Freelancing in a New Locale

Ever wonder how people go about starting a business, especially in a new locale? If you are fortunate enough to have the luxury of planning ahead, you may want to check out a piece that I did for Washingtonjobs.com called How to Gain Entry Into Any Setting.

But what if you are already here—in Washington—without any contacts? What are some ways to get started? How do you let the world know that you are out there? This is a common experience for women, who often find themselves in a position of having moved to accommodate someone else's professional goals.

So, how does a DC Web Woman, in a city crawling with zillions of people with technical skills, get started? Although the focus here is on marketing web-based skills, these suggestions apply to those establishing businesses in other areas such as law, accounting, medicine, nutrition, psychotherapy, and others.

Here are some preliminary suggestions. (Because it is such an important issue, I will write more about it in future.) I encourage you to take a three-pronged approach:

• First, develop your skills.
• Second, network with colleagues and gatekeepers.
• Third, build some support for this endeavor.

Develop Your Skills

Engaging in these kinds of activities will have positive effects:

• Refining and enhancing your skills
• Enhancing your self-confidence
• Establishing a reputation as someone who is skilled and committed to continuing professional development.
• Developing contacts.

Network with Colleagues and Gatekeepers

Also, since you are new in town, you may want to consider establishing a referral network. You can start by putting a group of five professionals together and gradually add people. They should all be people who are in business for themselves—people who can and will refer each other. For example, if your goal is to make web pages, you may want to include a freelance writer in your group, an editor, perhaps a graphic artist, etc.

In putting together such a group, consider two things:

• First, select your colleagues carefully. They should be people whom you are comfortable referring.
• Second, do not put people with competing interests in the group—don't include someone who has essentially the same skills that you do.

Ideally, you should meet one morning a week, perhaps for breakfast, before the work day begins. (A future column will cover establishing a referral network group.) Also, my website has more information.

Build Support for This Endeavor