A lot of people are genuinely afraid from going freelancing and it becomes very amusing to see them lauding the established freelancers for having the guts to get on with freelancing!

A lot of this negative perception stems from the misconceptions that prevail pertaining to freelancing especially when it comes to graphic designing. These misconceptions effectively prevent a lot of people from pursuing their dreams and going into freelancing.

So, are you one of those people who spend their days staring out the office window, dreaming of handing in their resignation letters, but never muster up enough courage of doing it? If you’re unsure of just when and how to make the leap into the unpredictable world of freelance, here is some measured reassurance that it is entirely feasible for you to do so.

Here are the top five reasons people give for not striking out on their own – and why I think they hold no merit:

1-  You can’t start without the savings

You don’t need to save forever before going freelance.

“I’ve got bills to pay. It’s going to take some time before I get my increment. And even then, it’ll probably be a long time before the first check arrives.” In other words, what you are basically saying is you’re going to have to go without money for a long time – and you haven’t got the reserve funds you need for the freelancing.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to be like this. Getting started is largely a case of preparing well. Before you leave your job, there’s nothing to stop you working in the evening and weekends, trying to build a portfolio you’re proud of, trying to reach some of your first clients and sacrificing your own time to help build your business before you finally take the decision to leave your job.

This is how many freelancers start out and it’s a great way to test the waters before diving in. Of course, transitional time can be tough, but if you put the work and effort in you’ll find paying those bills won’t be such a problem.

2- A job offers more security than Freelancing

Job security is nothing more than a myth because no job is ever completely secure and once you realize that, it makes the transition process a lot easier.

Freelancing can also be one of the most unpredictable things in the world, maybe even more so than a job, sure. But the feeling of overseeing the money you make each month can be very liberating and inspirational and makes it totally worth it.

Yes, it’s true that you will have to work extremely hard each month, especially in the beginning, both doing as the actual work itself and taking care of the finances, invoicing and promotion. But remember that when you are employed by a company you still must work hard to keep your job – no job is completely safe from recession and thus lay off’s.

3- Taxes and accounting are a nightmare

Always remember that, you don’t need to be a financial wizard to file a tax return.

Yes, you will have to be more organized with your finances when you go freelance. But you don’t really need an accounting degree – it’s mainly common sense that works best.

There are plenty of resources available to help on the web, too. Here’s a list of tools to help you invoice and these days most tax authorities have pretty easy-to-follow online tools to help you file.

4- You’re not good enough

This is another stupid assumption that makes people refrain from going into freelancing. The thing is, if you’re good enough for a full-time job for a long time, what makes you think you’re not good enough to freelance?

Yes, we can all improve on our skills, and learn new ones – but isn’t that always the case? Instead of worrying about whether your skills are good enough, wouldn’t it be productive to think carefully about where the demand for them lies, and how you can reach your initial clients? You need to ask yourself questions like: “Who is the target audience for my services?” and “Am I giving services that offer value to my potential customers?”

If you don’t know the answers to these questions yet, then yes, maybe you need to stick with your job a while longer, engage in practicing and gaining some experience working with more clients. But remember, there’s no rule saying you must have a level of experience or skill to freelance – after all, many people start out freelance – so don’t use it as an excuse not to take the plunge.

5- You will have no personal life:

The best thing about being a freelancer is, you work where you want, when you want so what’s not to like?

While it might be true that when you’re your own boss, you must do everything yourself – the work, dealing with clients, doing the finances, promoting your brand. And yes, it can be difficult and frustrating and can take up a lot of your time. If you don’t think you have the passion for the work, or work ethic, required to be successful, then perhaps this isn’t the best career path for you.

However, if you love the idea of doing what you love for a living, overseeing yourself, and building a business starting from scratch, then the rewards can be incredible too. Because once you’ve established yourself then you’ll be free to pick the clients you want; work where you want and, and even choose the hours that suit you.

So far from having no life, you’ll be able to have exactly the kind of life that you want – with no boss standing over you and making you jump to their tunes.