subject: Advantages to being self employed, or employed [print this page] Advantages to being self employed, or employed
Advantages to being self employed, or employed
You want to change jobs, but you are not sure whether you would like working for yourself? Here are my top four reasons to be self employed, and to be employed.
Self Employed -- Pros
1. Freedom! You work as much as you like, when you like, where you like and dressed in what you like.
2. Money! A successful freelancer or consultant can make significantly more than doing the same job as an employee. And there are tax benefits. For example, one client of mine earned 40 percent more in one freelance gig compared with doing the same work as a fulltime employee.
3. Sanity! A consultant does not need to attend eight-hour department meetings, commute at peak travel times or get embroiled in office politics.
4. Control! You are in charge of your own business. You're the boss, and you decide how to run your own venture in your own style.
BUT!!!
Employed -- Pros
1. Security! Although nothing is ever certain, many companies let the freelancers and consultants go before they'll cut the employees loose. You are usually less expensive, with more company knowledge, so management likes to keep you around.
2. Training & Development! As an employee in a good company, you have a career plan, opportunities for advancement and you are assumed to be aroundfor the long term. You can get training and education that can make you more marketable in the future.
3. Benefits! As an employee, you can take advantage of everything from a 401K to health insurance to paid holidays and vacation time. As a self-employed person you have to pay for your own benefits. ???
4. Future! As an employee, you can rise in a company to more senior and better paid positions. You even have the potential to run a department or organization with a budget and staff. Many self-employed people never gain the responsibility of supervising a team or running a budget.
