Why It’s Easier To Freelance When You Work For Your Friends

You have eager clientele hiding in plain sight

The gig economy is upon us.

Well, it’s been upon us for a while now. In less than 10 years, however, the majority of American workers may work independently.

That’s incredible. But is freelancing for everyone? Is this really a grand farewell to the standard 9–5?

Many of us are stuck between a day job and a life of entrepreneurship. We have a job we don’t necessarily hate, but it’s one we don’t exactly love either.

We have all the skills we need to start working for ourselves, but we aren’t ready to take the leap just yet.

You might have a great personal business model. You might have money in the bank, so you feel ready to quit your job and give it your all. You might have all the skills you need to be successful in your respective industry. But where you start and where you find your clientele is the most significant unknown.

I’m trying to do the same thing. I work a day job, but I also want to build up a photography portfolio. I trust my skills as a photographer, so the hardest part is finding the clientele.

Thankfully, I’ve had opportunities to dip my feet into the freelancing lifestyle, and it’s all thanks to my friends.

The inner-circle

I’m 25 years old. I have peers my age, who are budding freelancers as well. One of my best friends is a tattoo artist, and his girlfriend owns a salon business. Another good friend runs a beverage startup. I have a family member who manages a nonprofit based in Los Angeles. I even have a friend who is an opera singer.

All of these people have something in common: they are really good at what they do, but not nearly as good as me at what I do.

There is an opportunity here for both of us.

I know how to shoot photos, edit videos, and make websites. These are skills that business owners don’t necessarily have, but need to promote their business. I’ve helped each of these people with my talents, and they’ve paid me for it.

What I mean by “friends”

When I say friends, I mean anyone within your existing network. This means close colleagues, but also the Facebook friends you’ve never actually spoken to.

For example, my bosses’ husband asked me if I was interested in shooting a video once. I know him personally, and I’ve had conversations with him. I wouldn’t call him one of my good friends, but he’s no stranger either. There’s a wide variety of people under the friends category.

Find out which friends have businesses or are freelancing. Write down a list of the ones you can think of off the top of your head. Next, use your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to figure out what your connections are doing. LinkedIn isn’t a bad place to start either.

There isn’t much of a difference between freelancing for close or distant friends. They have each have their own specific set of needs. Feel free to message these people. I get messages every once and a while from my connections. I don’t necessarily know them well, but they reach out to me anyway to offer their marketing or advertising expertise. I don’t always require their help, but it never bothers me. I know they aren’t going to work for free, but I appreciate them reaching out anyway.

There are more entrepreneurs like us out there. It’s crucial to have good relationships with your friends. You never know when one of your connections might lead to something big.

It’s okay to charge your friends

Friends are friends. Generally, you do things for your friends out of the kindness of your heart. The key to happiness, after all, is to do things for others.

Unfortunately, I get a little skeptical when a friend asks me for photos. I want to be nice and give them the best photos I can, but at the same time, I’ve worked at my craft for too long to do it for free.

It’s important to let your inner circle know that you aren’t the one to “just come take pictures” at someone’s birthday party. Some people may think it’s a simple thing, but it’s not. Your craft is your craft. You’ve spent meticulous hours on it. No one paid you to do that, but you did it anyway.

For whatever it is you do, it might be time to stop working for free. It’s time your friends understand that too.

On the other hand, there are those friends who are more than willing to pay you for your work. I have friends with businesses. They make money with their business, but I can help them make more money. It’s a win-win for both of us.

Figure out which of your colleagues have businesses, then figure out their pain points. In this case, a pain point is a problem that one’s business is experiencing. Simply think of pain points as problems. Businesses have a wide range of issues, but you might have an answer to at least one of them.

Treat your friends like they are clients

Get used to calling people clients.

If you want to freelance for a living, you’re going to have a lot of clients. If you retire as a freelancer, you could easily have worked with thousands of them.

If you treat your friends like clients, you’ll be more prepared to deal with the clients you’ve never met.

You know what I’m talking about. These are the strangers; they are company representatives with high expectations. Working for these people is a scary jump to make, but it’s one made more comfortable if you have experience under your belt.

Working for your friends is the perfect practice. You may not make as much money from them as you might from clients outside your circle, but the experience is worth it. Practice, or exposure, is key to your success as a freelancer because it gives you a chance to build your confidence.

If you want your client’s confidence, you need to have confidence in yourself.

If you want to be a freelancer, communication is essential. Call your clients, schedule Zoom meetings, and send detailed emails. Start small, but treat your friends like they are high-class representatives. They’ll thank you, and you’ll thank yourself later down the road.

Work on your craft

Use these opportunities to fine-tune your skills. I’ve diversified my photography because of the opportunities my friends have given me. They trusted me to try something new, like taking product photos in a studio setting.

I’d be much less confident shooting in-studio photos for another client if I didn’t do it before.

There’s also less pressure when you work for your friends. There is more room for error. If you make a mistake, it’s easier to have open communication with your inner-circle clients. They are usually more understanding.

Like I said before: confidence is key. You need to work so hard at what you do to eliminate the word doubt from your vocabulary.

Some clients will be like angels sent from heaven, but others will put you in sticky situations. No matter who you work for, your certainty of getting the job done is your bread and butter. Your experience freelancing for your friends is the reason you’re so confident.

One last takeaway

It takes time, patience, and hard work to get what you want. It also takes the right people to get you there. There are already people in your network who need help with something that you know how to do.

Working for your friends is about creating a symbiotic relationship. Both you and your client have pains. You need money and experience, and they need your expertise (in whatever it is you do).

By freelancing for the people in your current network, you can practice client communication, hone your craft, and make money while doing it.

You’re an expert at what you do now.

At a certain point, you need to stop doing things for free. Your network of friends is a gateway to larger opportunities.

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