Some people might be attracted to the idea of freelancing and are sure that they have marketable skills but it seems so scary just to give up your job and set up on your own. After all, when you are an employee it is someone else’s responsibility to get the work, attract the clients and pay you whether the company is busy or not. If you set up on the side, then it gives you a chance to try out your enterprise before you launch yourself away from your job.
It is also true that some work contracts will prohibit you from undertaking work in the same field as your employer (perhaps in a geographical area or with specific focus) whilst you are working for that company. If your freelance work is a duplicate of your paid work, then you take major risks. Also, where there is little or no overlap of project or tasks it can be tempting to do some of your freelance work during lunch breaks or tea breaks – but this can also be dodgy if your employer gets wind of your other interests.
However, stating to freelance on the side has lots of advantages: firstly, you will be able to build up a work portfolio and a list of clients – as it may well be that your employer will not let you use work undertaken for him/her to be displayed as being yours. Make sure you check. So you can build up enough thickness in your project file to begin to look further afield for clients. It is also good to have extra money and perhaps part-time freelancing suits you (though you will need to complete a tax return for the additional earnings or take even more risks).