Your Friends Are an Asset (In Business and in Life)
You can rely on fellow solopreneurs.
Pros of running a solo business: No one telling you what to do. No annoying colleagues.
Cons of running a solo business: You're working alone much of the time. No one to help or bounce ideas off of.
I've talked to many freelancers who feel isolated. Other than their client work, they're not interacting much with other people (at least, in a professional context).
I have a large network of friends who are also freelancers. I'm talking to people almost every day — mostly via text message, Slack, and LinkedIn DMs.
These relationships didn't happen by accident. I've spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with other solopreneurs. There are so many benefits to having a network of "freelance friends" — on both a professional and personal level.
Solopreneurship doesn't have to be lonely
The loneliest time in my professional career wasn't when I started a solo business. It was when I was working at a company that didn't have a supportive work environment. The company had grown too big, too fast. I was left to fend for myself. If I had a question, I didn't know who to ask. I didn't know anyone well enough to send fun messages during the day. I put my head down and did my work.
But long before I started freelancing full-time, I worked to build my network. At the time, I had no plans to go out on my own. However, a strong professional network seemed like a good idea.
Today, that network fulfills me in many ways. Sometimes it's a message saying, "Hey, have you ever handled this situation before?" Sometimes it's a joke. But I never feel like I'm working alone, because these fellow solopreneurs are my substitute for colleagues.
Friendships can support your growth
Your freelance friends can be a sounding board for your ideas. They can be your gut-check on pricing, and your cheerleader when things go well. One of the private Slack communities I'm in has a #wins channel and also a #losses channel. We recognize that we will all face losses — like a deal that fell through — and those moments need support also.
Your solopreneur friends don't have to do the same type of work as you. Some of mine have vastly different businesses. I still talk to them about business ideas. They can explain to me how they run something in their own business, and I can consider how it might apply to mine. Plus, client issues are fairly universal (unfortunately), and we can commiserate, vent, and talk about handling problems like non-payment.
Additionally, a network of fellow solopreneurs can support your growth. If one of my friends is launching a product, I'll include it in my newsletter. They'll do the same for me. We co-host or cross-promote webinars so we can reach each other's audiences. I never think of fellow freelancers as competition.
Anna Burgess Yang
Friends are there when you need them
One of the most challenging aspects of working in a 1-person business is that the revenue depends entirely on you. If you need to take a step back, you either need to fill the gap or let some work go. Fellow solopreneurs whom you trust can help fill the gap.
I recently found out that I have a brain tumor and need surgery. It has a potentially long recovery period. I had to pause all of my client work as a freelance writer. Clients pay me for my expertise, and I wasn't comfortable subcontracting.
But a large part of my business depends on inbound inquiries, mostly from LinkedIn. I also have an entire content ecosystem on my blog, my newsletter, and my Substack. I didn't want to let those channels fall silent for weeks (or months) while I recover.
I tapped into my network of freelance friends and asked for help. Several people were willing to contribute guest content.
My friend Nola Simon wrote an essay for my Substack (which will publish in a few weeks). In the essay, she called out our friendship — and how it has existed entirely online:
This essay is part of the system Anna designed to facilitate her recovery process. I’m honoured that she trusts me to help. Over the years, Anna and I have only met on Zoom twice to conduct two interviews, one which became a podcast and the other a long form Substack.
Most of our interactions happen asynchronously online on various platforms like LinkedIn, Threads, and Medium. Trust without presence is entirely possible.
Prioritize your relationships
I wouldn't have been able to lean into my network for support if I hadn't nurtured relationships over the years.
I make time for my solopreneur friends. I support them.
I never expected that I would need to lean on them so much while dealing with a medical crisis. But, at this point, we're more than just online acquaintances. We're actual friends. And because of this, my friends were there for me.
Freelance pricing is hard to figure out, but I’ve created a free resource for fellow writers. It outlines my rates, how I think about pricing, and how my pricing has evolved over time
