my friends and family in the evening. Good riddance to this utter waste of time!

I can also do without office politics, pointless meetings, mandatory courses and working with out-of-date systems. I find I’m more productive when I work alone, as I’m not engaging in small talk just to be polite. I also get to choose what’s on the office radio, and that’s a BIG win!

What I love about freelancing

I’m in control. You don’t realise how much happiness it brings you to be in control of your own workday. And I don’t just mean setting my schedule; I mean choosing the people I work with. And shaping my career around my interests.

If I were a traditional employee, my job would largely be determined by the company demands. So if I hated a particular task, it would still be part of my job description unless I could convince my supervisor to give it to someone else.

But when I’m freelancing, I call the shots. This means I can take on the work that I find the most rewarding and challenging. For example, if I’m interested in social media management, I can fill my roster with clients that need this service.

I also have the flexibility to work with clients I find inspiring and engaging. And if a client isn’t a good fit, it’s easy enough to part ways. 

Just imagine trying to do this in a traditional role?

Investing in my own success

Another amazing perk of freelancing is that I can invest in myself like never before. If I worked for someone else, training and development would be limited to what can benefit the company. And this wouldn’t always be interesting or useful for me.

Now, I can take training courses that get me excited to learn. I can invest in new systems and software to help keep me ahead of the game. And I can make decisions about how to grow my business and where to focus my attention.

I also love that I can use my business to give back. It enables me to support a charity that is very close to my heart by raising money and awareness. I donate a percentage of my annual turnover to The Brain Tumour Charity every year. I also donate 50p for every new mailing list subscriber.

So, if you’re thinking about embracing the freelancer lifestyle, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you tips and advice to help you get to where you want to be!