4 minute read.

Folks tend to advocate for supporting small businesses, and I think that’s great. But oftentimes, the smallest of the small businesses are forgotten in these advocacy efforts: the self-employed. 

Whatever we may call ourselves – self-employed, freelancers, independents, solopreneurs, contractors, consultants, artists, etc. – we struggle hard. Striking out on your own to make your own means with your own specialties is challenging, but incredibly doable. It’s most doable when you have a great support network to lift you up.

Note: If you’re a struggling freelancer looking for guidance on how to ask for help, I write about that here.

If you find yourself in the network of a freelancer who you care about, I have some tips for how you can support them (even if you don’t have the money or a reason to hire them).

But first things, first. If you do find yourself in a position to hire a freelancer you care about…

Real Friends Pay Full Rates

Please do not ask your freelancing friends for discounts or for them to do their work for free. Asking for a discount puts your freelancer friend in the tough position of having to balance your relationship against paying their bills. You’re essentially asking someone – who you presumably care about – to forgo time and energy they could dedicate to a client who will pay full price to do discounted or pro-bono work for you. 

Many freelancers have experienced difficulty getting work during the pandemic, particularly those whose income relies on in-person interaction. Your freelancer bud will appreciate you so much more for offering to pay full price.

That said, they may take it upon themselves to offer you a preferential rate. It’s good practice to ask “What will I owe you?” and give the freelancer the opportunity to offer you a discounted rate or the very generous offer of doing it for free. 

And If You’re Also a Freelancer, Walk the Talk

You should be paying your freelancer friends their full rate especially if you’re also a freelancer. If you want to change the culture of how people treat freelancers, you need to lead by example. Pay your friends’ full rates, and pay them promptly.

Note: There’s something to be said for arranging trades of goods/services, but you need to respect the monetary value of one another’s service when working on the details of that trade.

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Okay cool, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about ways to support freelancers that don’t require any money exchange.

1. Talk About Your Freelancer Friends

Word of mouth is still the most powerful means for generating freelance business. 

Talking about your freelancer friends with your family, friends, and associates is incredibly effective. It doesn’t need to be an awkward sales pitch, just talk about them naturally, as a person you like. Here are the ways some of my friends talk about me: 

“My friend is a digital nomad who travels the world and she does content writing and ghostwriting!”

“My partner is a ghostwriter, she actually ghostwrote a #1 International Best Selling book this year!”

“Anya is always doing some cool stuff – she’s the President of Young Humanists International, she’s a full-time traveler, and she’s a writer. She also makes a lot of time for activist work!”

You don’t need to be “selling” for your freelancer friend. Simply making others aware of them and their work can do wonders. Someone might bring up my work to a stranger who doesn’t need any writing work done, but the next time that stranger interacts with someone who could need writing work, guess who they will think of first? 

Talk them up! Lead with your natural enthusiasm about your freelancer pal.

2. Leave Them Reviews & Endorsements

Reviews and endorsements are the next best thing to word-of-mouth referrals. They are not only social proof of your work, but they do wonders for search engine optimization as well. 

Facebook and Google reviews are a good place to leave reviews, as well as LinkedIn. You can also endorse specific skills on LinkedIn. 

You can also just write a review and send it directly to your freelancer friend for them to share on their website. 

When in doubt, ask the freelancer how they prefer to receive testimonials! 

3. Share Their Content on Social Media

Sharing and commenting on the social posts of self-employed people is very helpful. It can help people in your network who might benefit from their offerings become aware of what your freelancer friend does. 

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Tips are always welcome to contribute to my coffee fund so I can continue to fuel my writing!