Even though you work from home or spend your time isolated in the back of a coffee shop, you can still find ways to connect with other freelancers and build a community. Fiverr definitely has resources available to you, like our forum and blog, that provide support and camaraderie, but when it comes to providing guidance and services within your specific city, on taxes, health insurance, and even retirement, the Freelancers Union does a stellar job.Here's why you should join:
Unlike some freelance networking platforms that may cost money to join, the Freelancers Union is entirely free.Simply click here to join for yourself and see what opportunities you can explore!For instance, your free membership includes your own ID number with the union, a member card that you can print out, as well as lots of great ways to interact with other freelancers. In fact, it's estimated that over 56.7 million Americans freelanced last year, which means there's a huge community out there for you to be a part of!
For my own freelance career, I realized that I was spending way too much time at home, and not enough time networking with people in real life.Once I became a member of the Freelancers Union, I started to check out their SPARK events in Los Angeles and quickly made friends and valuable contacts.Basically, SPARK events are "a monthly member meetup for freelancers to come together, learn stuff, and build a fantastic local community."Every month, the theme or topic of the meetup changes, too! So for February, the meetup focus is a "Freelance Tax Workshop"—something all freelancers need to know!Plus, the cool thing is that this particular event is arranged to take place at multiple locations around the country. This means that freelancers in Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Portland, Seattle, and tons of other cities can get together at a designated location and learn something new.According to Matt Nelson, a marketing consultant and SPARK Leader out of Madison, WI, he's excited that he "finally has work friends!""Even if you're a part-time freelancer, or just exploring your options, this is the place to find your people."
Now, there are tons of other things to enjoy about the Freelancers Union, like taking advantage of member discounts and learning from their blog. However, one of the most important—and life-saving—aspects about them is their commitment to helping you find an insurance place that's affordable.Last summer, I got hit by a truck while riding my bike through my neighborhood. I safely crossed into an intersection at night and I was blindsided. I flew 30 yards down the road and tore my body to shreds. Not to mention, the medical bills that followed have taken months to pay off. That being said, if I would have known about freelancer health insurance plans and had an organization advocating for me to sign up, I could have been better prepared once tragedy struck.The Freelancers Union partners with tons of major insurance providers that cover everything from basic health coverage to vision and term life insurance. Not that I'm saying it would have been great for me to have life insurance, but you catch my drift!Anyway, success in life is all about being prepared, and the Freelancers Union gives you every possible way to do that.
Whether it's connecting with new clients and peers on Fiverr or joining the Freelancers Union to build your community, the best freelancers are ones who get involved. Sure, you make money when you're sitting at home in a dark office, but to really build things of value, it takes real people and real relationships. Go out and cultivate them with resources you can trust!
