Five Ways Freelancers Can Benefit From Networking (Part 5)

By now you may have gotten a good grasp why getting into freelancing is much like starting your own business. Even if you're working steadily to make a name for yourself, you need other people's help and input as well.

So I would like to start this week by rounding off this five-part article series. Here's the fifth benefit networking can bring you:

(5.) Your network can serve as a source of free advice and opportunities for mentoring.

You can have every detail of your transaction with your client written out in your Contract, you may be charging a reasonable flat fee and require a down payment first before getting started on a project, and you may be turning in exemplary work and meeting deadlines.

Let me just warn you, though, freelancing, just like any careers, is not free from pitfalls, in a sense that something could still go wrong along the way. Sometimes, even the most experienced freelancers have yet to grow accustomed to these "emergencies."

This is where your network can serve as a "cushion" to the harsh realities of your career, and give you much-needed moral support as well as practical advice.

To illustrate, let's say a client attempts to rip you off by refusing to cough up the balance you're asking for the finished project. If there's a fellow freelancer within your network that has dealt with "problem clients" before, well, guess what? He should be your first "go-to guy."

And you must not limit yourselves to the aspect of interacting and negotiating effectively with clients. You may have a better way of collecting freelancer's fees, or your system of keeping books may be less complicated, therefore less tedious to handle. Other freelancers would be dying to hear from you.

Also, mentoring each other is like hitting two birds with one stone. Teaching or training someone to acquire a skill you may already have improves the way you communicate, instills patience and discipline, and allows camaraderie to develop within your network. A fellow freelancer who receives training from you will get better and better, too.

In conclusion, networking creates plenty of win-win situations. So go out there and team up with a network and discover the many benefits it will give you.

Five Ways Freelancers Can Benefit From Networking (Part 4)

A willingness to improve in your craft, persistence, resourcefulness, and dedication will, in the long run, make you a success as a freelancing professional.

And spending time with people who sail in the same boat as yours must not be an option, but a given. So here's the next benefit that networking can give you:

(4.) You can alert each other about up-and-coming conventions, workshops, lectures, or seminars.

Participating in these events will bring you numerous advantages. You can study a subject or topic with greater depth, or learn new innovations in your field, which can lead you to approach your job with added confidence.

And since facilitators and organizers grant a certificate to participants, these certificates will serve as a big boost to your resume. 

As a bonus, you and a few others in your network can avail of possible discounts offered by organizers to participants who will sign up as a group.

Let me just mention that signing up for a workshop or seminar isn't the only way to take a class and learn from an expert. You and your network can rent a room in a multi-purpose hall (or try converting a living or dining room) and invite a seasoned facilitator or speaker to educate you about topics that concern everyone in your network. 

You can also chip in and order audio CDs or DVDs and listen or watch them together.

Stay tuned as I attempt to round up this five-part article series in my next post. 

Five Ways Freelancers Can Benefit From Networking (Part 3)

By now you may have figured out that no freelancer must conduct his business as "a lone wolf," and there are several good reasons for a partnership with other freelancing professionals.

Here's the next good reason:

(3.) Your fellow freelancer can be a potential client.

Imagine teaming up with a group of six to eight, or even more freelancing professionals. That would also mean having at least a couple of leads, or opportunities, to land several gigs or projects, resulting to a rosier annual bottom line.

Because whether you're an article writer or copyeditor, or offer SEO copywriting services, or design websites or logos for companies, another freelancer whose expertise and skills fall into a category different from yours will surely need your services at one time or another.

And if you attempt to "bait" potential clients with discount rates as part of your marketing strategy, a fellow freelancer would prefer to outsource tasks to you. It would save him the time (and trouble) of looking for a suitable professional to do the job, and if you offer discount rates, you're also helping your fellow freelancer to save money. Both time and money are precious commodities in the field of freelancing.

Once a fellow freelancer gives you a task-based project and he ends up satisfied with your work, you can get a bonus: your fellow freelancer would be more than glad to have some of their clients referred to you once they get swamped with projects. That would be a terrific and cost-effective way to shorten any dry spells you may still be experiencing from time to time.

Of course, your fellow freelancer has to collect a commission from you because of client referrals, but it actually creates a win-win situation for both of you because you're helping him increase his cash flow, too.

Five Ways Freelancers Can Benefit From Networking (Part 2)

In my previous article, I have introduced you to the concept of networking among freelancers as a tool to garner benefits that may be unheard-of to salaried professionals. 

Here's the next benefit of networking:

(2.) Freelancers can earn additional income through other freelancers on a commission basis.

Picture this scenario: you find yourself working on a huge project, and the deadline is looming. In addition to that, you've landed several gigs that don't really pay much, but when you add up the fees you charged for each gig, the money would total to a pretty handsome amount.

And then it happens. An interested client emails you or calls you up in the middle of all those tasks. The client talks on and on about wanting to outsource a project to you, and asks for a price quote.

You're tempted to accept the client's offer, but you know you have to turn it down if you don't want to sacrifice the quality of the project you're currently working on.

Now, what if I tell you that teaming up with other freelancers and forming a solid network will still enable you to make money even if you have to turn down a potential client?

Sounds incredulous? It's not, if you do the following:

Politely explain to the client that you could no longer accommodate another project at the moment, but you'd be happy to refer him to another competent freelancer within your network.

To illustrate, if you were being tasked to incorporate SEO copywriting in the company's website to improve their sales, hopefully, you can point to another SEO copywriter in your network who would be willing to do the job.

Of course, in spite of the advantages, networking can fall prey to pitfalls. You have to keep in mind that freelancing is a business, and businesses can only thrive if workers are genuinely responsible and look after each other and place utmost priority in the group's well being.

Here are several guidelines you may want to consider:

• Set parameters with each other's rates or fees. Make it a general rule that you will only ask for a commission when the minimum rough estimate is, say, Php10,000-Php12,000, or USD500-USD1,000. And then, require a rate that is no more than the equivalent of 20 to 25 percent of that amount.
• Make sure that the freelancing professional to whom you have referred your client states in a portion of his Contract that he is accepting projects through referrals, and you will be collecting a commission for every referral you make.
• Also, state that you will not be entitled to additional cash, or any benefits for that matter, should the client offer your fellow freelancer a bonus, whether in cash or kind.
• Create a separate record to keep track of income made through referrals. If you can recommend an average of two to three clients a month, that would mean a commission of at least Php4,000-Php6,000 monthly. Save your records in your computer's hard drive.
• Include money made through referrals when declaring your annual income or reviewing possible tax deductibles.

Five Ways Freelancers Can Benefit From Networking

Sometimes, when you tell people that you freelance for a living, they almost nearly assume that you're a virtual hermit, since the majority of freelancing professionals work from their home office.

While we as freelancers may have limited time or opportunities for face-to-face interactions, networking, or taking part in a group with other freelancing professionals whose expertise complement or are similar to our skills, is deemed as a valuable tool in our field.

Working and trying to make it on your own is lonely enough, and can sometimes cause a certain level of anxiety to freelancers. So there's really no reason you should avoid networking. 

Once you start squirming at the thought of exposing yourself to more people, pump up your confidence and keep these five benefits in mind:

(1.) Freelancers get plenty of support when teaming up with other freelancers.

If you query the associate and managing editors of magazines, you may need the services of a photographer every now and then. Photographs can enhance the layout of a published article among a magazine's pages. If you want to make it as a travel writer, or wish to write about events that have historical or cultural value or otherwise, having a reliable photographer under your wing is a must.

However, photographs aren't the only way to enhance text with visuals. If you blog and you're serious about making money with your blog, you may include graphics or webinars among your posts. You can contact an experienced graphic artist, videographer, or video editor to help you do the job.

Or consider this: if you're landing huge projects that stretch for several weeks or even months, you may need to outsource part of the transcription, filing, and billing tasks to a virtual assistant.

These are just a few of the ways networking can prove to be beneficial to freelancers. It's like a division of labor. Why burden yourself with tasks that aren't within the scope of your expertise if you can assign them to someone who can do them well?

Freelancing -- The Perks and Privileges

If I were able to entice you with my introductory article about getting into freelancing, you may be left wondering if it would really be worth your while to be a freelancer in order to make money.

Now, I would be the first to say that every money-making venture, enterprise, or activity comes with certain risks. Although working on task-based projects and getting paid on a freelance basis doesn't carry a lot of risks, you also have every right to get access to information that is reliable and practical in order to set yourself up for freelancing success.  

Let me cite just a few of the fantastic perks and unique privileges that a competent freelance professional enjoys. Here they are:

• A freelance worker who has nailed down his special skill or skills set can choose which projects to accept. If an offer doesn't sound appealing to him, he can simply decline politely, or, if he's included among a network of fellow freelancers, he can pass the job to another qualified worker who may be better able to accommodate the potential client's request.
• If he is disciplined yet can remain flexible, a freelancer can pace himself and work around the hours that are most convenient for him.
• A freelance worker who was able to master a highly specialized skill and can present himself to potential clients can command higher rates or fees. 
• If he has set his rates and a potential client claims that he is "overcharging," or for any reason the client can not give a specific time frame for the completion of tasks, a freelance worker who knows how to negotiate his rates effectively will not come out on the losing end of the proposition.

So, was I able to whet your appetite even more? 

If you're still left unsure, I'll gradually introduce you to the mechanics of freelancing. Consider this a time to "test the waters," to know about what you're getting into.

Check back soon, and I'll talk about the life of the average freelance professional.