Building communities of support with fellow freelancers has more benefits than drawbacks.
Many new to self-employment assume that fellow freelancers are going to be their competition - fighting for the same work.
But it doesn’t take long to realise that being part of communities of support increases your likelihood of success.
When you’re employed, you have a team, you have colleagues, you have people to say hello to, to ask questions of, a subtle support network at work.
When you’re self-employed, that support network takes some effort to create and build.
Most employees will have never had to deal with late payments, taking unpaid leave, being responsible for all of the different roles within a business, or the feast/famine feeling.
Fellow freelancers understand what you’re going through far more than those who have never been self-employed, as they are more likely to have had similar experiences.
Many freelancers are part of freelance-first communities, take part in meetups or networking groups with fellow freelancers, and even collaborate on projects.
These networks and groups often even provide new business opportunities - either work that a fellow freelance is too busy to deliver, or might not be right for them.
Start by searching for freelance-first communities - and join a few groups. Many of these communities also have local meetups to connect offline.
Reach out to any fellow freelancers in your existing professional network, or try places like LinkedIn or the community spaces on platforms like YunoJuno.
Speak to your clients and ask them if they have a freelance network you can join, or if they can connect you with other freelancers they’ve worked with.
You could even consider creating your own local group, perhaps in your coffee shop or community centre.
