Freelancing has long been the traditional pathway for professionals seeking flexibility, autonomy and greater work-life-balance.
It’s a chance to break free from the mould of a nine-to-five job and be your own boss, working on a variety of projects to keep work fresh and stimulating.
But is remote work about to change all that?
At Remote Work Hub, we are seeing a fast growing number of companies either starting up with, or switching over to remote distributed teams, creating new remote jobs and hiring virtual staff.
Some of these roles are freelance positions, but many are full time or part time jobs, saving employers from higher hourly rates.
This puts a higher level of control back with the employer, and becomes a more attractive way of hiring for many.
With access to employees around the globe, companies can recruit from countries where wages are lower, or where the exchange rate is favourable, so freelancers have international rate variances to contend with too.
But it’s not all bad news for the freelancer. In fact, many freelancers are opting to leave the uncertainty and instability of freelancing for the security of a remote job. After all, some remote jobs provide you with the flexibility to work when and where you want to, with the added bonus of a regular pay check.
There’s also the option of complementing your freelance work with a part-time remote job, allowing you to juggle multiple commitments, while still having the time to enjoy whatever else you like to do.
And with more companies embracing the future of work every day, remote jobs are becoming more common, and often easier to find than reliable freelance work.
The benefits of remote work don’t end there. In most countries, taxation can be complicated and costly as a freelancer, sole trader or small business owner. Being an employee usually involves a lot less work, and a lot less money, when it comes to tax time.
And in Australia, employers are legally required to pay superannuation to Australian employees – even when they work remotely. Retiring with money in a superannuation fund is a luxury many freelancers could never afford.
So will remote work be the death of freelancing? Maybe. What is certain though, is we’ve entered a new, exciting and fast-changing era of the work economy where it pays to be flexible, adaptable and ready for anything, with a good wi-fi connection.
