Partner Article

The Great Escape: Leaving corporate boredom behind

Are we all work and no play? It’s now predicted that many white-collar workers are working 40 hours a week with a whopping one third working more than 50. Statistics like this could be a sign that these days people are so passionate about their work they are unable to tear themselves away from it.

What’s far more likely however is that our work-life pendulum is swinging ever further towards the work side. This is disturbing our resting equilibrium with our jobs encroaching on or even completely obliterating our free time. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Working differently

Working at Elance has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people who have completely changed their lives since starting a business or becoming a freelancer. It’s tough and not for everyone but being your own boss can not only provide immense satisfaction and unparalleled freedom but can also help restore some of that elusive “work-life balance”

Earlier this year we conducted a survey of freelancers and businesses using Elance and found that the number one motivation for people to leave their jobs behind was exactly that balance.. Sixty-nine percent (69%) said they were happier when freelancing versus working in a traditional onsite job, with 71% claiming they are more productive. The average freelancer estimates that they have 28 days more of free time per year than they did when working in a corporate environment. That’s a whole month extra every year to spend travelling, learning a language, finally starting that novel. What could you do with an extra month?

Yeah but you would say that

Familiarity is comfortable and we’re all creatures of habit. When it comes to going freelance or starting your dream business it’s all to easy to come up with a long list of reasons not to do it. However if you really want to make a change it’s very possible – where there’s a will there’s a way after all.

One of these methods is to take advantage of the wealth of technology out there. As technology brings us closer together it’s now possible to create entire businesses online in a cost-effective and flexible manner.

Our VP of Europe Kjetil Olsen wrote an article for The Guardian last year providing advice on how to make the most of the tools available to you. No matter what your position, it’s possible to start on a shoestring and bootstrap a business. That’s without even touching on the great wealth of information offered by The Government and organisations like Startup Britain to support businesses.

Don’t believe me? Read this interview with Elliot Newsome who started his own consultancy on a budget, utilizing online tools like Elance to get work done quickly and cost-effetively. So if you’re looking for a new challenge then what are you waiting for? Get ready and take the plunge.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hayley Conick .