Misconceptions About Self-Employment

Yes, a self-employed worker will be free to decide their holiday dates and their duration. However, they'll also have to deal with the following: NO MORE PAID TIME OFF!

Yes, they'll be able to work at any time of the day, but they'll realize, rather quickly, that they’ll also need to accomplish far more than 40 hours of work a week.

Yes, a self-employed worker will no longer have an employer, but the client, who is king, will rule an independent worker’s day. The benefit for businesses is that they have access to top quality workers at a lower price.

This article offers a practical and simplified guide to the benefits of self-employment for businesses and self-employed workers to help the reader to see these facts more clearly. Before an independent worker jumps head first into the realization of their dreams, it would be useful to ask a few questions. What are the difficulties involved in this type of work? What is the gig economy? How does someone become a self-employed worker?

The Term Self-Employed Worker

The term self-employed worker is defined as a person who carries out a professional activity with the status of an autonomous person. This employee does not have a long-term contract but carries out his professional performance in the form of deliverables, which he charges to his clients. One of the advantages of being a self-employed worker is the freedom of the timetable. This advantage is also, however, offset by labor uncertainty and therefore a change in income. Remember, working as a self-employed worker usually requires registration as a company.

Does a self-employed worker have the skills to detach themselves from their hierarchy? Do they have enough background, experience, and expertise to carry out their business plan? Self-employed workers have only one chance to make themselves known and appreciated. The word-of-mouth reputation then does everything.

Freedom has a price. Self-employed entrepreneurs do not have to report to anyone, but they also have to deal with particular difficulties. Working in this field means creating a job, and not being under the authority of a boss. A self-employed worker has no safety net that can help him and will struggle alone with any financial difficulties. He can count only on himself and has no margin for error.

Therefore, if someone wants to set themselves up for his or her own business, they might graduate, and then they’ll start to have experience in their field. However, before they go any further, before leaving a job and becoming a self-employed worker, it would be wise to proceed with a self-assessment. Indeed, lousy word-of-mouth advertising has three times more impact than good word-of-mouth advertising.

Starting as a Self-Employed Worker

So, before a self-employed entrepreneur starts, they need to make sure they’re an expert in their field. If an autonomous businessperson thinks they still have to learn, if they believe their shortcomings might be a hindrance, then they should not go any further. The dream of becoming independent must wait if they ever hope to see the fruits of their efforts.

This self-assessment should focus as much on the benefits that a self-employed businessperson will offer their customers, as on their expertise. If an autonomous entrepreneur is an ace in their field, then working on their own will be as beneficial for them as for their clients.

However, even if their expertise is present, also if their motivation is not lacking, it is essential to understand the issues specific to freelance work. Take the time to do the calculations. Indeed, a self-employed worker will, perhaps, be required to live off their savings until the business starts to earn.

A self-employed worker is a worker who performs his services as an independent. He is master of his decisions concerning his work. However, he must also adapt himself to the demands of his clientele.

He is an entrepreneur and the owner of his means of production and his employee. Remember, the most significant difference between an independent and an employee stems from the fact that the self-employed worker performs his services to the exclusion of any subordination relationship with his client.

About the Author
About the Author Image

Gerard I. "G.I." Prud'Homme M.Sc.

has studied at Harvard, Oxford, and the University of London and has lived in London, Paris, Hawai'i, and Los Angeles. He has a Master of Science in Computer Science degree, is fluent in many programming and human languages, and has programmed several shareware, freeware, and open-source programs. He has also had a dozen books published. He now works as a Developer and lives in CA in the Greater Los Angeles region.