The Doers Guide to The Best Freelance Communities
From Facebook groups to real-life meet-ups, this is The Doers guide to the best freelance communities.
Being a freelancer or running your own business is a tough job - don’t we know it! So many hats to juggle, so many things to think about, so many questions, and such little time.
So here at The Doers we’re trying to make your freelancing life just that little bit easier by compiling our Doers Guides. Think of this series of blog posts as a virtual freelance library or that start of school reading list you can always refer back to.
Everything you need to read and listen to, all of the handy apps and people to follow all in one place. What’s best is that we’ll keep adding to this list when we find something new or when one of the freelancers we interview in our ‘The Freelancer Life’ series recommends something golden.
A freelancer resource guide for the freelance community by the freelance community - let’s get stuck in!
Freelance Communities
The Doers ‘We Don’t Do Lonely Days
Each month Laura and Jess host a get together. Our ‘We Don’t Do Lonely’ days are a chance for small business owners, freelancers and self-employed folk to join us. It’s a great opportunity to simply work with other people or to bounce ideas around if you’re feeling a bit stuck. Check out our events page for the upcoming dates.
Doing It For The Kids
Laura is a big advocate of this community which is there for freelance and self-employed parents who are trying to make flexible working work. Founded and run by Frankie, a freelance Graphic Designer and parent to two, there’s a really active and supportive Facebook group, real-life meet-ups, insightful blog posts and best of all the podcast.
Being Freelance
Run by Freelance Video and Audio Creator Steve Folland (read our interview with Steve over on our blog here) who has tonnes of freelance experience under his belt, Being Freelance started with a podcast in 2015, developed into a vlog in 2016 and a full blown online community in 2019. Join the community to learn from others, laugh, network and feel a little less lonely.
Freelance Heroes
Started by Ed Goodman in 2016 and joined by Annie Browne soon after, what began as a Facebook group for UK Freelancers to chat and swap tips has grown into a UK wide network of over 8,000 freelancers who support, network and share knowledge with each other.
Leapers
Founded by brand strategist Matthew Knight, Leapers is a support community for anyone who works differently - freelancers, business owners, self-employed and remote workers alike. It has a focus on mental health for freelancers and is supported with an active group on Slack, a podcast called ‘no more watercooler’ and helpful downloads.
Underpinned
A go-to platform for freelancers offering a virtual office, online magazine, an app to help manage all of your admin and a ready made freelance community to work alongside, network with and learn from.
Southwood Social Hub
Founded by entrepreneur Hayley Southwood, the Southwood Social Hub is a collective of 200+ women in business from across the UK. Anything from legal advice to life coaching to social media to retail - there is someone from just about every possible layer of business. Run predominantly through Facebook, Hayley orchestrates really useful Facebook Lives with members and hosts a whole series of ‘real life’ events from her home in Milton Keynes as well as meet ups across the country.
She Can She Did
We first met Fi through Southwood Social Hub and have watched her grow her business, She Can She Did over the past couple of years. Not only does she host incredible panel and mingling events for female entrepreneurs but her podcast with interviews with some great ones is a must listen!
We’ll be adding to this list regularly so if you have any recommendations for freelancer communities please send them our way!