The Benefits of Networking

A great majority of professional freelancers choose to conduct business at their home office to save a great deal on overhead expenses. But here's the deal: once you're comfortably settled, you should make an effort to rock the boat again and engage in a particular activity.

I'm talking about networking.

They say networking is a politically correct term coined in the twenty-first century workplace. The truth is, it simply means deliberately spending time with other professionals.

You must set aside part of your income to gain access to networking events, which can come in the form of a seminar or workshop, a convention, or a weekend retreat.

Networking is enjoyable, and the best thing about it is it has eradicated competition among freelance professionals. In fact, being too competitive may serve as counter-intuitive to the professional growth of a freelancer. Wanting all the work for himself may give him a reputation for being "a one-stop shop," which means not having any specialty.

Now, let me cite several examples on how networking can work for you. If you're a writer or illustrator, you can attend a series of seminars or workshops to learn new and valuable techniques, therefore honing your skills further, beefing up your resume, and making you more marketable to clients.

Likewise, there are conventions for freelance professionals who work in multimedia. These conventions are usually held at large venues, since they expect to attract a huge crowd.

The primary purpose of networking is to meet like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere. You can learn from each others' experiences, and you may even get some sound advice that you would otherwise have not read from a book or article. 

And there are even kindred spirits who organize groups and work to turn them into a legitimate organization. Joining such groups can yield tremendous benefits.

And getting to know other competent and reliable freelancers would mean helping others make more profit. Because should there be instances when you are too busy with a project, you can refer your clients to other freelancers, and they can do the same for you.