The Importance Of Networking As A Freelancer
Being a freelancer and self-employed can be great, but it can also be quite lonely at times. And whilst having a network of good friends and family is important, they don’t always get what it is like to be self-employed. Because chances are, many of them aren’t self-employed.
So finding a group of people who “get it” and are self-employed or freelancers is so important for helping us feel a little less alone in this journey.
What happens when you find this group of self-employed business owners?
Finding this group of people isn’t always the easiest, but it is so worth it.
Why?
Because having those who can offer support because they’ve had similar experiences means that:
Any struggles you are facing feel valid because they can understand where you are coming from.
They can offer advice to help you through the struggles that being self-employed can bring.
You’ve got a group of people who automatically cheer you on.
They understand just how important those “small” wins are.
They force you to celebrate those wins. Because if you don’t, who will?
When needed, they can also provide the push you need, to keep moving forward. Even when this feels like the last thing you want to do.
In short, surrounding yourself with a group of people like this is invaluable.
How can you find this network of people?
You know you want to start networking with other like-minded business owners, but where do you start? From my experience, there are plenty of opportunities to network, you’ve just got to know where to look.
LinkedIn is possibly my favorite at the moment. With the ability to now follow other people, you can start following and interacting with other people’s posts, without connecting with them first. This makes finding others much easier. You can also see who the people you are connected with are interacting with, which makes you aware of these new accounts and gives you the opportunity to connect with them.
Then, when you’ve been interacting with these accounts and starting genuine conversations, why not send them a connection request with a message? This has worked well for me and resulted in a number of different virtual coffee meet-ups.
The connections I’ve made through Instagram have usually been through commenting on posts, engaging regularly with Instagram stories, and starting conversations there. This has then resulted in me being added to a few different message groups with other photographers. This has created a safe space to rant where needed, gain support, and share our wins, and I honestly wouldn’t be without it!
Facebook Groups
There are a couple of small business groups that I am part of that have resulted in a number of opportunities. Some are work opportunities, others have been networking days, and I have even made some close business friends through them who I have since hired myself and/or regularly meet up with.
In-Person Networking Events
I’ll be honest, this one scares me a little bit, but it’s one I am hoping to do more and more of. These events are great for meeting other small-business owners who are outside of my industry. Having people in your network outside of your industry is really helpful, because you never know what useful insights you may gain from them, which is why I aim to do even more of these events in future.
Group courses
If you ever take part in a group program, make sure to keep in touch with, and keep supporting those you get on well with. You never know what opportunities there could be, and these are a great way to meet new people, especially if meeting in person for a short period of time, such as at a networking event, feels a little daunting.
And that is it!
It seems daunting at first, but it soon gets easier. So start commenting, sending those messages, and sign up to attend an in-person networking session. You won’t regret it, I promise!