Today, literally millions of people all over world have established highly-successful careers as freelancers. Many of these work-from-home professionals have found that freelancing offers a dream lifestyle - flexible working hours, free from bosses, total control, independence and 'good money'.

As a freelancer you act as an expert or specialist in your field on a project/contract basis. You're an independent contractor or some call you a Free Agent. You're not on anyone's payroll. You're self-employed. Your remuneration for each project/contract is based on a fee.

The type of projects available for freelancers are as many as there are job functions in traditional workplace. These include auditing, copywriting, research, text translation, creative and commercial writing, quality assurance, forensic accounting, website design and maintenance, medical law, graphical work, software development, technical writing, data entry, research, training and motivation, engineering design, raising equity funds and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, international law, etc. etc.

First…You'll Have to Be Sure…

But because you're still working for someone else, there're pros and cons in freelancing as a parallel career. Your current job will surely provide you with some 'Assets' BUT at same time you've to be sure that there's no conflict of interest with your employer.

*Is freelance project for a client who is your employer's competitor?

*Is nature of project such that to undertake it, you'll have to disclose some of your employer's proprietary secrets? (These secrets could be sources of supplies, technological know-how, formulas/recipes, product costing calculations, or any information that gives your employer's company a competitive advantage in its industry/market).

Re-read your employment contract thoroughly, and if still in doubt, consult a lawyer. Paying fees for such legal advice is money well spent.

The Good Thing Today…

The good thing about freelance project opportunities today is that most likely you'll be undertaking project work for a company too far away to have any conflict with your local employer. Or scope of your project does not 'threaten' your employer at all.

That's not message most people want to hear. Most people would prefer to buy magazine which headlines, "Miracle Weight Loss Discovery," in hopes of finding a quick solution before their class reunion, rather than start a daily diet and exercise program. They'd sooner check out a seminar promising, "become a millionaire within months" rather than start a debt reduction, monthly savings plan. And they'd rather put their future hopes in a weekly lottery ticket than in themselves.

It's an instant messaging, plug-and-play world. Too often we bring that instant gratification thinking into our workplace. We have little patience for business idea that doesn't show an immediate return. We aren't interested in learning how to do something; we just want to do it. We don't want to hit singles, just home runs. We want mastery, money and success. And we want it now.