How to Find Success as a Freelancer Through Finding a Good Community

When you first begin thinking about becoming a freelance web designer or developer you don’t naturally think of finding a freelancer community as the highest of priorities.

But, the reality is finding a community that you can walk with through your journey as a freelancer is one of THE most important things if not THE core component to you actually being successful as a freelancer.

The Importance of Finding a Freelancer Community

This week on the Self-Made Web Designer podcast I talk to Tom Ross about finding a community to belong to as a freelancer or web designer or WHATEVER REALLY.

In my Web Design Starter Kit Course the very first thing I talk about is the importance of finding a community. I did that intentionally knowing that people would probably be more excited to hear about HTML, CSS or JavaScript because I know first hand just how important having a community is.

In fact, the whole reason I’m a web designer is because of the community that surrounded me in those early days of learning, and that community still supports me to this day.

It’s in community that you find:

• Motivation to keep going when things get hard
• Opportunities that you would have never found on your own
• Wisdom that you would never get from going at it DIY style

How to Look for a Freelancer Community

In the podcast, Tom mentions that it’s important to first figure out “who” you’re looking for.

You need to ask questions like

• “What type of people do I like being around?”
• “What things am I hoping to get out of the community?”
• AND maybe most importantly, “How can I contribute to that community?”

After you’ve got those things settled it’s time to go on the hunt.

Thankfully, there are more groups of people out there now who are looking create a community as freelancers or web designers than ever before. BUT, that also means you’ve potentially got to sift through a lot of groups that might not be a good fit.

How to Know You’ve Found the Right Freelancer Community

Knowing when you really fit in as a freelancer in a community can be somewhat tough to define. It’s not a mathematical equation as much as it is a feeling.

Tom likens it to advice his dad gave him about picking a pub to frequent in England.

You’ll walk in and pretty quickly know whether or not you’ll feel comfortable and if you click with the community as a whole.

Another thing to consider is that different communities might serve you better in different seasons of your freelancing career.

For instance, there might be certain communities that are more suited for beginners and some that are more suited for those who have been developing their career as a freelancer for a long time.

There is no right or wrong community out there BUT there might be a right or wrong community for YOU, specifically.

Don’t Give Up on Finding a Freelancer Community

Wherever you’re at in finding a good freelancer community don’t give up!

It can take a little bit of time to find a right mix of people BUT they’re out there. And, if for some reason you can’t find a group of people that has been made already Tom has a great resource to help you build your own.

You’ll Learn

• How to find a community that will support you 
• What to look for in a community of freelancers
• The downfall of chasing vanity metrics
• How to add value to relationships no matter what level of expertise you have

Resources

• Tom’s Website
• Design Cuts
• Community Manual

Related Articles

• A Web Designer’s Struggle with Mental Illness
• 5 Places to Learn Web Development for Free

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