Being your own boss

Earnings aside, gig workers have more work-life balance

FREEDOM is what many choose when they decide to become gig workers.

They want flexibility and the choice to select the work they want and deliver it in the way they believe is the best.

In doing so, they get to control their time and destiny.

But that does not mean they do not worry about finances and unpredictable schedules.

The difference is that they have mustered enough courage to go their own way as opposed to their corporate counterparts who prefer long-term employment.

The gig economy has been in existence for a long time and the Covid-19 pandemic just expanded it beyond boundaries.

Those who are a part of the gig economy include part-time, temporary, contractual and freelance workers. In fact the world is seeing a paradigm shift in its workforce, workplace and work platforms, according to a report.

Artsy Creatives creative freelancer Kelvin Wong is one of those who believes in freedom. He quit his fulltime job in an agency to be a freelancer.

“In my line of work (advertising), it can be very taxing when it comes to meeting deadlines. I tend to work at least 12 hours a day and there is simply no time for myself. I decided it needed to stop when I realised life is not just about working all the time,’’ he said.

He is among the thousands of people, both young and old, that prefer not to be tied to long-term employment contracts.

Simply put, gig work is about earning income from activities outside the traditional, long-term employer-employer relationship, according to the net. They can be for skilled or unskilled jobs.

Over the past two years, there have been many job losses and resignations. Fortunately, the Internet opened many windows for many to create new ways of doing things to generate income.

With economic activity picking up, is it time to be your own boss?

“It is never too late to do what you want to do. I have been working in small to big jobs for many years now. It is all short-term work and pays well because you deliver what the client wants.

“I certainly do not ever want to be fully employed,” said Jamal (not his real name). He has been taking on event management jobs for many years.

If you choose the gig route, actively enforcing boundaries between life and work is key, a report said.

It added that building relationships with other gig workers through social media was necessary, but you must also learn new skills on your own and build solid relationships with people.

“I have a very strict routine to stay focused during my working hours. I will make it a point not to work beyond those allocated hours. Then with the remaining time, I would reward myself with doing things that I live for – culinary arts,” Wong said.

He added: “In my line of work, it is easy to be distracted and you will find yourself falling behind. You need to constantly improve your skills set, keep up with the trends, and benchmark yourself.’’

But does being a gig worker help pay your bills? “It does. In fact, it pays more,’’ he said.

The short-term experience of performing tasks by choice and getting paid can be gratifying, but do clients take gig workers seriously?

“Yes, if you are experienced and sincerely want to help clients reach their objectives. In my line of work, clients usually pay within three to six months, unless you strike a retainer deal,’’ Wong said.

But the vulnerability factor is always there and there are some global reports suggesting that gig workers are open to exploitation.

More needs to be done so that the self-employed are also protected since the gig economy is growing at a fast rate and there are over four million gig workers in the country.