Are You Worried About the Future of Freelancing?

Credit: Sharon Mollerus on Flickr

Lately, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the future of freelancing.

I’ve been a freelancer writer for thirty years and I just can’t get the same rates that I used to — where’s the future in freelancing?

Are these awful bid sites really the future of freelancing?

There seems to be new freelancers every day. Is more competition the future of freelancing?

While I’m not a psychic or a soothsayer, I can see the future of freelancing. That’s because the future of freelancing doesn’t change — it is what we make it.

Lower Rates for Freelancers?

There has been a significant change though, the web has driven a much larger demand for all types of freelance work, more than anything else has before.

It’s true that, as a freelance writer, I’ve seen a lot of low rates in the past couple of years. But the fact of the matter is that rates are falling in the exact same ranges they were fifty years ago.

There have always been clients that have tried to get freelance writers (and other freelancers), for that matter, to work for free. There have always been freelancers who have been willing to take those low-paying projects in order to get money in their pockets or build up their portfolios. This isn’t going to change.

There has been a significant change though, the web has driven a much larger demand for all types of freelance work, more than anything else has before. That means the number of low-paying gigs has sky-rocketed, but it also means that the number of high-paying gigs has actually kept pace. If you’re willing to dig through the projects out there, you can find great paying work.

Bid Sites for Freelancers?

Bid sites are a new phenomenon for freelancers and there’s some truth to the accusation that they drive down freelance rates, but they’re never going to be the entirety of the freelance marketplace. There are plenty of clients who have already gotten burned working through such sites and won’t be back. There are just as many clients who would never use bid sites in the first place — they don’t want the cheapest freelancer out there, they want the best.

No one is forcing freelancers to only work through bid sites. If you’re willing to put in the time on marketing, you can definitely find plenty of work (with better pay) elsewhere.

Competition for Freelancers?

There are a growing number of people who are choosing freelancing over other work arrangements, especially when the job market is less than ideal. Of course, that means more companies are also hiring freelancers because they need work done, whether or not they actually employ a designer or a writer. Don’t let it scare you.

In all actuality, it looks like the number of new small businesses in general are going up. That’s an opportunity for freelancers, if you can only see it as such. Every time someone sets up a new business — whether he’s a freelance designer or opening a dry cleaners — he’s going to need some help. That usually means hiring a freelancer, because no business owner can do everything himself, and very few can afford full time web designers or other creatives the moment they open their doors.

The Future of Freelancing

The future of freelancing has a lot of work in it. There are plenty of opportunities for any freelancer willing to dig in and find them. Sure, you do have to sort through bad gigs and promote yourself to the right people — but no one ever said that being a freelancer was a piece of cake. You’ve got to invest your time to get out the money you want to earn.

Don’t let the future scare you. All it represents is a new set of freelancing opportunities you just haven’t gotten to yet.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Sharon Mollerus.