Why female freelancers need more than just talent to succeed safely

Freelance

According to the latest data from Research Gate, 41% of freelancers in the US are women; over half of all freelancers in writing and translation work are women, but less than 20% of all tech freelancers are women.

There’s an interesting spread, and the freelancer economy in the US is definitely thriving, with some estimates stating that over 72.9 million Americans are freelancing in some capacity, contributing a total of almost $1.3 to $1.5 trillion to the economy (Fortune).

Female freelancers can definitely succeed, but they do need more than talent to stand out and succeed safely. Read on to find out more.

Do females struggle more to find work?

We wouldn’t say that female freelancers struggle more to find work, and they definitely don’t lack skill, but there are some well-known issues that women feel the struggle of. One of the most common is pricing pressure, with plenty of articles discussing the fact that women are less likely to ask for more money than men and are more likely to settle for less because they don’t feel they can ask for more.

Some would say there’s the issue of bias, but we do think that depends on the industry and whether it’s naturally more male-dominated, but even then, women aren’t necessarily discriminated against all of the time.

As for pay, Payoneer’s freelancer research found women freelancers earned $22/hour vs. $24/hour for men, so there is some pay gap, but that could also circle back to women not having as much confidence to ask for more money or undervaluing their work. 

Interestingly, however, the ILO has highlighted that challenges around decent working conditions on digital labor platforms can be more pronounced for women.

Having the confidence to find work as a female freelancer

As you can see so far, we’d say it’s more about female freelancers having the confidence and the right mindset to find work.

There are some tips that will make finding work more successful:

  • Turn skills into a clear offer
  • Have a portfolio page, even if with just 3 strong examples.
  • Use case studies where measurable outcomes are proven.
  • Ask clients to give testimonials.

And always go into the offer of a new role like a business, with minimum project fees and regular rate increases if you’re working with a client on an ongoing basis.

Some of the red flags to look out for are:

  • “Can you do a quick free sample?”
  • “We’ll pay later when it works.”
  • “It’ll be great exposure.”

What does it mean to succeed safely as a freelancer?

It’s good to think about money, but to protect income and reputation long-term, freelancers need to think about safety and how to succeed safely. In our opinion, one of the must-haves and non-negotiables is professional liability insurance. Self-employed workers don’t have the fallback of company protection if something goes wrong. With professional liability insurance, freelancers are protected for:

  • Business errors that cost clients money
  • Claims of professional negligence
  • Misrepresentation that causes financial harm
  • Legal defense costs

Other insurance policies to include would be errors and omissions and equipment cover.

Then there are other safety considerations, such as contract protection, using deposits and milestones, financial protection like an emergency fund, and a separate tax account. It’s basically everything normal employees don’t need to consider.

The freelance careers we’d recommend for females

Maybe we’ve made it seem like it’s all doom and gloom, but freelancing can be an excellent career of freedom and job fulfillment rather than the standard 9-5. Most freelancers work doing something they’re actually passionate about.

To try and not put you off for good, here are some of the freelance careers we’d recommend for females:

If you can find your feet in freelancing, it really is an excellent way to work. But for women, we’d definitely say more can be done to make it safer and more financially secure long-term.