Why are more people than ever choosing to work for themselves? We know why!
It has been predicted that freelancers and those working for themselves will outnumber traditional nine to five employees within the next decade. The freedom and control gained from a freelance lifestyle are major factors that motivate people to leave traditional employment to start their own business.
Red Desk Virtual has now been operating for over 10 years, started in 2008 as a solo venture and now a team of four, with Lindsay and Mel as Company Directors. Our company has changed and developed over the last 10 years, with the advancement of technology and the digital world the needs of small business owners has changed dramatically. We now spend the bulk of our time managing our clients’ online presence from their websites and social media to their digital marketing campaigns.
This transition in our business has been one of the joys of working for ourselves, we have naturally diversified our skills and experience, as a freelancer you are constantly learning and widening your skill-set and never governed by a job description.
For us the control over our time and energy has a direct impact on our quality of life and the quality of our working day. Being your own boss means exactly that; you don’t have a boss, you have clients and therefore you can concentrate on the types of clients and work that interests you.
Although many would think becoming a freelancer means your income is likely to be more precarious, actually if you build up a number of clients, as we have, then if you lose one contract you will still have the several more, meaning you only lose a small portion of your income rather than the possibility of redundancy in a larger company.
Starting your own business may seem like a giant step, but think about taking small steps to begin with, building your own business while still working full-time can be a smart move. It means an increased work load but the long-term gains are worth the added hours.
With the wealth of online tools available to help you, a business can be set up on a very small amount of budget. Many aspects of building a business can be achieved for free, for example Google Sites allows you to create a website for free, a brilliant option for a start-up. The traditional risk associated with creating a business really is a thing of the past.
Yes the reality of starting your own business is you will have to fulfil a lot of roles and learn fast, perhaps working long hours when you first start, but for us the rewards have far exceeded the negatives and we’ve enjoyed the steep learning curve.
If you need any help with your start-up do get in touch.