When you work for yourself in any industry, but particularly the creative freelance sector it’s very easy to feel isolated and that everyone else out there is doing it better and more successfully than you. This is particularly true if you’re a solopreneur and work alone.

But more and more, there is a push in the freelance sector towards greater communal support and joint working. The problem is that there still remains some suspicion among freelancers that getting too close to fellow creatives will see them having clients stolen and losing out on contracts.

How can the freelance industry overcome this problem and encourage practitioners to support each other without viewing each interaction as potentially damaging? By encouraging the positives of a strong supportive network. We take a look at some of the challenges freelance creatives face and how a network of supporters can help overcome them.

Contracts refusing to pay out

If you work in the freelance industry this will happen more than once to you. It can be incredibly frustrating and often very worrying, with bills to pay. With a strong network on your side, you’ll have access to a lot of support and sympathy. While this is in itself can be reassuring, you’ll also have the benefit of collective wisdom on what to do next. Chances are someone else has already been in your shoes and will advise you on any legal action you need to take to recoup your losses. From that you will also get personal recommendations for legal advisers and won’t have to trawl the internet trying to find help, wasting your valuable working time.

You will also be providing a service to other freelancers by highlighting who the bad payer is and warning others off working with them, or at least establishing firmer contract rules before any work takes place.

Honest feedback

You might view others as the competition and in many ways you are right, but when you work on your own you are missing out on that sense of team camaraderie and support, which is why establishing it elsewhere is important. If you’re making changes to your website but aren’t quite sure if you’ve got it right, then asking your community for feedback can be a useful and free-of-charge way of getting some top tips. People very often do want to help and offer advice, so take on board their comments and recommendations for companies such as PRWD.

Don’t be too proud to admit that you could do with some help and support and miss out on the benefits of sharing frustrations, worries and of course successes with other fellow creative freelancers.

Find your community online and change your view on collaborative working. You’ll find like-minded contacts and turn those initial contacts into business opportunities and maybe even friends. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes having people in your corner, so reach out today and start creating your virtual team to make your working day a more productive one.