What are the best freelancing communities?

 There are so many upsides to being a freelancer. You have more freedom and flexibility—especially in terms of when and where you work, or who you work with.

But all of that freedom and flexibility isn’t without its challenges. There’s a certain level of camaraderie that happens when you work in an office. Maybe you become friendly with the people you work with, making it easy to bounce ideas off of each other. And, if you’re lucky, you can find a mentor who can help you take your career to the next level.

Unfortunately, those opportunities are harder to come by when you’re running your own show. But there’s a solution: finding a freelance community. And the best part? It doesn’t matter where you live or work from—you can find your people right from your laptop.

Why Is Community So Important?

A community is simply a group of people that you have something in common with. And as a human being, it’s only natural that you want to find a group that brings you a sense of belonging, supports you and provides a safe space to share experiences.

Specifically, freelancer communities can help you expand your professional network and support you throughout several challenges, such as:

• Helping you fight off isolation. If you get lonely throughout the workday and crave some social interaction, message your freelancer community throughout the day (or even schedule Zoom coffee breaks). It’s a great way to keep feelings of isolation at bay.
• Providing you with a sounding board. Need someone to bounce ideas off of or talk through an issue? Look to the people in your network. Because they are also independently employed, they can understand your perspective and give helpful insights.
• Connecting you with potential mentors. If your network is primarily made up of other freelancers who do what you do, chances are, there’s someone who is a few steps ahead of you in their freelance career—making them the perfect candidate for mentorship.
• Opening you up to new jobs. Many communities have job boards with exclusive freelancing opportunities—and even if they don’t, often freelancers will share jobs they were offered but weren’t quite the right fit to see if they can find someone else to take on the job.
• Expanding your network outside of your geographic area. Chances are, there are other freelancers in your area. But finding a community online removes any geographical barriers—so you can find the one that feels best to you, no matter where you call home.

Where to Find Your Community Online

Clearly, connecting with a freelancer network online is important. But where, exactly, do you find that network? Here are nine places where you can find your fellow independent workers on the web:

1. Facebook

Facebook Groups can be a great way to connect with freelancers in your niche, industry or area. For example, if you aim to travel the world while you build your business, you might want to check out the Digital Nomads Around the World Facebook Group (currently 134,500 members strong). Or if you’re a writer and want to connect with other freelancers who write for a living, you might consider joining The Write Life.

The point is, there is a Facebook Group for every type of freelancer out there—so if you want to join a community for freelancers and immerse yourself in a place where other freelancers network and connect, it’s a great place to start.

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t just about finding jobs. Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn also has plenty of groups specifically targeted toward contractors and independent workers, like the Freelance Writers’ Connection, Independent Contractors Alliance or FlexJobs LinkedIn Group. You can also build your network on LinkedIn by searching for other freelancers in your niche, industry or area and connecting directly.

3. Reddit

The social networking platform Reddit has a group (known as a subreddit) for just about every topic known to humanity—and that includes freelancing.

The r/freelance subreddit (which currently has nearly 160,000 members) is a place where freelancers can ask questions, offer encouragement or share helpful tips with others. Once you’re a member, you can ask a question or make a comment to the group—or, you can share your insights by responding to someone else’s question or comment.

So what kind of freelancing ground do they cover in r/freelance? Recent topics in the feed range from how to effectively collect payment on a late invoice, helpful tools and resources for running a web design business, and how to handle referrals. If that kind of information sounds helpful, this subreddit could be a good place to check out.

4. Slack

Slack has become the go-to platform for work-related communication. There are a ton of Slack channels for freelancers like Workfromanywhere, Remotely One or Online Geniuses, which is targeted towards freelance digital marketers. These channels allow you to connect with other independent contractors for real-time conversations, virtual coworking, digital networking and—let’s be honest—all the hilarious memes.

5. Twitter

Twitter may not be the first social media platform you think of when it comes to professional networking, but engaging in Twitter chats on freelancing can be a great way to build community. For example, #FreelanceChat meets every Thursday at 12 p.m. ET to discuss everything from fixed rates versus hourly pricing, and how to use blogging to build your freelance career.

If you want to get more specific with your Twitter networking, you can also create Twitter lists of people by geography or interest so you can easily find fellow freelancers in your area, niche or industry.

6. Quora

Quora is a question-and-answer site. Basically, anyone can log in to the site and post a question—and then any other members of Quora can share their answers. There are TONS of questions related to freelancing (there are even questions specifically about where to find a community of freelancers!), so it can be a great way to get helpful information and connect with other contractors at the same time.

7. Meetup

Meetup is known for its in-person events, groups and get-togethers—but they also have a lot of virtual meetups, which can be a great way to connect with other freelancers and build a community on the web.

8. Professional Associations

Many professional organizations like the Graphic Artists Guild and the American Society of Journalists and Authors also host online events, conferences and meetups, which can be a great way to connect with other freelancers and build your network. Plus, if you decide you want to take those connections into the real world, you can also join your local chapter!

9. Freelance Work Platforms

There are a ton of platforms out there aimed at helping freelancers find work, build their careers, get connected with resources or get connected with other freelancers. Some are work-focused (like Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer), some are resource-focused (like Freelancer’s Union) and some are connection-focused (like The Freelance Institute).

Get Out There and Build Your Online Community

Being a freelancer is awesome—but it can also be a lonely experience. Having a community of other freelancers can help you avoid feelings of isolation, connect with like-minded people to share ideas and insights, and grow your professional network around the world.

Time to get out there and find your freelance community!

What's the Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and a Freelancer? 2023

What is a VirtualAssistant?

The term right hand is one that we know well – this is somebody who assists with various assignments. An aide doesn't for the most part lead the pack on any significant undertakings however may on occasion be given little ventures to deal with autonomously. More often than not, in any case, they help as opposed to oversee, as the name recommends.

Virtual is a term that increased new importance in the PC age. It was initially used to allude to a person or thing that doesn't genuinely exist yet appears to exist, through the assistance of programming programs. Remote helpers, obviously, do really exist. This augmentation of the term alludes to their essence being not physical but rather by excellence of programming. As such, they go to gatherings and do work yet not in a similar physical space as associates and customers.

What is a Freelancer?

The term consultant is a portmanteau that was shaped by consolidating the words free and spear. These individuals were free – not compelled by a sense of honor to any master (which, by chance, was viewed as shameful back then). The expression "spear" was additionally used to depict them since they were people with significant aptitudes, to be specific weaponry (not really spears) and hand to hand battle.

Once upon a time, the rulers controlled every one of the terrains – the essential wellspring of business. The individuals who might swear fealty to a master would get insurance as an end-result of assistance or a methods for living as a byproduct of remaining battle ready on direction as the need emerged. Any individual who might not promise to serve needed to strike out without anyone else.

An independent was somebody whose ability was for the fight to come and who sold battling aptitudes as a byproduct of coin, favors, or different types of remuneration. To put it plainly, the first free lancers were what we would call hired soldiers today – still thought to be an offensive calling.

The specialists we talk about today are not, obviously, these executioners for enlist. In any case, there is a solid association with the thoughts of opposing a "compelled by a solemn obligation" presence and having "significant aptitudes" to exchange for "remuneration" or some likeness thereof. Specialists are self employed entities – they decide to sell their aptitudes freely as opposed to turning out to be compelled by a solemn obligation to a solitary organization or individual (a.k.a. being utilized).

What's the Difference?

Menial helpers can truly be anybody giving practically any sort of assistive assistance from a remote area. Specialists may work remotely or inside their neighborhood. With the blast of the gig economy, be that as it may, increasingly more can be discovered on the web.

NOTE: These days, a great many people comprehend a more limited meaning of menial helpers than the abovementioned. In the normal word reference of the present gig atmosphere in the US, a menial helper is comprehended to be somebody giving fundamentally managerial administrations to business people and entrepreneurs. Some will add to that essential imaginative or specialized administrations, albeit most consider them individual or official colleagues situated in different nations.

Consultants, then again, offer increasingly explicit administrations dependent on explicit ranges of abilities that they have created. Some sharpen their hard and delicate aptitudes to an elevated level. Consultants are employable as well as effectively advertise their aptitudes to a wide scope of customers – and want to do as such. They don't have to depend on the security of a steady position or depend on an organization to give them open doors for proficient development. Consultants are ceaselessly developing themselves expertly without inciting from anybody.

There are actually many errands that you can re-appropriate to an essential menial helper. For the most part, they do basic or essential sorts of work like:

·         information passage

·         lead age

·         email arranging

·         online life posting

·         note taking

·         report planning

·         arrangement setting

·         booking

·         examine

As such, menial helpers as we probably am aware them today generally work that doesn't generally require profoundly created information or abilities. On the off chance that you need a ton of seemingly insignificant details done to a great extent, at that point a remote helper is who you need to procure. For instance, they are extraordinary as close to home partners or applying forms that have just been made.

NOTE: Most individuals who re-appropriate will discuss menial helpers as individuals you employ from outside the US. Obviously, you can likewise discover menial helpers inside the US.

Consultants have just arrived at a level where they can acquire genuine ability and grow new procedures for customers. They are scholars just as practitioners, however the most significant level specialists normally will in general spotlight more on the reasoning part and find support from different consultants and remote helpers for the doing part.

You can contract specialists to deal with mid-to elevated level undertakings like:

·         client care

·         visual communication

·         accounting

·         copywriting

·         Search engine optimization

·         PPC publicizing

·         advanced showcasing

·         content administration

·         item advancement

When Can Someone Be Both?

Remote helpers can likewise be consultants when they strike out without anyone else. Independent menial helpers look for some kind of employment autonomously from any office. They additionally will in general serve various customers as self employed entities as opposed to looking for a full-time position where they can basically perform and get paid.

Consultants, as referenced, can likewise work for all intents and purposes. They, obviously, give help, yet are not simply adherents. You can employ a virtual consultant (or remote specialist) to do pretty much whatever you may contract a nearby consultant to do, as long as it doesn't require their physical nearness. For instance,m you could contract a virtual specialist to plan a racking framework, yet not to fabricate it.

The bottom line: The real difference between a virtual assistant and a freelancer is the absence or presence of management and leadership abilities and how they prefer to work – more of an employee mentality versus making a career of freelancing and really owning the business aspect of it.

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