Due to COVID-19, the world of work will never be the same. With the job market looking more uncertain than ever, you might be considering taking the plunge into the world of freelancing. More people than ever before are choosing to go freelance, with the United States leading the way. Freelancing benefits include the ability to decide where you work, setting your hours and the possibility of making more than you would in full-time employment. In today’s economy, there are thousands of employees considering a move into freelance work.

Benefits of Going Freelance

If you’re thinking of making 2021 the year you go freelance, then these are five of the biggest benefits you can take advantage of.

1. Freelancing Benefit: You Control Your Schedule

When you work for someone else, you clock in at a specific time and follow the company’s schedule. As a freelancer, your time is your own. You can decide when you take your holidays, and you don’t have to worry about asking your boss for time off. Control of your own schedule is definitely a benefit of going freelance.

You can choose what days of the week you want to work. If you’re a freelance nail technician, you might decide to take Mondays off because that’s your slowest day for appointments. Freelance hair stylists might decide to take their summer holiday after the wedding season is over. You can work your schedule around to suit you and your client base.

Setting your own schedule also gives you the ability to decide what hours you want to work and how many appointments you want to offer. You have the freedom to choose which clients you want to work with, and you can say “no” if you don’t have an appointment available.

2. Freelancing Benefit: Independence

While working in a salon or a spa, your job depends on someone else. You need someone to hire you as an employee, and you often have to follow their rules. When you work freelance, you have complete independence. You can choose to move to virtually anywhere to offer your services without having to worry about finding a new job or asking for a transfer to another salon location.

If you work best alone, freelancing is perfect for you. In a salon, a client might see as many three different hairstylists during their treatment. You might prefer being able to work on a client from shampooing their hair to cutting and coloring.

Your newfound independence as a freelancer also means you can determine what services you want to offer. As a freelance makeup artist, you might specialize in wedding makeup or editorial looks.

3. Build a Brand

When you work for someone else, you are helping them build their brand. Often the credit for your work goes to your boss and not to you. You’re building someone else’s business and helping to make them more money. One benefit of freelancing is that you can build your profile and brand within your industry.

The credit for your work will always go to you, and you can build a portfolio of work that is entirely your own. Most freelancers trade under their own name, meaning that you can quickly build a following in your local community depending on the services you offer. A quick look on Instagram will show you how many successful freelance makeup artists have been able to build a brand and launch their own businesses.

Do you dream of one way opening your own barbershop or salon? The first step to achieving that dream will be to build a brand and a client base by starting as a freelancer. Taking this route means you don’t have to worry about committing to the cost of renting a space for your salon before you have established your name. Building your brand could lead to opportunities that you wouldn’t get if you worked for someone else. You might get featured in local media coverage which can help boost your sales, and you can even win awards for your work.

4. You Can Make More Money

One of benefits of going freelance usually evolve around the fact that you are no longer working a 9-5 job with a fixed income. When you work in the traditional job market, your salary is likely to see a minor increase every year. Some employees in the service industry are lucky to see any increase. Bonuses are practically unheard of.

When you work as a freelancer, you can grow your business to where you’re making more money than you ever could as an employee. You have to remember that companies have to keep a profit margin and your salary doesn’t increase when your boss has a good sales month.

As a freelancer, you can set goals and practical targets to improve your revenue flow and to enable you to increase your rate. When you have established your name, you’ll be able to take on bigger clients who will pay more. Think of the freelance makeup artists who work in fashion editorial and the disposal budgets their clients have. When you have a growth plan in mind, you can earn more as a freelancer than you ever could have working for someone else.

5. Freelancing Benefit: Develop Your Skills

Freelancers can develop their career in a more hands-on way than regular employees. When you work for someone else, you usually have to take time off if you want to go on a course to develop your skills or if you want to attend a conference or networking opportunity. As a freelancer, you can focus on developing your skills every day. You will naturally look for ways to improve your skills to allow you to charge more and raise more revenue.

You have the freedom to take as many classes as you want, and you can carve out time every day to research new trends that you can incorporate into your business. Developing your skills is invaluable, and the best way to grow your business as a freelancer.

Stylists: Connect with your Clients at Indulge Now

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the professionals in the beauty and grooming industry faced challenges. Now, there is hope.  Hairstylists, barbers, beauticians or nail specialists can easily connect with prospective clients. Indulge Now is an online platform or marketplace, which connects service providers and customers looking for barber services and other services related to haircuts, hairstyling, manicure, pedicure, massage and facials.

You can sign up for free as Service Provider at Indulge Now. Meeting the state license and other regulatory requirements, a traveling barber or freelance hair stylist can create profile and list the barbering and beauty services without paying monthly subscription fees. Once your profile is complete, indulgence seeking clients can search you. Because of the accessibility, potential customers can request an appointment.