Advantages of Being An Independent Contractor

Many people think that becoming an employee is the best thing ever, but have you ever considered why being an Independent Contractor (IC) is better than being an employee? There are many advantages to working as an independent contractor or 1099 worker, especially if you have goals you’d like to achieve and need the flexibility that contracting can provide. Over 53 million people are doing contracting work in the U.S. and that represents 34% of the workforce, so you are not alone!

Independent contracting provides you with the opportunity to decide which assignments you’ll accept depending on your schedule. Some people want to work full time and others just want a part-time schedule. Still others may be looking to work part time in a second job to earn more money or gain additional experience. Or being self employed may help a person reach goals such as a nice vacation, attending classes to advance their career, or going into business in their specialty area.  If you’ve been out of the workforce a while, moved to a new state, would like to do something new, will find it easier to obtain a position by contracting so they can gain the valuable experience they need. Whatever your reason, being an IC can give you the flexibility and income potential to achieve your goals.

If having a good work/life balance is important to you, you may enjoy being an IC since you have the ability to accept or decline assignments. Perhaps you have young children and you want to be able to pick them up after school. As a 1099 contract worker, you would have that ability. You can choose the schedule that will allow you to end your day in time to be there for your children when you work. You can also choose the location where you want to work or turn down an assignment you don’t want if it is further away from home than you wanted. This cuts down on the commute time you would normally have and reduces travel expenses.

In a school setting, contracting assignments begin and end at the same time each day and the same hours each week. This allows you to plan on a set schedule in order to get the personal flexibility you want. Once you accept an assignment, you only work those specific days and hours. There’s no taking work home, no performance reviews, no working for a big organization with strict rules about how things must be done, no checking email after hours, and no surprises.

As an IC, you are free to do the things you want to do on your own time to achieve your personal goals. All that is expected of the IC is that you do a good job while at work. Best of all, contractors gain valuable experience in their field faster. By working for several different clients during the time you can acquire more skills than if you were an employee of just one company. As a contractor, you may have the chance to work on many different kinds of projects and that too, will enhance your experience making you more desirable to other organizations in the future. Being an IC can be a very rewarding experience!

Additional Resources: https://writetodone.com/being-a-freelancer/