{"id":5890,"date":"2019-07-26T17:56:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T17:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-alliance-virtual-office-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=5890"},"modified":"2025-05-03T03:36:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T07:36:44","slug":"freelancer-or-business-owner-which-is-best-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/freelancer-or-business-owner-which-is-best-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelancer or Business Owner? Which Is Best for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Becoming Your Own Boss<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve all met someone, at one point or another, who left his or her 9 to 5 job in order to be his or her own boss. Who knows, you might even be that person. A significant amount of people who have made this decision have eventually landed in the world of virtual offices and to some extent launched a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/how-to-run-a-virtual-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">virtual business<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though professionals today might not need an office where we can work from, they need a business address, a business phone number, a business meeting room\u2026 basically, business infrastructure. Cue in virtual businesses and virtual office management.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/live-alliance-virtual-office-blog.pantheonsite.io\/what-is-a-live-receptionist\/\" target=\"_blank\">Answering Services for Small Businesses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being your own boss is great [Although this is definitely not easy, as <a href=\"https:\/\/foundr.com\/becoming-an-entrepreneur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Foundr says<\/a>]; you set your own schedule, you set your own goals, and you grow or contract as you need. In other words, you run the show.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, not many people realize that becoming your own boss doesn\u2019t have to be synonymous with launching a business. Being your own boss can also mean being a freelancer and taking on work on a per-project basis.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s about \u201cprioritizing a rich life over riches\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pjrvs.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul Jarvis wisefully says<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-container ugb-container ugb-4e59bbb ugb-container--v2 ugb-container--design-basic ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-container__wrapper ugb-4e59bbb-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-container__side\"><div class=\"ugb-container__content-wrapper ugb-4e59bbb-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-heading ugb-heading ugb-5747f18 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><h2 class=\"ugb-heading__title\">Get Your FREE Guide Today!<\/h2><p class=\"ugb-heading__subtitle\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\" class=\"ugb-highlight\">How to Start a Business in a Recession <\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-columns ugb-columns ugb-5d98db9 ugb-columns--design-plain ugb-columns--columns-2 ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-columns__item ugb-5d98db9-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-3d50224 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-3d50224-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-75x75.png 75w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-350x350.png 350w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-750x750.png 750w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ugb-column ugb-column ugb-9805051 ugb-column--design-plain ugb-main-block\"><div class=\"ugb-inner-block\"><div class=\"ugb-block-content\"><div class=\"ugb-column__item ugb-9805051-column-wrapper\"><div class=\"ugb-column__content-wrapper\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady = window.hsFormsOnReady || [];\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady.push(()=>{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thbspt.forms.create({\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tportalId: 20748621,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tformId: \"bcd80fa2-2c93-4a75-a4f9-0f080afd873b\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget: \"#hbspt-form-1781067009000-5365707914\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tregion: \"na1\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t})});\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hbspt-form\" id=\"hbspt-form-1781067009000-5365707914\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quick side note here, for the purpose of this article, we will use the following definitions:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>Freelancer: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a person that does particular pieces of work for different organizations, rather than working all the time for a single organization. &#8211; Cambridge Dictionary<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Business owner: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">individual who owns a business entity in an attempt to profit from the successful operations of the company. &#8211; Business Dictionary&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A rich life means different things for different people, which is why it\u2019s important for people to carefully consider the choice between becoming a freelancer or setting up their own business. You\u2019ll be your own boss in the end, but each entails a different path and set of decisions. One is about becoming a large company and the other is about being a company of one, and there\u2019s no right or wrong option here.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#business-owner-101\" title=\"\">Business Owner 101<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#virtual-companies-101\" title=\"\">Virtual Companies 101<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#freelancing-101\" title=\"\">Freelancing 101<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#which-one-is-right-for-you?\" title=\"\">Which One is Right for You?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#conclusion\" title=\"\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list xtarget\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading xtarget\" id=\"business-owner-101\"><strong>Business Owner 101<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/4.png 250w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/4-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are countless benefits and advantages to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/mobile-business-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">building your own business<\/a> and brand. First and foremost is flexibility: you work when you want, where you want, and on what you want. Second, you get to call the shots and set your own goals and deadlines. There\u2019s also the fact that many people set up their own home business in order to pursue their passion and find purpose and meaning in their work.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, the benefits of creating a business from scratch go beyond the personal level. By creating a business, you can help your local economy, you create new job opportunities, you get more involved with your community, and you inspire others.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there\u2019s always the yin to the yang and vice versa. Business ownership is no exception. Although the benefits abound, there are also downsides to this type of endeavor.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For starters, there\u2019s a lot of risk associated with these types of ventures; there are no guarantees that you\u2019ll be successful and make your money\u2019s worth. There\u2019s a lot of uncertainty, which can be stressful and difficult to deal with at times.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting a business also requires a strong time and financial commitment; you might find it harder to make time for family and friends, and you might also have to sacrifice some luxuries and commodities.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s also an increased chance of stress and burnout. When someone starts a business, they often times don\u2019t have the necessary help they need to get the business up and running, which means that one person ends up wearing several hats for a significant amount of time. This can easily lead to burnout, stress, and anxiety.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 1.56em;\">Pros<\/b>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You call the shots<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pursue your passion<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find meaning and purpose at work<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help your local economy<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create new job opportunities<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inspire others<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Possibility of making more money in the long-run<\/span> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b style=\"color: inherit; font-size: 1.56em;\">Cons<\/b>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uncertainty&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong financial commitment<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial risk<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong time commitment<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Possibility of increased stress levels that can lead to burnout<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n[custom_block description=&#8217;Still meeting in coffee shops? Upgrade your meeting venue without the luxury price tag. Choose a New York <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/new-york-meeting-rooms\">Meeting Room<\/a> and book by the hour or by the day. Simple, affordable, professional.&#8217; image=&#8217;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/sp-meeting-rooms-coffee.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4882\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/sp-meeting-rooms-coffee.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"><\/a>&#8216; link=&#8217;<a href=\"\/new-york-meeting-rooms\">Start now!<\/a>&#8216;]\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading xtarget\" id=\"virtual-companies-101\"><strong>Virtual Companies 101<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Who-Uses-Coworking-7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Who-Uses-Coworking-7.png 250w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Who-Uses-Coworking-7-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are various companies out there today that are proof that not all companies need to rely on brick and mortar in order to be successful. In fact, many companies now fully embrace virtual and remote teams; meaning that they don\u2019t have any headquarters and their staff are based from all corners of the world.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buffer, Chargify, Crossover, Toptal, Automattic, InVision, and FlexJobs are only a few examples of companies that are reaping the benefits of being decentralized and virtual.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual companies are just as viable, professional, and successful as on-site, centralized companies; especially when they have the right virtual infrastructure to support their operations.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re thinking about launching your own business and want to explore the idea of being a fully virtual one, here are some things you need to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits of Virtual Companies<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Virtual companies <\/a>tend to offer more flexibility to employees, which leads to happier and more loyal staff members. Also, since you\u2019re not asking anyone to move to a specific location, you\u2019re able to recruit talent from a much wider talent pool; you can hire people from different countries and from different time zones.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Which brings us to the next fact:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hiring remotely empowers individuals to work whenever they are their most productive, they work at times that suit them best and when they perform their best, regardless of the time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Extra advantage:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if your team is located across different time zones, it means that your business hours are extended.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given that virtual companies minimize or eliminate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/study-expanding-real-estate-business-virtually\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"real estate\">real estate<\/a> costs, this represents significant savings. These savings can therefore be allocated to other strategic business areas: employee perks, marketing, launching new products, R+D, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not having a physical office not only represents savings, but it also reduces a company\u2019s carbon footprint: employees commute less (or not at all) and they have a much lower usage of heating, cooling, water, energy, and other utilities that a traditional office would consume.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Challenges of Running a Virtual Business&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, virtual companies don\u2019t come without their own set of challenges. The main challenges associated with remote work and having a decentralized company include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>The trust factor<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you be sure you\u2019re hiring the right people? Can you trust them to work on their own, even when work hours don\u2019t overlap? There\u2019s no room for micromanaging in virtual companies, so you have to trust that you\u2019re hiring the right people. This is why it\u2019s important to set clear goals and expectations for all employees.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual companies are results-oriented; it\u2019s not about how many hours someone is connected and glued to their computers, it\u2019s how productive they are and how efficiently they are meeting their goals.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Communication<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there are several technological platforms that facilitate and enable remote team communication, it doesn\u2019t really substitute the richness of face-to-face interactions. You entire team needs to stay connected and you have to encourage an environment of open communication in order for your virtual company to grow and succeed. Several virtual companies recommend having video calls and using collaboration apps like Slack to keep everyone looped in.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Isolation and Community<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual companies have to work hard in order to create a strong company culture, a cohesive team, and to create a sense of community and belonging. Many people who work remotely often struggle with feelings of loneliness and isolation, so it\u2019s important that you think about ways in which you can engage all of your employees. Many remote companies recommend yearly meet-ups, providing a coworking stipend, and organizing regular team-building activities.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Payment<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International bank transfers are costly and other payment platforms often charge a percentage to make deposits. If you\u2019re thinking about running a virtual company, you need to carefully select your bank and be clear about how you will be paying your staff.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading xtarget\" id=\"freelancing-101\"><strong>Freelancing 101<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/5-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/5-1.png 250w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/5-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of freelancers in the U.S. and the world continues to rise year after year. Freelancing is not working for any specific company (not even your own); freelancing is a type of self-employment where individuals earn their living through different sources (different clients and projects). Most freelancers work on different projects and for different clients at all times.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freelancing makes it easy for people to work on different types of projects and to pursue different passions and interests. Freelancers have the option&nbsp; to choose whom they want to work with, which projects they want to work on (long-term projects, short-term projects, etc.), and they are able to set their own monetary expectations.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freelancing shares some of the core benefits of setting up your own business:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><b>Pros<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You call the shots<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You control your workload&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You keep all the profits (after taxes of course)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pursue your passion<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find meaning and purpose at work<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Possibility of making more money in the long-run<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lower taxes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there are also disadvantages to freelancing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><b>Cons<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No job security and variable workload and income (sometimes there are various clients and projects to work for and sometimes it seems like there aren\u2019t enough)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No benefits or health packages (no bonuses either)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Client development (it\u2019s hard to find clients when you\u2019re first starting)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No vacations and no sick days<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No guarantee of payment (some clients might take a long time to pay, some might ghost you)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isolation &#8212; you\u2019re working by yourself for yourself; you\u2019re not part of a company culture or community, which can be discouraging.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freelancing Tips&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re thinking about becoming a freelancer, you should keep in mind the following things:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understand your tax profile \/ regime<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get your numbers in order (how much do you need to earn to pay off your bills and regular costs, how much do you want to save, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always send a contract and make sure your client signs it (make sure it clearly states expectations, minimum hours to be hired, how payment should be handled, timeline, deadlines, deliverables, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask for a downpayment<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build a portfolio<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Embrace the 80\/20 rule: in order to have some sort of job and income security, most freelancers try to find a long-term client that represents around 80% of their monthly income. The other 20% comes from additional projects and clients that they work with on a shorter-term basis.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polish your sales skills (clients are hard to get, and you need to be able to close deals)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a website<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do your research before setting your rates<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading xtarget\" id=\"which-one-is-right-for-you?\"><strong>Which One is Right for You?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Who-Uses-Coworking-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Who-Uses-Coworking-6.png 250w, https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Who-Uses-Coworking-6-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no right or wrong answer here, and it greatly depends on where you are in life. If you don\u2019t have a family, enjoy traveling, and being able to take a lot of vacation time, then freelancing might be the best choice for you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though freelancing requires a time commitment, it doesn\u2019t require a strong financial commitment, and since you\u2019re not thinking about setting up and growing a company, there\u2019s less pressure to find more clients or more projects.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, if you\u2019re searching for a long-term commitment and have additional responsibilities (like a family), then launching your own business might be best. Though it requires a strong financial commitment at the beginning, launching your own business can provide you with more job security and a steady income.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deciding which path to take also requires that you think about your capabilities. Are you able to handle accounting, identify opportunities, learn quickly, and manage risk? Or are you mostly someone who has specialized in a specific niche? Are you a natural leader and enjoy working with others or do you like to work mostly by yourself?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are important questions and your answers will help you determine which option might work best for you. If you feel like your accounting skills aren\u2019t as great and if you enjoy working more by yourself than with others, then freelancing might be the best choice. If you\u2019re full of ideas and have an entrepreneurial spirit, enjoy working with others, and have a strong set of administrative skills, then launching a business might be the best choice for you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading xtarget\" id=\"conclusion\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both freelancing and launching your own business can provide you with the flexibility you need to lead a richer and healthier life. Becoming your own boss allows you to follow your passion, find meaning and purpose in your work, and gives you more control on how you spend your time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, being your own boss doesn\u2019t necessarily have to mean that you have to launch a successful business that can grow into the next unicorn. Instead, being your own boss can be as simple as being a freelancer and taking projects based on how much work you want to do, how often you want to do it, and how much you want or need to earn.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are advantages to being your own boss, there are disadvantages, and you need to carefully examine and consider both sides before making a decision. Keep in mind that in order to work remotely, you don\u2019t have to necessarily become your own boss; there are various companies today that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/remote.co\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hire fully remote t<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/remote.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">e<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/remote.co\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ams<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re searching for flexibility and the opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/work-from-home-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"work from home\">work from home<\/a>, keep in mind that there are various options and some might be more suitable for you than others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">.ugb-4e59bbb-wrapper.ugb-container__wrapper{border-radius:5px !important;border-style:solid !important;border-color:#000000 !important;border-top-width:1px !important;border-right-width:1px !important;border-bottom-width:1px !important;border-left-width:1px !important;padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important}.ugb-4e59bbb-wrapper > .ugb-container__side{padding-top:35px !important;padding-bottom:35px !important}.ugb-5747f18 .ugb-heading__title{font-size:24px !important;text-align:left;margin-bottom:0px !important}.ugb-5747f18 .ugb-heading__subtitle{font-size:18px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-5747f18.ugb-heading{margin-top:-12px !important}}.ugb-5d98db9 > .ugb-inner-block > .ugb-block-content > .ugb-columns__item{grid-template-columns:0.66fr 1.34fr !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-5d98db9.ugb-columns{margin-top:-18px !important;margin-bottom:-30px !important}}@media screen and (max-width:768px){.ugb-5d98db9.ugb-columns{margin-top:-60px !important;margin-bottom:-20px !important;padding-top:0px !important}}.xtarget:target { margin-top:-200px; padding-top:200px; } #top { position: relative; z-index: 1; \/* Stay on top *\/ }<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Becoming Your Own Boss We\u2019ve all met someone, at one point or another, who left his or her 9 to 5 job in order to be his or her own boss. Who knows, you might even be that person. A significant amount of people who have made this decision have eventually landed in the world [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":5925,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override":[{"single_blog_custom":"","sidebar":"","second_sidebar":"","share_position":"","share_float_style":"","post_date_format":"","post_date_format_custom":"","post_reading_time_wpm":"","zoom_button_out_step":"1","zoom_button_in_step":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"","single_post_gallery_size":""}],"trending_post_position":"","trending_post_label":"","sponsored_post_label":"","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1890],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-small-business"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-300x183.png",300,183,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",96,59,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",150,92,false],"jnews-360x180":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-360x180.png",360,180,true],"jnews-750x375":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"jnews-1140x570":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"jnews-120x86":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-120x86.png",120,86,true],"jnews-350x250":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-350x225.png",350,225,true],"jnews-750x536":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"jnews-1140x815":["https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You.png",368,225,false],"jnews-36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Your Own Boss We\u2019ve all met someone, at one point or another, who left his or her 9 to 5 job in order to be his or her own boss. Who knows, you might even be that person. A significant amount of people who have made this decision have eventually landed in the world of virtual offices and to some extent launched a virtual business.\u00a0 Though professionals today might not need an office where we can work from, they need a business address, a business phone number, a business meeting room\u2026 basically, business infrastructure. Cue in virtual businesses and&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/category\/small-business\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Small Business<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Ceci Amador","url":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/author\/ceciavo\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","author_meta":{"display_name":"Ceci Amador","author_link":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/author\/ceciavo\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/AVO-Small-preview-Freelancer-or-Business-Owner.-Which-Is-Best-for-You-300x183.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/category\/small-business\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Small Business<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Small Business<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on July 26, 2019","modified":"Updated on May 3, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on July 26, 2019 5:56 pm","modified":"Updated on May 3, 2025 3:36 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancevirtualoffices.com\/virtual-office-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}