A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term.

These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and labor contributed by its regular employees. Others are completely independent. "Independent contractor" would be the term used in a higher register of English. Fields where freelancing is common include: music, journalism, publishing, screenwriting, filmmaking, acting, photojournalism, cosmetics, fragrances, editing, event planning, event management, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, copywriting, computer programming, web design, graphic design, website development, consulting, tour guiding, video editing, video production and translating and illustrating. Freelance practice varies greatly. Some require clients to sign written contracts, while others may perform work based on verbal agreements, perhaps enforceable through the very nature of the work. Some freelancers may provide written estimates of work and request deposits from clients. Payment for freelance work also varies greatly. Freelancers may charge by the day, hour, a piece rate, or on a per-project basis. Instead of a flat rate or fee, some freelancers have adopted a valuebased pricing method based on the perceived value of the results to the client. By custom, payment arrangements may be upfront, percentage upfront, or upon completion. For more complex projects, a contract may set a payment schedule based on milestones or outcomes. In writing and other artistic fields, "freelance" and its derivative terms are often reserved for workers who create works on their own initiative, then look for someone to publish them. They typically keep the copyright to their works and sell the rights to publishers in time-limited contracts. In contrast, intellectual property created under a work for hire situation according to the publishers' or other customers' specifications are referred to as "independent contractors" and similar terms. They have no copyright to the works, which are written as works made for hire, a category of intellectual property defined in US copyright law Section 101, Copyright Act of 1976 (17 USC 101). This is the opposite of the situation with a regular employee, the relationship between a freelancer and an employer being that between two business equals, the protections of the intellectual property rights that naturally vest in the creator of the work are considered to have been sold in toto in the work for hire agreement. Benefits Freelancers generally enjoy a greater variety of assignments than in regular employment, and subject to the need to earn a regular incomeusually have more freedom to choose their work schedule.[citation needed] The experience can also lead to a broad portfolio of work and the establishment of a network of clients.Sometimes a freelancer will work with one or more other freelancers and/or vendors to form a "virtual agency" to serve a particular client's needs for short-term and permanent project work. This versatile agency model can help a freelancer land jobs that require targeted, specific experience and skills outside the scope of one individual. As the clients change, so too may the players chosen for a virtual agency's talent base. This is a common way for freelancers to get work if the non-competing freelancer in the relationship reciprocates the relevant type of work back assuming that both are in the same industry.[citation

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Freelancers and clients may form a relationship based on mutual needs and the professionalism and competence of both parties. Impact of the Internet The Internet has opened up many freelance opportunities, expanded available markets, and has contributed to service sector growth in many economies.[3] Offshore outsourcing, Online outsourcing and crowdsourcing are heavily reliant on the Internet to provide economical access to remote workers, and frequently leverage technology to manage workflow to and from the employer. Much of the computer freelance work is being outsourced to poorer countries outside the United States and Europe. This has spurred conflict because American and European workers are not receiving the benefits. The compromise has led to student freelancers who now provide a steady source of cheap labor while keeping jobs American and European. Online freelance marketplaces are websites that match buyers and sellers of services provided via the internet. Buyers bid on services at a fixed price or an hourly rate. The Internet also enables many freelancers to be interviewed and hired without actually meeting an employer in person. This facilitates long distance business relationships all over the world, but can provide a challenge in screening applicants. Hiring more than one applicant for a short test assignment after the interview is now a common extra step in the hiring process.[citation needed] Freelance employment has been common in the areas of writing, editing, translation, indexing, software development, website design, advertising, open innovations, information technology, and business process outsourcing. Freelance journalists, for example, may find it easier to start their own or shared news blogs, with many blogs growing into highly-trafficked and competitive news sites capable of hiring dedicated staff and other talent. Changes to the publishing industry since the 1980s have resulted in an increase in copy editing of book and journal manuscripts and proofreading of typeset manuscripts being outsourced to freelance copy editors and proofreaders. Drawbacks The major drawback is the uncertainty of work and thus income, and in lack of company benefits such as a pension, health insurance in nations without socialized medicine, paid holidays and bonuses. Many freelancers, especially in journalism, regard themselves as having greater income security through the diversity of outletsthe loss of any one of which leads to the loss of only a portion of income, rather than its totality as with salaried employees. Author and poet Ernest William Hornung (18661921) used the term in "The Gift of the Emperor" to describe his woeful state as a freelancer in those days, "I warmed to my woes. It was no easy matter to keep your end up as a raw freelance of letters; for my part, I was afraid I wrote neither well enough nor ill enough for success." Freelance marketplaces (or outsourcing marketplaces) are websites that match buyers and sellers of services provided via the internet. Service providers, or sellers, create a profile where they

include a description of the services which they offer, examples of their work and in some cases information about their rates. Buyers register and complete a basic profile, they then post projects outlining their requirements. Buyers will then bid for these projects on a fixed price or hourly basis. Independent contractor An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer but works as and when required, during which time he or she may be subject to the Law of Agency. Independent contractors are usually paid on a freelance basis. Contractors often work through a limited company or franchise, which they themselves own, or may work through an umbrella company. Advantages

Since they are rarely tied to an employer, they are free to set their own rules of business, limited only by bargaining power. Since they usually develop a large network of clients, the loss of one or two often has a negligible effect. Many people simply like the idea of "being your own boss." Aside from materialistic benefits, many people simply enjoy not having to answer to a supervisor. As an artist/author of any tangible artwork, such as paintings, sculptures, photographs, or written works, a person is entitled to exclusive copyright ownership if they created the work as an independent contractor. If the person created such works while in the employ of another person or corporation, the rights belong to the employer (under most standard employment contracts).

Disadvantages

In the United States employer misclassification of employees as "independent contractors" to avoid employment taxation and regulation is widespread.[4] An independent contractor can itself be a business with employees; however, in most cases in the United States independent contractors operate as a sole proprietorship or single-member limited liability company. This means the independent contractor, as a business owner, incurs its own expenses to provide the contracted service, must acquire its own equipment to perform the service, and is responsible for business filings such as income tax returns. Independent contractors are responsible for their own self-employment tax, which consists of both halves of the FICA tax amount.[5] An employee only pays the employee portion of the FICA tax. Self-employment taxes are not withheld from the earnings of independent contractors who are required to voluntarily declare and pay estimated earnings taxes to the IRS, which can lead to a trap for contractors who run into financial difficulty and become tempted to put off making the required estimated tax payments.

There are several monetary incentives that are guaranteed to employees in the United States, but not independent contractors. Examples include worker's compensation and unemployment insurance; however, independent contractors are allowed to make Individual Retirement Account contributions.

Uses of Systematization for Freelancers Freelancers in every field face a constant challenge to achieve and maintain a high level of productivity and quality in their work. One of the ways that you can improve your results is by developing systems or routines for various aspects of your work. Most likely you do some of the same things day-after-day and week-after-week. Having a proven system for getting these things done can bring several positive benefits. In this post well look at why you would want to develop you own systems and some areas of freelancing life that lend themselves to systematization. Why Use Systems? 1. Maximum Productivity The biggest advantage to developing and using systems in your work is the potential for improved efficiency and productivity. We all have limited time available to work, and as freelancers that directly impacts how much money we make. Improved productivity can lead to more income or less working hours, both are good things. 2. Development of Good Habits We all develop habits of some kind, especially when were doing similar tasks over and over again. Its easy to develop bad habits, especially since freelancers usually have no one to keep them accountable in the same way that an employee has a boss. By consciously developing your own systems or ways of doing things youll be able to work on developing good habits instead of bad ones. 3. Better Quality of Work Not only can systems help to encourage better use of your time, but they can also lead to a better product or service. You probably have a lot of experience in your field and youve learned some things over the years that help you to know what produces the best results. Systematically putting these things into practice can lead to a consistently high quality of work.

Different Potential Uses for Systems: 1. Handling Finances For most freelancers, dealing with finances is one of the most dreaded aspects of the job. Tracking income and expenses as well as completing and managing client invoices can be a real struggle for many people. However, if youre able to develop a system for handling your finances, you could easily save time in this area and avoid some potential headaches. A system for managing your finances would of course include a method of tracking individual items, such as using a service like FreshBooks, or simply by using a plain old spreadsheet. Additionally, you could develop a schedule for performing these tasks on a regular basis. For example, you could set aside some time each Friday afternoon to record your income and expenses for the week, and to send out new invoices and to track those that are outstanding. Without having a system in place its easy to overlook something that needs to be recorded, or to loose track of invoices that havent been paid yet. You may spend more time handling these duties sporadically and experience confusion about what has been done and what hasnt. An effective financial system will reduce the amount of time you spend throughout the week or the month on these tasks, and youll be much more organized. 2. Pricing and Policies Pricing services can be a difficult task. There is such a wide variety of services in most industries that its not always easy to know what you should be charging and what your potential clients will be willing to pay. If pricing is something you struggle with, you can easily spend way too much time working on quotes before the job is even secured. Of course, spending some time on pricing issues with potential clients is necessary, but too often this task sucks up more time than it should, and that means less time for income-generating work. By setting some standard pricing procedures you can provide clients with quotes much faster, and youll be more confident that your work is accurately priced. Without a system its eas y to get distracted by trying to figure out what the client will be willing to pay so you price the quote high enough without going out of their budget. With a pricing system youll know what your services are worth, and if theyre willing to pay, great, and if not, you can move on to another project. Without some established projects, each quote will be a labor-intensive guessing game. In addition to just using a system to help determine what you should charge, its also helpful to establish your own procedures for when you expect payment and what forms of payment you will accept from clients. Most freelancers charge a portion up front before theyll start working on a project, and this is something that is good to include in your systematic approach. If clients object its easier to explain the procedure by saying that its a standard policy that you use with all clients.

3. Time Management and Scheduling On of the great benefits of freelancing is the flexibility and the empowerment to adjust your schedule more than you would be able to in a typical full-time job. However, too much flexibility and not enough consistency can lead to poor productivity and less-than-ideal use of your time. In order to increase your income or cut back on your hours you could develop a system for managing your time that leads to increased productivity. For me personally, building some habits into my schedule has helped to allow me to accomplish more with my time. Scheduling certain tasks for specific blocks of time, creating and sticking with to-do lists, and taking advantage of your most productive times of the day can all lead to better results. Everyone operates differently in these ways, but its important to know your own work habits and evaluate what you can do to develop a better system for your own time management. My system includes:

Developing a to-do list at the end of each day for tasks that need to be done the following day. Scheduling a combination of light work such as responding to emails and blog comments, and more mentally taxing work such as working on a clients website for each day to avoid overload. Checking the calendar each morning to make sure that Im on target for any deadlines. Scheduling time to work outside of the home office (such as at a local library) to get a change of scenery and usually a boost in productivity. Planning time off in advance in order to prepare adequately.

4. Customer Service Regardless of what type of services youre providing as a freelancer, customer service is inevitably a part of your work. While its impossible and impractical to attempt to automate customer service, there may be some ways that you can use systems to improve in this area as well. For example, you may want to avoiding checking your email constantly throughout the day. Instead you could set specific times to check your inbox and to respond to any customer service issues that arise. Also, if you get a number of emails from customers that ask very similar questions, you could develop some email templates for responding to these issues that could then be adapted or personalized case-by-case. Developing a system for customer service could be a sensitive issue. While its good to evaluate what you can do to improve your efficiency and effectiveness in this area, a freelancer needs to be personally approachable, and having too much that is systematized could lead to poor service. 5. Work Flow So far all of the potential systems that weve looked at have involved different aspects of freelancing, but none have dealt with the income-generating services that keep you in business.

In addition to systems for finances, pricing, time management and customer service, your everyday workflow most likely also includes some opportunities for systematization. These opportunities will depend on what you do (designing, writing, programming, etc.) and your current practices. Designers, for example, could benefit from developing a system that includes standard procedures for getting information from clients at the start of a new project. They could also build systems into their workflow by developing habits that work well for them, such as starting a design on paper, moving to Photoshop, and then to coding. From a coding perspective, developing your own consistent practices or even creating your own CSS framework for use on your projects could lead to improved productivity. To develop your own systems for your workflow, take a look at the steps that are involved with your typical projects. Where do you spend a lot of time and how could you standardize your approach in a way that would simplify your work or produce better results? A Potential Downside to Systematization With the emphasis on using routines and systems to increase productivity, its possible to almost become robotic in your approach if its taken too far. That will usually lead to a lack of satisfaction in your work and potentially more harm than good. When developing your own systems, use your own judgment to determine what is appropriate and what is not. Once your system is in place, be flexible and willing to tweak your system from time-to-time if needed. Dont get in the habit of doing things just because its how you have always done them. Instead, remember that reasons behind systematization and that it doesnt have to apply to everything you do.