While I was lost in one of my intense overthinking sessions, I started thinking about all the people I met lately, and that made me ask why networking is important for a freelancer?
I know this is something that seems pretty straightforward, but there’s more to discuss here. Just bear with me. I don’t know about you, but I got to meet a lot of incredible people, from artists to developers and influential people, and that’s something I’m thrilled about. So, because I don’t like leaving questions partially answered, I researched the topic and found some excellent reasons to boost networking between freelancers.
1. Establish Yourself And Attract More Clients
This means that people know who you are, and opportunities can come from any direction. For example, I took an uber a couple of weeks ago, I know, super random, but the guy suddenly asked me “ok, so I’m thinking of starting a business. Do you know someone who can help me?” Well, in fact, I do. I know many people that can help, and I also know how we can team up to create something, so I left him my email address, and now we’re discussing the details.
This isn’t the best example of networking; it’s just to prove the fact that opportunities can hit from anywhere. Because we’re connected and interact with each other somehow, whether we want to or not, it can be very easy to make new connections and have people recommending you. For example, I’m talking to someone about a strategy or explaining some concepts, and then I have a new friend and of course, collaborator if it comes to it. The network is expanding. We get to know each other, we get to know the specifics, and we can recommend each other for a job.
2. Learn New Skills
If you ask me, this is the ultimate purpose. No one is really interested in being a one-man gig as long as they understand how the system works, but it’s nice to be able to solve a minor problem that’s in general none of your business.
In fact, it’s best if you do, because you’re pretty much alone and it may not be cool for your client to bring more people on the project for something incredibly small. I was talking yesterday with a client about his WordPress website that didn’t show links the right way. I know how to build websites, I know the specifics, I’m just not interested in it, so we just fixed the problem real quick and moved on. And yes, it was much better than having to bother someone for a five-minute fix.
Talking, networking, sharing experiences is what everyone needs right now. It should be the standard if you ask me.
I’m very much into this idea of unity, and I like to believe that even though we are alone, we can still work together. And I’m saying it again, if you think there’s something I can help you with, then ping me. I’ll look up some keys for you and check out your articles! 😉
3. Have A Shoulder To Cry On
I know I always complain whenever something goes wrong, and I find it to be quite relaxing. You get to express some feelings and get some feedback. See how that situation could have been avoided, and maybe even fixed.
It sounds a lot like a support group, but it’s the cool type of support group. :))
And the best part? It boosts your confidence. Especially if you resonate with the people in your circle, if you share the same values and of course, if you’re willing to go through all this.
4. Know The Latest Trends
The moment you engage with people from different industries, you get to hear news that may be relevant to what you do. For example, a couple of weeks ago when WordPress got a big update, I was scrolling through my Instagram stories and found out that I could get rid of a few plug-ins because those functions were covered in the update. This is not the kind of news I usually read, but it was very nice to find that out.
Author: Andreea Juganaru
