Advantages of freelancing

Today I saw this article: Fear Factor in the Workplace. It's an interesting sampling of different analyses toward layoffs and the concerns of working people.

This, combined with the newest unemployment reports, makes me gladder than ever to be a freelance writer. I remember a discussion on another blog last year about how freelancers should diversify, to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket — i.e., having only one or two major clients. You don't want to become dependent on too few clients for all of your income, because if one of them goes under or terminates your project, you will have nothing to fall back on as you look for more work.

It seems to me that working for someone full time is pretty much the same thing as having just one or two major clients. Your fate is dictated by your employer. Why would this be okay for employees but something to avoid for freelancers?

As much as I might miss the social environment sometimes, I am still glad I no longer work in an environment where I'd be affected by the workplace anxiety described in the "fear factor" article. No thank you — I much prefer freelancing and having more control over my own job security!