A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer. The term "freelance" was first coined by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in his well-known historical romance Ivanhoe to describe a "medieval mercenary warrior" (or "free-lance"). Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout Ivanhoe is a Novel by Sir Walter Scott. It was written in 1819 and set in 12th century England, an example of Historical fiction A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by Freedom, or the idea of being free is a broad concept that The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. The phrase later transitioned to a figurative noun around the 1860s and was then officially recognized as a verb in 1903 by various authorities in etymology such as the Oxford English Dictionary. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English Only in modern times has the term morphed from a noun (a freelance) into an adjective (a freelance journalist), various verb forms (a journalist who freelances) and an adverb (she worked freelance), and then from the verb into the derived noun form "freelancer".

The author and poet Ernest William Hornung (1866–1921) also used the term in "The Gift of the Emperor" to describe something of poor quality: "I warmed to my woes. Ernest William Hornung (June 7 1866 &ndash March 22 1921 known as Willie, was an English author most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a It was no easy matter to keep your end up as a raw freelance of letters; for my part, I was afraid I wrote neither well enough nor ill enough for success. "

Fields where freelancing is especially common include journalism and other forms of writing, copywriting, computer programming and graphic design, consulting, and many other professional and creative services. Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people Copywriting is the use of words to promote a Person, Business, Opinion, or Idea. The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation

Freelance practice varies greatly. Some require clients to sign written contracts, while others may perform work based on verbal agreements, perhaps enforceable through the very nature of the work. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Some freelancers may provide written estimates of work and request deposits from clients.

Payment for freelance work also varies greatly. Freelancers may charge by the day or hour, or on a per-project basis. Instead of a flat rate or fee, some consultants have adopted a value-based pricing method based on the perceived value of the results to the client. Value based pricing, or Value optimized pricing is a business strategy. By custom, payment arrangements may be upfront, percentage upfront, or upon completion. For more complex projects, a contract may set a payment schedule based on milestones or outcomes.

Current marketplace

According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Approximately 10. 3 million workers in the US are independent contractors^[1]
• 7. 4% of the US workforce is made up of independent contractors^[1]
• In the past three years, companies have increased their outsourcing by 22% on the internet.

Benefits

Freelancers generally enjoy a greater variety of assignments than in regular employment, and—subject to the need to earn a regular income—usually have more freedom to choose their work schedule. The experience can also lead to a broad portfolio of work and the establishment of a network of clients ultimately leading to a permanent position.

Sometimes a freelancer will work with one or more other freelancers and/or vendors to form a "virtual agency" to serve a particular client's needs for short-term and permanent project work. This versatile agency model can help a freelancer land jobs which require targeted, specific experience and skills outside the scope of one individual. As the clients change, so too may the players chosen for a virtual agency's talent base.

This can have a positive affect also. On occasion, freelancers and clients can form a relationship based on mutual needs and the professionalism, and competence of both parties.

Impact of the Internet

The Internet has opened up many freelance opportunities, expanded available markets, and has contributed to service sector growth in many economies^[2]. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Offshore outsourcing and crowdsourcing are heavily reliant on the Internet to provide economical access to remote workers, and frequently leverage technology to manage workflow to and from the employer. Offshore outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external organization to perform some business functions in a country other than the one where the products or services Crowdsourcing is a Neologism for the act of taking a task traditionally performed by an employee or Contractor, and Outsourcing it to an undefined generally Much of the computer freelance work is being outsourced to poorer countries outside the United States and Europe. This has spurred conflict because American and European workers are not receiving the benefits. The compromise has led to student freelancers that now provide a steady source of cheap labor while keeping jobs American and European.

As a result, freelance employment has been especially common in the areas of software development, website design, information technology, and business process outsourcing. Software development is the translation of a user need or marketing goal into a Software product Web page design is a process of conceptualization planning modeling and execution of Electronic media content delivery via Internet in the form Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Business process outsourcing ( BPO) contains the transmission of processes along with the associated operational activities and responsibilities to a third party with at least

Drawbacks

The major drawback is the uncertainty of work — and thus income — and lack of company benefits such as a pension, health insurance, paid holidays and bonuses. A pension is a steady income given to a person upon Retirement, typically in the form of a guaranteed annuity. The term health insurance is generally used to describe a form of Insurance that pays for medical expenses However, many freelancers, especially in journalism, regard themselves as having greater income security through the diversity of outlets—the loss of any one of which leads to the loss of only a proportion of income, rather than its totality as with salaried employees.

Furthermore, many periodicals and newspapers offer the option of ghost signing. Ghost signing occurs when a freelance writer signs with an editor, but their name is not listed on the byline of their article(s). This allows the writer to receive benefits, while still being classified as a freelancer, and independent of any set organization. In some countries, however, this can lead to taxation issues (eg so-called IR35 violations in the UK)

Another drawback is that freelancers often must handle contracts, legal issues, accounting, marketing, and other business functions by themselves. If they do choose to pay for professional services, they can sometimes turn into significant out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses are direct outlays of cash which are not reimbursed Working hours can extend beyond the standard working day and working week.

In Europe, the perceived disadvantages of being freelance have led the European Union to research the area, producing draft papers that would, if enforced, make it illegal for companies or organisations to employ freelances direct, unless the freelancer was entitled to benefits such as pension contributions and holiday pay. In the UK, where the terms of integration in to the EU have and are being hotly debated, this would lead to a significant reshaping of the way freelance work is dealt with and have a major impact on industry; employers would be required either to give freelances the contractual rights of employees, or employ only freelancers already being employed by agencies or other organisations granting them these rights. However, the White Papers that recommend such moves have not yet been adopted in the EU, and the potential impact on UK employment laws is being opposed by key UK organisations lobbying the government to negotiate over the acceptance of EU legislation in such areas.

See also

• Freelancers Union

References