Collaboration: A Secret to Building a Successful Freelance Business

by Sandra Reimer

In June 2004, I was downsized from a job I loved as a Community Relations Coordinator for a non-profit organization. By August, I recovered from the shock of losing my job after a decade and began freelancing as a writer and editor. Like many new freelancers, I tried different types of projects to discover what I loved to do that produced great results and clients would pay me for. 

I continued writing for my former employer, and the executive director referred me to an industrial company that needed an employee newsletter. Another friend referred me to write a newsletter for a charity. I also transferred my public relations and professional writing skills into a new industry and represented authors as a publicist for a while. 

In that first year, my freelance earnings matched my previous part-time employment income—plus, I had the flexibility to be with my two young children, who were 4 and 8 at the time. Maybe freelancing wasn’t so bad. 

Balancing Freelance Responsibilities

But the last 16 years of freelancing has not all been chocolate and whip cream. I know the stress of being a small business owner. Constantly, you must balance doing the work, managing your business, and finding clients. Most freelancers love to share their creative skills with the world but finding enough clients to earn a sustainable income can be challenging. 

To find clients, freelance creators and communicators assemble a portfolio, put up a website, polish their LinkedIn profile and get active on social media—hoping people will find them. However, on the internet, they blend in with others who offer similar services at similar prices. Unless these freelancers find a way to stand out, sales trickle in at best. 

Faced with this situation, many freelancers turn to platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Indeed where clients post projects and freelancers bid against each other to secure work. Clients often award projects to the lowest bidders or the top talent with the highest ratings. Apparently, only 10% of freelancers find work on these platforms. Plus, the platforms take up to 20% of your pay, and you don’t own the relationship with the client—they do. 

Another Way to Build a Successful Freelance Business

Early in my freelance career, I stumbled on another way to build a successful freelance business—collaborating with professionals with complementary skills. 

In the beginning, I tried doing the layout for the newsletters and annual reports I wrote. The results were mediocre at best. I understand design principles, but I was working outside my strengths. Then while producing an industrial company’s employee newsletter, I met an excellent graphic designer. Soon, I began collaborating with Audra on most of my print communication. The results were outstanding as I focused on my strength—compelling writing and she on hers—beautiful design. It was easier to get repeat business when my results were more professional. Plus, I could sell higher-value projects because I provided clients with complete solutions—not just writing and editing services. 

Over the years, I have collaborated with other specialists, including my husband, a front-end web designer. Together we secured higher-value projects, such as websites worth thousands of dollars. I did the marketing strategy and wrote the content, and he developed beautiful and user-friendly websites. I continued to work with Audra on print projects. As we combined our skills, clients benefitted from professional results and complete solutions.  

My husband and I earned a satisfying income that paid our mortgage and our two children’s needs, with enough to spare for vacations and other wants. After five years, my husband went back to a corporate job while I continued working with freelance specialists on communication projects. 

Then about three years ago, I began to wonder if I could help other freelance marketing and communication professionals multiply their impact and income through collaboration. To test this theory, I am running an experiment. I launched an online community to help Canadian freelance communicators and creators trade referrals, co-promote our work, and collaborate on higher-value projects while learning together and having fun.

Editors’ note: Many of our readers may benefit from a group like this. If you’re interested in CoLaborNation, click here. 

Sandra Reimer is a communication strategist who helps world-changing businesses and non-profits tell their stories. She collaborates with other freelance professionals to produce compelling print and digital communication that sells clients’ products and services. Her fundraising letters and proposals have helped non-profit clients raise millions of dollars to fuel their missions. Prior to freelancing, Sandra was a Community Relations and Volunteer Coordinator for a non-profit. As a social entrepreneur, Sandra cares about the earth, earthlings, and earning.