What's better than doing what you love, the freedom to be your own boss and get paid for it? For some this is the dream, nothing more. While for others it is an all too real reality in the form of freelancing. Freelancing involves carrying out particular jobs for different organizations in a given period of time instead of being a permanent employee of a single organization. In simpler terms it means being independent like a mercenary for hire, only it's legal. The rapid emergence and spread of freelancing in the world today can be attributed to the Internet and all that comes with it; blogs, as well as social media, but freelancing can be traced back to the Middle Ages according to the Merriam–Webster dictionary, and the earliest written evidence for "freelancing" comes from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, in which a lord refers to his paid army employees as "freelancers". Since then, the profession of freelancer has undergone several changes due to modernization, extending to various public and private sectors, from healthcare to agriculture, photography, graphic design, writing, construction, contracting, the web design and also the economy. Although freelancing is a common way of making a living in the developed part of the world, in Africa it is still underutilized and is just like a gold mine waiting to be explored if given the right tools and information. Where then is this gold mine and how do I get there, you may ask? Sit back, relax, grab a pen and a book and open your mind while I show you the way. Freelancing is a rapidly growing business in Africa and, if not fully exploited, can lead to economic conditions even worse than those faced in Africa today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To avoid this, we need to enlighten and promote it as a legitimate and profitable business that can help reduce the unemployment rate, increase the income of some, and help in education in the case of students or uneducated people who work for freelance companies. The individual can do what he loves, develop his skills, harness his creativity and, of course, bring him money. But how does this happen? How can your "hobby" provide you with a livelihood? Africa is currently facing the challenge of rising unemployment rates which, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), are expected to rise to 7.2% in 2018, with a further million new entries into the population unemployed. The ratio between qualified people and the number of available jobs is in great disparity and the size of the labor market is gradually shrinking. It is logical to see how the interest and hope of many graduates and other unskilled workers may have shifted from having to earn their “daily bread” from paid work to more flexible ways of self-employed freelance work, which would reduce unemployment pressure in the market. of work and help provide a wider range of services to consumers. Freelancing offers the freedom of having to work from anywhere, whenever you want, making it very attractive to modern youth. As a freelancer, you can work during your most productive hours and this does not necessarily have to fall between the 9am and 5pm hours that regular work passes, as each individual is different and consequently has different productive hours. Another interesting feature of this job is that you can be your own boss and keep a large part of the profits. Otherwise fixed prices are available for your negotiation, no one needsmicromanage yourself and the decision and responsibility for your work falls on your shoulders, thus giving a sense of accomplishment of having direct control of your life. It also provides a "choice" of clients and jobs, as the freelancer is in a position to first evaluate the terms of the jobs and the nature of the clients.application. So how much can a freelancer earn? According to a study conducted by Contently: The state of freelance in 2015, after 643 freelancers were interviewed to show freelance income data, it shows that about 24% earn $50,000 per year, although there is a close relationship between income and marketing efforts. This is a fairly high income, even if the freelancer must be actively involved in marketing. Also, depending on the quality of work and client order, freelancers can set their own offer/cost, not like a day job where you have to work for a fixed amount of pay with little or no time for yourself and also for the family. Suffice it to say, freelancers have a very wide range of opportunities and how they are used is up to them. With Africa slowly coming out of its 'shell', many businesses and companies in Africa are switching from regularly hiring employees to using freelancers because it cuts costs, as it is relatively cheaper for businesses and saves administrative costs. protocols involved in hiring a full-time employee. Furthermore, it does not entail pension benefits and social obligations (health coverage) of companies; there is no better time to be a freelancer in Africa. As an entrepreneurial skill, freelancing helps turn an individual idea into action. An entrepreneur, according to the Oxford dictionary definition, is a person who starts one or more businesses, taking financial risks in the hope of making a profit. Pegem.net defines an entrepreneur as a person who has decided to take their future into their own hands and become self-employed, even if this involves creating their own job. However, this is what freelancing allows you to do, to create your own future. It is not enough to have the creative ability of your work as time has shown us, it is also important to know how to organize and manage it because, let's face it, freelancing is a rapidly expanding business and if not well maximized, it might not be. boom so much for such an individual. Although, like most self-employed jobs, the income is not fixed like in a normal business, some months can result in acquiring around 12-20 clients while some months, less than 10. The prosperity of the business can be linked to how the individual manages it. . If managed well, it can be better than most regular paying jobs and the plus side is that you can work at your own time and pace. Freelancing not only creates jobs for the freelancer, but also for those who work under him. For example, a freelance writing company will have several writers, editors, and may even have unskilled workers who can help with translation. This further reduces the pull of unemployment and breaks the vicious cycle of poverty plaguing the African continent. How to proceed then? like any good money making venture, you have to spend money to make money. Therefore, the tools for the job are quite simple and relatively cheap, depending on the sector you want to venture into. The world being a global village, a good laptop, access to a fair internet connection and a smartphone are absolutely necessary in this industry. These tools are required to connect the.