As a freelancer, you call the shots. You set your hours and decide how much you will be paid. You also don’t have to deal with office politics or pointless meetings that could’ve been handled by email.
However, you can also feel somewhat isolated as a freelancer. You don’t have a team to celebrate wins with or help you through the rough times. You don’t have anyone over you to assist with skill development or give advice.
This is why it is crucial for freelancers to have a community. AfriBlocks provides one, but you can also go to other places to find like-minded people doing it alone like you. Having a freelancer community puts you in contact with people who understand the freelance grind and can help you navigate it through shared experiences. They understand managing your own schedule, acquiring new clients, and paying self-employed taxes, which others in your life may not.
A freelance community can be of value for your networking, upskilling, and finding social connections, especially if you’re still trying to figure everything out.
Find a freelance community in your niche
Finding a freelance community in your niche can be even more valuable than finding a general one. They will get you and your aspirations. They know all the lingo and have similar experiences and clients. Some benefits include:
Mentorship
There are common things that all freelancers practice, but every niche has its own set of skills and challenges. In a niche freelance community, you can learn from your peers to become the best you can be. You can also offer your own experience and be a valuable resource to others.
Networking
Though you may share a similar clientele list, you should never view others in your niche freelance community as your opposition. In a general freelance community, it’s easy not to view everyone as competition, but you shouldn’t in a niche freelance community either. It would help if you adopted the abundance mindset. Always keep in mind that there is enough work to go around. It’s more likely that other community members will put you onto more clients instead of hogging them all to themselves.
Connecting with people of similar interests
As opposed to a general freelance community where you may find a few others with similar goals and specialities, everyone will likely possess them in a niche freelance community. The commonality is valuable in a social aspect, as people with similar interests could become friends.