Yes, a part-time freelancer can earn a full-time income or even more if he works smarter and not harder. Let me share how
The short answer is yes. Working as a part-time freelancer can earn a full-time income or even more than a full-time income. It doesn’t mean all part-time freelancers can do it, and you have to work smarter.
Freelancing is an active form of making money online. It means the more you work, the more amount of money you make.
However, when you want to be working only part-time freelancing and still want to make a considerable amount of money, you have to work smarter and not harder.
Consider these points if you want to be working for a client part-time and continue doing the job or whatever you are doing as full time.
The Right Choice of Niche
If you prefer to be doing data entry work as a part-time freelancer and expect your part-time income will be at par with your full-time income, you can have a tough time doing it.
Choose your freelancing niche carefully.
As a part-time freelancer who wishes to earn a substantial amount to your full-time income has to make the right choice of skills to work in.
If you choose to be a creative freelancer, as a designer, developer, writer, photographer, one can make better money as a freelancer than mechanical work. Creative people can demand better rates.
The Right Kind of Clients
Some clients will be tough to manage. They will need a lot more of your time to provide them your services.
As a part-time freelancer, it is not always about the hourly rate. One of my recent clients wanted me to work on a Skype call. He will let me know what needs to be done. If it is something that can be done within an hour, he wanted me to get it done right away.
Anything that may take longer than an hour and I can get it done at a later time when we aren’t talking on a call. The payment was hourly, so no worry on that part. However, working for such a client when you are only available as part-time can be tough.
As a part-time freelancer, make sure you are dealing with clients who aren’t difficult to handle.
The Right Mindset
Back from a day job and need to meet a client, it can be tough physically but also mentally.
If you are working more than you should, you need the right kind of attitude with the right mindset to get both done and maintain the quality in each of the roles.
As a part-time freelancer, you will have to work a lot harder. One needs the right mindset to be able to continue doing it for an elongated period.
Better Time Management Skills
Once you prefer to be a freelancer along with a day job or whatever you are doing full time, you need a reasonable amount of time management skills.
You can’t just waste time on social media or may have to sacrifice the habit of watching TV. Here is a useful Lifehacker guide for freelancers to manage time better.
There is a finite number of hours that you can remain awake. So you have to make sure you use the time that you have to the fullest doing the right task for the right amount of time.
The Right Tools
There is no harm in using a free alternative to a paid program. However, if the paid version helps you manage and serve your clients faster, you should be buying the paid software. It always pays off in the long run.
As a developer, I see people tend to use the free IDE for development. It is okay if the free IDE is as good as the paid ones, but if it isn’t, you should consider buying the best IDE for your programming needs.
Anything that can help you save time is an asset. You should invest heavily in building assets.
Final Thoughts
If you are considering to be a part-time freelancer, it is the right approach when you have a stable full-time job. The point is not only to build an extra income, but more importantly, it can serve as an option when you want to quit your job.