Okay, so you want to be self employed…but you don’t want to spend a lot of time hunting for work or convincing people to hire you. Subcontracting might be right for you.
Looking to become self-employed? You can scour the Internet for jobs, or you can find someone who will give your projects on a regular basis. This person does exist – they’re called contractors. Contractors take on jobs and projects in many different fields, everything from construction to distribution to sales, and they hire subcontractors to actually do the work for them. This arrangement works nicely for contractors, who can focus their efforts on getting more work, and for subcontractors who need to make money.
But, is subcontracting right for you?
Can you work alone?
Being self employed, even self employed as a subcontractor, means doing a lot of work alone. This can be stressful, and make it hard to focus, but it’s necessary to work independently if you’re going to do any subcontracting work at all. Contractors usually won’t check in with your very often, so you’ll have to be your own boss.
Can you handle the finances?
Working as a subcontractor, which is essentially working for yourself, isn’t the same as going to a job where you get a weekly paycheck. You’ll have new tax forms, and you’ll have to claim income at the end of each tax cycles (and, in most cases, pay out taxes instead of getting a return). You’ll have to learn how to
for times when work isn’t rolling in, and learn how to deal with work when too much piles up. If you’re not good at managing your own money, subcontracting might not be the route for you.
