Freelance work is one of the easiest ways to begin working for yourself. I have been doing it for years and in the beginning it seemed like the logical solution. I wanted to be my own boss so the transition made sense. However, after a couple of years, I realized that I just traded one job for another. Now some people absolutely love what they do so working for themselves doing what they love is a dream come true. Yet for me, I slowly began to feel the same feelings I did when I worked for someone else.
This time though, I had to do it all. I had to manage my projects, meet the deadlines, talk to the clients. One of the big advantages to working for yourself is being able to come and go as you please. Then slowly, that freedom began to go away. I’d be invited to lunch but the entire time I’d be stressing over a project that came up last minute and needed a quick turn-around. I knew things had to change because freelance work was making me stressed out and frustrated all over again.
Multiple Streams of Income Save the Day
I have had a goal to cut down on freelance work and build up my multiple streams of income. If you are a regular reader here, then you know that I enjoy making money through the use of the internet. I do so through affiliate marketing and network marketing. Both give me the freedom that I lost with freelance work. A while back, I had thoughts about taking on more freelance work. I knew deep down, it would only make me more upset. Taking on more clients meant more hassles.
When their web site is buggy, I get a call. When their hosting is acting up, I get a call. Updates, additions, deadlines — I just didn’t want to continue adding what I’m already frustrated with to my schedule. I began to change gears by placing my focus on the clients I already have and growing my affiliate and network marketing businesses.
It’s a good thing I did because even the clients I already have got hit hard by the economy. This goes to show that you shouldn’t place all of your eggs in one basket. Multiple streams of income is a wise choice for full-time employees just as well as self-employed individuals. Since I had other income to fall back on, the economic hardships my clients felt didn’t hit me as hard as they could have.
Now I am full-force into my other business models. Affiliate and network marketing offer way more benefits for me:
- Work I’ve done in the past works 24/7.
- I can come and go and not stress about deadlines.
- Income is not limited to hourly rates.
- No clients!
- You can literally make money while you sleep.
- I do everything online.
There are several ways to develop multiple streams of income besides working online. Some people choose real estate, investing, or creating several types of businesses. If you haven’t looked into other streams of income, you may want to give it some thought. Sometimes another income stream could become full-time income and get you out of the rat race sooner.