Being self employed is something that many people aspire to be at some stage in the future, from graduates to full time employees. So the really question is why peruse such a dream and what are the overall benefits. Being employed is very different to being self employed, so if your serious about taking that step, consider the pros and cons

You need to sell your time and skill set the company who hires you. So make sure you understand the importance of time restrictions and quality control. You will have a lot more responsibilities than the average employee, because your now your own boss. If a company hires you for a particular project then that actually qualifies you to be a freelancer.

It is your choice whether you get paid by the hour or by the project. You will have to negotiate your desired rates with the company and come to a compromise that works best for both parties. It always helps to contact other successful freelancers to find out how much they charge to give you better idea of how to price your services.

There are plenty of benefits for companies to hire freelancers. One thing that they love is a commited worker, so if your prepared to work all hours and be on call at anytime, you will be very valuable. Regular employees are not normally as commited because they only get paid for a set time.

There is less commitment involved when a company hires a freelancer, because they only require you for that particular project. An employee is paid to turn up for work regardless of his workload. However, if you keep solid relationships with your clients, they should come back to you again and again.

Quite often the in house team are only capable of producing work of a certain standard, but freelancers are usually specialists, with skills that can be valuable to the company for a particular time or project. If you are intending to become a freelancer, it helps to try and specialise in a particular area as this makes you more valuable to the client in the long run.

You will actually save the client money because of the non commitment involved. They do not have to consider paying you when you not well or on holiday. There is no redundancy money to pay out or tax, so it means less administration work for them.

If creative freelancing or art is for you then check other great illustrators and be inspired by their new new illustration.