Whether you are a freelance coder, writer, or even graphic designer, you only need to have a decent laptop, a steady internet connection, an ergonomic workstation, and probably a fresh brew of coffee.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a vital requirement for any avid freelancer, asides from the aforementioned essential freelancing requirements. Besides providing top-notch privacy protections that put cybercriminals at bay, a VPN confers plenty of other benefits, which enhance your productivity as a freelancer.
As you're busy living the freelancer dream, here are several ways a VPN can increase your productivity.
What Are Virtual Private Networks?
As the online space continues to grow, online security has become one of the biggest concerns for the virtual workspace. With increasing security issues such as Firesheep and Wi-Fi spoofing, it's now more vital than ever to keep your online activity secured. There is no better way to do this than by using a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network of private servers that allow users to connect to the internet through a safe and encrypted tunnel. In simple terms, a VPN is a technology that will enable you to create a secure network connection while using a public network or even some unsecured private networks.
With a VPN, you can anonymize your online activity on a network, hide your IP address, browse the internet without worrying about being tracked, and most importantly, ensure that your connection is always secure.
That said, here are several ways a VPN can increase productivity as a freelancer.
1. Increased Bandwidth
One of the most significant benefits of using a VPN as a freelancer is automatically increasing your internet speed thanks to the additional bandwidth. As a freelancer, you're most likely working from home or a café using a private network supplied by a local internet service provider (ISP).
ISPs usually throttle the bandwidth of their users during congestions or whenever they deem necessary. This action leads to a slow internet connection, significantly affecting a freelancer's efficiency and productivity.
Using a VPN, you're assured of additional bandwidth since VPN clients use faster servers that surpass the bandwidth cap and speeds put in place by the internet service provider (ISP). With an increased internet connection speed, you'll be able to get many tasks completed in less time, translating to increased productivity.
2. VPNs Make Connections More Secure
As a freelancer, you may at times find yourself working in public places such as airports, libraries, shared workspaces, hotels, or your local coffee shop. You'll need to use public Wi-Fi in such areas, given that mobile connections are much slower.
However, public Wi-Fi connections are not often secure and are usually an easy target for cybercriminals preying on unprotected devices. A VPN allows you to use public Wi-Fi networks securely and without worrying about cybercriminals in public places. As such, with a VPN, you can take advantage of public networks and get the work done in time wherever you are.
3. Bypassing Filters and Website Blocks
Being a freelancer allows you to work from any part of the globe. You can travel to a different country and work from there as you enjoy your vacation. However, several websites and services are often blocked in some countries due to geo-restrictions.
Some of the reasons why these measures are necessary include; government censorship, copyright laws, security concerns, and monetization strategies, among other individual preferences. Not being able to access a particular resource or service due to geo-restrictions can negatively affect your productivity.
Fortunately enough, VPNs can enable you to bypass website filters and website blockades, ensuring that you're productive from any part of the globe.
4. Manage Other Freelancers Working Remotely
As an employer, you may sometimes outsource tasks to freelancers, working remotely. This happens when you’re overwhelmed with work or seeking niche professionals for a particular task.
While outsourcing enables you to find specific talents for improved outcomes; it comes with its fair share of security challenges. Outsourcing gives cybercriminals new avenues for launching their attacks. For instance, hackers can intercept unencrypted connections and steal passwords, as well as sensitive information shared between you and the freelancer.
With a VPN, however, you can efficiently manage freelancers working remotely and ensure top-notch security. A VPN makes it possible to centralize and manage remote access by enabling the freelancers to access vital resources over the public internet as if they were plugged into a secure private network.
In summary, VPNs, especially cloud-based VPNs, facilitate better management of freelancers working remotely. Your remote freelancers can simply install the software on their devices and start working right away with minimal cyber threats.
5. Cost-Effectiveness
VPNs are a cost-effective way of achieving internet security. Compared to other internet security tools such as firewalls, Smart DNS and access control, VPNs are much more cost-effective plus offer a smoother onboarding process.
With a starting price of around $5.00 per month, you can get an effective VPN and enhance your productivity. A few dollars a month barely scratch your wallet, especially when dealing with internet security and enhanced productivity.
If you're looking for a recommendation, you can save 49% on our recommended VPN, ExpressVPN.
A VPN Is a Great Fit for Your Freelance Productivity
From facilitating faster internet connections to enhancing internet security and better managing employees, a VPN is indeed a great fit for your freelance productivity. The digital age has numerous online security challenges, especially with the growing threat of malware and phishing attacks.
With such threats, companies, as well as freelancers, should now, more than ever, be concerned with cybersecurity. As a freelancer, a VPN enhances your productivity and ensures your online activities are secured.
When choosing an ideal VPN for your freelancing grind, you may want to consider one with a clear no-logging policy, fast and with enough servers to ensure reliability, and, of course, one with a good reputation.