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Build Your Freelance Business Through Your Personal Network

 

Freelancers often end up feeling like they’re all alone.  Even though Tamara and I are partners, we still do the vast majority of our work from our own computers in our own homes.  It’s easy to occasionally feel like you’re the only person you can count on.  In some ways, of course, you are. When you’re self employed, there’s no one to go out and find your work for you.  There’s no one to force you to reach deadlines. You have to do these things for yourself.  Heck, there’s not even anyone around to high-five you when you feel like you’ve done an especially good job!  This is another time that having a partner comes in really handy.  Tamara and I have been known to get on the phone just to remind each other that “we rock!” 

While freelancing can seem pretty lonely at times, the relationships you already have can actually be some of the most important in developing your business.  It’s true when you start just about any endeavor, really.  My family members all held parties several years ago when I decided that I was going to be a Tupperware lady, for example.  (It turns out that sales aren’t my strongest suit.)  Several of them were recruited as volunteers to support exchange students when I worked with teens from other countries.  (I’m still a volunteer with the organization, by the way.)  

Despite my history of encouraging friends and family to become involved in my adventures, working my personal network didn’t come immediately to mind when the Berry-Brewer Agency was being dreamed up.  I had one of those total “duh” moments when I happened to talk to a friend who had been the best man at our wedding.  I told my friend about our new business when I was talking to him about something completely unrelated one day.  His response:  “Our firm just moved to a new location, and we’re going to need a bunch of introductory materials written.  Send me over a brochure on what you folks do.”   

Holy cow!  We were hardly up and running, and here we already had a successful, professional organization interested in our services.  There was definitely a “we rock” phone call from my house to Tamara’s on that day. 

Once we started looking into our networks a little more thoroughly, we discovered that not only did they contain potential client leads, but that we also happen to be friends with some dog-gone talented people.  The fact that we know other good writers, for example, means that we can bid on projects that might be a bit large for just the two of us.  This opens up our opportunities all that much more.  If we end up with a client who has graphic arts needs, it just so happens that we know some good artists.  Maybe we’ll all decide to put our heads together on a project, or perhaps we’ll just make some introductions and let the rest happen as it will.  The fact of the matter is that our business is more valuable because of the people we know. 

If you have your own freelancing business or are thinking about starting one up, why not take an inventory of your personal network?  Who do you know that: 

  • owns their own small business?
  • works for a larger company that needs to outsource work?
  • is skilled in the same area as you and might be interested in collaboration?
  • is skilled in an area that complements yours and might be interested in collaboration?
  • loves you enough to do stuff for free?

Don’t forget to take your family’s skills and enthusiasm into account, either.  If you’re planning a direct-mail campaign for yourself or a client, maybe the kids could help out.  Perhaps your lawyer uncle would be willing to draw up some contracts for you, or your retired accountant grandma could explain a few tax terms.  In our case, we’re taking full advantage of Tamara’s husband’s degree in Marketing.  While “we rock” is our most-often repeated mantra, the next runner up is “we love Travis!”

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