Although it might feel daunting at first, networking online is a great way to meet like-minded people, especially for freelancers. Whether you’re looking for prospective clients or simply to meet a few new faces and have a laugh, socialising and expanding your network is an important factor to success. So the Othership community have put together events that every Freelancer should join.
Fortunately for you, there’s plenty of professional networking events out there—as well as some more casual ones—that make for great places to meet new people. In this post, we’ve listed the best
Othership Events
Cowork & Brunch
First Wednesday of every month
When you’re a self-employed one-man-band, the office can be a lonely place. This is especially true for new freelancers that are used to working alongside colleagues. Whilst you might not miss the office politics, it’s easy to miss the background bustle, the coffee breaks and team meetings – even the ones that could have just been an email!
To solve this, we host monthly Cowork & Brunch events for flo-workers, which is the place to meet and chat with fellow freelancers or entrepreneurs, or just work in the background. We run this event every month in London and there are more locations to come!
How to file your self assessment
A Friday in April and December
Nobody likes the paperwork that comes with taxes apart from an accountant, maybe. Still, everybody needs to pay their taxes and as a freelancer, you likely have a self assessment to file every year.
During this workshop we will walk you through registering with HMRC and the practicalities of completing your self assessment. Click here to learn more.
Community Networking with The Portfolio Collective
Last Friday of the month
Othership and The Portfolio Collective join forces for this monthly networking event. It takes place online and brings our global communities of flexible workers together.
These networking sessions will be run via Zoom. During the 60 minutes, you’ll be split into breakout rooms in small groups that change every 10 minutes, allowing you to meet as many people as possible.
Other Events We Love
Marketing and Sales for freelancers
Multiple dates
Knowing how to market your business effectively as a business owner is an invaluable skill. In this online workshop by Brunel University London, you’ll learn the basics of marketing, the difference between sales and marketing, successful strategies and the best tools. Marketing and sales for freelancers is a quarterly event. The next available dates are March 1st, 2023 and June 28, 2023.
Hugs & Brunch
Multiple dates and locations
Similar to our own Cowork & Brunch, there is an equivalent for women only. Female founders, freelancers and side-hustlers get together to network over breakfast. All profits go to a charity providing breakfast to school children. Hugs & Brunch is a regular event in multiple locations. The next one will be in London on January 26, 2023.
National Freelancers Day
June 2023
The National Freelancers Day returned in 2022 after the pandemic and is a must for every freelancer. The day will be filled with brilliant speakers, interactive workshops, and networking for freelancers and self-employed professionals.
Sunrise Club
First Monday every month
Rise with fellow freelancers on the first Monday of every month and do something for you. If you sign up for the Sunrise Club you get a reminder email and maybe some company.
CreativeMornings
Location dependant
What started as a way to bring New York’s creative community together has snowballed into what is now known as CreativeMornings – a worldwide amalgamation of coffee-morning freelancer events. Their events now take place in 223 cities in 67 different countries. Almost every day a CreativeMorning is taking place somewhere in the world.
Thanks to corporate sponsors such as MailChimp and Skillshare, CreativeMornings are free and accessible to anyone. Each event is hosted by volunteers in an effort to bring creatives together and celebrate their talent.
Freelance Corner
Several Dates
From general freelance advice to current events, Freelance corner hosts regular events for freelancers to develop their professional skills, grow their network or get information about regulation or political decisions affecting business.
Sanctus Mental Health Gym
Daily
Running your own business, no matter how big, is stressful. It’s important that freelancers take time to look after their wellbeing – for the sake of their health and their business.
The Sanctus Mental Health Gym is a daily event that takes place every morning between 8:30–9:00 to bring together a wellbeing-conscious community for group journaling sessions. This free event offers coaching questions to prompt the journaling and members are given access to the community forum.
Digital Training with Google
Several Dates
The sessions with Digital Garage aim to help freelancers, founders, entrepreneurs and small businesses find new business opportunities by optimising their online presence.
Don’t worry if you’re completely new to social media and online marketing as the events are for beginners. You’ll even get the chance to ask questions. These are some of the topics you could sign up for:
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Find your Balance with Technology
- Build your personal brand online
