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GREETINGS FROM ANTWERP

Check out the pictures from our international freelance meetup in Antwerp (Belgium) this week 💜

It was both the opening of Elina Jutelyte’s Freelance Business Month and the latest event in our ongoing Freelancers On the Road tour, following stops in Madrid, Barcelona, Ljubljana, Dresden, Sofia, and Bratislava.

As usual, the meetup included business networking, coworking experience, and deep-dive debate with Robert Vlach on freelance entrepreneurship. Many great questions, insights, and remarks from the participants there!

There was an Indian guy who arrived from Paris, a Canadian, an American, people from other countries as well, including one from Albania (!), and naturally, many locals from Belgium and nearby Netherlands.

We co-organized the meetup with Elina and Silversquare Antwerp Tower at their beautifully designed premises overlooking downtown. The interior and the view on the pictures speak for themselves 😍

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WEEKLY DIGEST #40 OF 2024

• Digital nomads are a force for good in Latin America, from The Economist — An article about how remote workers (including freelancers) influence some local economies in America. You may be tempted to go and see it yourselves.
• Why a digital detox is healthy for freelancers, by Annie Button — Feeling overwhelmed by the constant need to be online? As freelancers, taking a digital detox can help reduce stress, boost productivity, and bring balance back to your work and personal life.
• How to start freelancing without a portfolio: A step-by-step guide, from Freelancing Females — Starting your career without a portfolio is not an impossible challenge. As the article suggests, one of the most effective ways to help yourself is by creating your own projects.
• AI and globalisation are shaking up software developers’ world, from The Economist — Will AI and offshoring take jobs from Western software developers? From an optimistic perspective, no. It can actually help freelancers save time on routine tasks and boost their productivity.
• FBM week #1. The Freelance Business Month has kicked off, and here are some of our 1-week picks from the packed programme. You can book your spot at all the sessions online.
• Getting into the freelance mindset as a beginner, with Kritika Narula (October 3rd)
• Coworking for Freelancers, with Steve Folland (October 3rd)
• Balancing freelancing with unpaid caring roles, with Adrian Ashton (October 7th)

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LANDMARK MEETUP IN BELGIUM

Elina Jutelyte and Robert Vlach, two of the most active community leaders within the European freelance economy, will kick off Freelance Business Month 2024 on October 1 in Antwerp, Belgium.

The meetup, co-organized with Silversquare at their great coworking venue, is open to all freelancers for free — you just need to sign up through a simple registration form.

The packed 4-hour program will include business networking, an introduction to coworking opportunities by Charline Lenaerts of Silversquare, Elina’s opening speech for the Freelance Business Month, and a deep-dive debate with Robert on freelance business and entrepreneurship, including topics from his best-selling book, The Freelance Way.

The event represents another important landmark on the journey of the European freelance economy towards greater connectedness and international collaboration between freelancers and their communities.

Here at Freelancing.eu, we strongly believe that organizing in-person events and building local and international connections is very beneficial for individual freelancers, especially if they tend to be isolated in their work, working from home, and not engaged in their professional community.

We’re all in on building a greater European freelance community—one meetup at a time 💙

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BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR FREELANCERS

Business strategy is not just for big corporations. As Sarah Duran brilliantly points out in her article, having a strategy is crucial for solo business owners too. It’s not about rigid plans; it’s about being adaptable and ready. Whether you’re managing your time, money, or energy, a solid strategy helps you stay focused and make every move count.

“A coherent vision with an aligned strategy helps you see the forest instead of the trees, staying focused on your longer-term plans instead of the day-to-day minutia.”

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WEEKLY DIGEST #39 OF 2024

• What is business strategy? A guide for freelancers and independent consultants, by Sarah Duran — “A coherent vision with an aligned strategy helps you see the forest instead of the trees, staying focused on your longer-term plans instead of the day-to-day minutia.”
• Why your freelance business could benefit from collaborating with other freelancers, by Stephanie Whalley — Collaborating with other freelancers can help you take on bigger projects, strengthen your business, expand your network, and combat loneliness, all while boosting your skills and unlocking new opportunities.
• 7 marketing tools for therapists — Another great article by our member Magdalena Cevelova, where she discusses how to overcome aversion to marketing as a therapist. Why? It can help you attract the right clients, increase your income, and prevent burnout.
• How creators can build a thriving online community, by James Willett — A step-by-step guide for creators to build an online community.
• How to fix always being “too busy” as a freelancer — Feeling overwhelmed? Justine Clay shares 3 actionable steps to help you break free from the busy trap and build a more sustainable and successful business.

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UNIQUE FREELANCER MEETUP

The opening freelancer meetup of the Freelance Business Month in Antwerp, Belgium, on October 1st, is just days away!

If you’re anywhere near, make sure to jump on this fantastic opportunity — it’s free to enter, you just need to register.

The meetup will kick off the whole month-long international event, featuring its founder, Elina Jutelyte, and the best-selling author of The Freelance Way, Robert Vlach. Meet them and other outstanding professionals at the beautiful Silversquare venue, for a unique coworking and networking experience.

And if you’re too far to participate, no worries, we have you covered. The Freelance Business Month has just announced its full program, highlighting many other online and in-person international events during the whole month of October.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #38 OF 2024

• The Freelance Business Month just released its program full of great events run by experts, coaches, and other freelance communities — You can register or book tickets for all the sessions and workshops via the FBM website. It starts on October 1st with an in-person opening meetup in Antwerp, Belgium.
• Templates, the dirty solopreneur secret, by Austin L. Church — Templates are a powerful tool for freelancers to deliver consistent and effective results. They can help you work smarter, not harder.
• 10 important strategies for managing client expectations as a freelance writer, by Lizzie from Freelance Magic — When expectations are clear, projects run smoothly and clients are happier. And, as Lizzie notes, you get more creative freedom.
• How to stop over consuming content, by Austin Saylor — Feeling overwhelmed by how much content you're consuming? Here are some simple but effective ways to cut down on digital overload and get more work done.
• TickTick — “This task management app is more feature-packed than Todoist,” said our friend Dan. It offers features like to-do lists, deadlines, reminders, and a calendar view.

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GET PAID WITHOUT GUILT

Are you struggling with pricing your creative work or feeling guilty about charging what you're worth? Jessica Abel addresses this topic in her article, sharing six key lessons to help overcome these challenges while emphasizing the importance of valuing creative work, rejecting self-doubt, and setting fair, sustainable prices.

"Creative and knowledge work is work as much as plumbing is. It deserves to be treated as such. It’s essential to shift your perspective and view creative work as valuable."

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WEEKLY DIGEST #37 OF 2024

• Get paid without guilt: 6 lessons I’ve learned, by Jessica Abel — Many artists, writers, and freelancers feel discomfort asking for fair payment, but creative work, like any profession, deserves fair compensation, and here are a couple of lessons that can help you.
• Why freelancers need an email list: Building a marketing channel you own, from Freelancing Females — Why having a newsletter can be a game-changer for your freelance business + some strategies to grow your email list.
• The 5 questions in Phil Knight’s self-catechism are priceless for entrepreneurs, by Austin L. Church — A five-question (and a six-mile run) ritual from Phil Knight, founder of Nike, to help you cut through indecision and gain focus.
• From chaos to clarity — On the Wisepreuners podcast with Nigel Rawlins, a Czech personal knowledge management expert and academic, Eliska Sestakova, shared her insights into systems like Zettelkasten, which help professionals stay organized and make better decisions.
• How to fight and manage scope creep, by Matthew Fenton — Prevent scope creep, the gradual increase of requirements during a project’s lifecycle, by setting clear boundaries with your clients upfront and making strategic decisions when it arises.
• Digital security for freelancers: 5 easy steps to stay safe wherever you are, from Freelancers Union — Relevant security habits to protect you from digital threats.
• Hack your way into flow state (a procrastinator's guide), by Amy Suto — Here’s a simple 2-minute rule that will help you overcome procrastination and start a task you've been avoiding.

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JOIN US IN ANTWERP ON OCT 1

Once in a while, an opportunity comes to meet other European freelancers and have deep conversations about what we all do — running a freelance business.

One of those moments will be the opening freelancer meetup of Freelance Business Month 2024 at the beautiful coworking space Silversquare Antwerp in Belgium on October 1st.

You will have a rare chance to meet the founder of Freelance Business, Elina Jutelyte, along with the best-selling author of The Freelance Way, Robert Vlach, for a deep-dive debate.

The tickets are free; you just need to sign up and join us in Antwerp!

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