One such story is Natalie Pryor, who after coming from an art school background and working for years as an Art Director for publications like Parade Magazine, she decided to launch Natalie Pryor Small Business Design on her own. Her company provides branding, visual identity and print and web design to small businesses. She went from taking orders to making all her own decisions and hasn’t regretted it since…
So what’s it like to be a freelancer as opposed to working for a big corporation? As a freelancer, especially in an art-based business like Natalie’s, there is more creative freedom and a wider variety of challenges. In corporate work, it is usually the same challenges that present themselves cyclically and there is always a bureaucracy to answer to. All the ideas you come up with are truly your own but what if you can’t come up with anything that moment? There are no colleagues to bounce ideas off of or to gain input from. Then again, that means no office politics either…
You can choose your hours or even how or where you want to work but since you have to manage all the aspects of your business yourself, you may find that the hours are not that set in stone. You will also have to manage without health insurance or benefits and until your business is really successful, there is no job security. However one of the best upsides to freelancing is the sense of ownership, which is a huge motivating factor towards success.
For a freelancer like Natalie 
with a home based office, having an option of co-working space like Jay Suites is invaluable. She can continue to conduct her business in a variety of ways to suit her clients, i.e. via phone or internet but when she needs to meet in person she can present a professional and impressive appearance by utilizing a conference room or by renting an office for just the day. When she is busy, she can have a receptionist answer her phones and even provide remote administrative services.
Another option for freelancers is renting space long term in an Executive Suite like Jay Suites. They can concentrate solely on building their business without the worry of day to day operational tasks, which are handled by the suite’s management and staff. It also provides that official atmosphere of “work” which some former corporate workers really miss when they go out on their own.
Freelancing has its pros and cons, just like anything else, but if you value things like more freedom and individual achievement, and are willing to manage autonomously, it is a great option in today’s job market. If you have an idea to share with the world, now is the time to take a chance and join the revolution.
