THE MUST-JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREELANCERS

 
 

Good things happen with good people around you.

Join an award-winning community of friendly freelancers.
In our own private online space.

You won’t find Business Bro blustering,
or Seven Figure sermons (though we like making money).
It’s not full of people constantly selling their wares or click-bait stealing your attention.

We’re an optimistic, realistic, have-a-biscuit bunch
- serious about our businesses whilst having a laugh at the same time.

You’re not alone being freelance.

how can I join?
 
Freelancer Angela smiling at camera

“I really feel like I have co-workers.

A community filled with awesome, kind, caring, supportive, funny and absolutely brilliant people.”

Angela Lyons
Graphic Designer

 
 

Great - they love it.
But what is it?

Take a short tour

Peak through the curtains

 

JOIN US AND JOIN IN

 

GET ANSWERS

It’s a safe space to share. Ask those questions, bounce ideas around. The days of second guessing yourself are over. It feels so good to help each other out.

 

SOCIALS

Loads of weekly chances to hang out online are punctuated by special IRL moments. Out of Office On.
People even got work from our day on the golf course. It was a mini golf course. But a big deal.

The Freelance Disco

One BFF becomes guest DJ. Sharing the soundtrack to their freelance life.
Our new live show, exclusive to the BF Community. What tunes would you choose?

LIVE Q&As

Join in live or tuck into our library of expert Q&As to boost your business. So many topics and guests including Prerna Malik, John Espirian, Kate Toon, Paul Jarvis and Andrew & Pete!

OKAY OKAY - TELL ME HOW TO JOIN ALREADY

VIRTUAL COWORKING

So much great feedback for our weekly sessions. We work in 25 minute bursts with chat and games in between. Get stuff done. Have fun doing it. Tick.

BF BOOK CLUB

Don’t just read a business book. Chew it over with friends. These spark lots of great discussions and laughs.


BE SEEN & FOUND

We have a public facing freelancer directory and a private one too. It’s never been easier too connect, collaborate & refer. You can also post & find jobs in the community.

 

NON EMPLOYEE OF
THE WEEK AWARDS

Maybe one day you’ll claim the ceramic trophy & biscuits covered in glory at our live awards ceremony should you be crowned NEOTW.

Screengrab of a DM exchange: "I've been recommended your membership and heard it has Mario Kart breaks... is the rumour true or is it a vicious lie" - Steve: "We do indeed do Mario Kart" - Reply: Why is this not front and centre on the sales page?!'

BFF MARIO KART GP

It’s true.

Maybe the fact we value taking time out to hurl green shells at each other speaks volumes about what you can expect.

 
 
 
A cloud edged in pink made up of friendly faces from the Being Freelance Community all holding their favourite mug

meet your BFFs*

Come on in. The water’s lovely.
In that’s it’s freshly boiled and covering a teabag.
Ready to show your mug in the community?

*Being Freelance Friends.
You’re about to meet ‘em

 

 
sounds great - show me those options again
 

Who’s behind Being Freelance?

Hey! I’m Steve Folland - the fellow freelancer behind it all.

It started with the Being Freelance podcast in 2015.

That one conversation led to thousands more, as the community it spawned took off.

I bring my experience of 9 years full-time freelance, running a stupidly demanding side project, two podcasts (one award-winning) and 20+ years in work in general.

Steve Folland, smiling chatting to another freelancer at an event
Steve hosting the Being Freelance Mastermind group 'The Cookie Collective'. He's smiling at his imac screen which has a group of grinning freelance friends on a zoom call with him

I carry in my head the shared experiences of having spoken to 300+ freelancers for the podcast. I love seeing BFFs do great things.

But most importantly, this isn’t about me. It’s about you and the others in the BF Community. I’m here to help make it a fun experience and bring the thoughts/conversations and yes, biscuits out.

These days there’s a course, a mastermind, talks, goodies and hoodies.

But it all comes back to that original craving for conversation and connection. There’s always room to meet someone new.

AWARD WINNING COMMUNITY

At the 2023 IPSE Awards, I won the ‘Community Champion’ award for all things Being Freelance, cheered on by some wonderfully scrubbed up BFFs.

The judges said I was guilty of being “focused on supporting freelancers and their businesses, all whilst creating a community by connecting the people in it to one another in a variety of impressive and innovative ways”. Crikey.

 

“Even if I stopped being freelance, I wouldn’t tell this lot so that I could stay… That’s what a joy it is”

Jenny Lewis,
Writer & Copy Editor

Sounds great - show me those options
 

6 MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP

Early on in your freelance journey?

Take the ‘How to get started being freelance’ course & get 6 months free community access.

So you get the knowledge AND kick start your network at the same time!

 
 

FAQ
FAbULOUSLY ANSWERED QUERIES

 

  • It’s on Circle - a platform made for communities. It’s clean & tidy with no ads or data mining etc. Hoorah.

    If you’re already a member of another group on Circle, use the same email address and it’ll make it super simple to switch between groups.

  • The Community was free on Facebook for 4 years. There’s no free trial now.

    Give it a go though - if you choose a monthly plan you can easily leave if it’s not for you.

    New to freelancing?
    If you take the ‘How to get started being freelance’ course you get 6 months membership of the community included for free!

  • Yep - you can easily do it from your profile in the community.

  • Yep! You access your ‘billing’ options from your profile in the community.

    If you cancel, you’ll still have access until your next payment would have been due.

    You’ll get an email reminder before each payment.

    Your community account/profile will still exist, which means if you’d like to rejoin, you just sign back in and go to the same place you cancelled from!

    If you’d rather your account and details were deleted, we can do that too.

  • Absolutely! We welcome BFFs from all around the world.

    Please do bear in mind that a lot of the live video and calls are done from the UK as that’s where I (Steve Folland) am based, so it may not always be a good fit for your timezone, but we try to mix up the start times with this in mind.

    We have BFFs join our live stuff from as far apart as Australia and Canada!

  • It’ll be great for you. Come on in and hang out with new and experienced freelancers alike.

    Plus - take the ‘How to get started being freelance’ course and you get 6 months membership included for free.

  • Yes! If you’re freelancing on the side of another job, or caring etc, then it’s a perfect place to meet, learn, be inspired. Come on in.

    By the way - did you know about the How To Get Started Being Freelance Course? If you sign up for the course, you get 6 months Community membership for free.

  • Nope. Our platform (Circle) will work in your web browser on your computer.

    BUT there is an app for iPhone and Android, so you can download that if you like!

  • There’s an app for iPhone and Android. Search ‘Circle Communities’. (That’s the platform we use).

  • That’s no problem! It’s great. Just use the same email when you sign up for Being Freelance and you’ll easily be able to switch between the two.

    (Circle is the platform we use instead of Facebook.)

  • It was for four years. But lots of people don’t want to be on Facebook anymore. This new platform is so much better - give it a go!

  • ‘Being Freelance Friend’ - you’re about to make lots of them. They’re ace. Come on in!

I SHOULD HAVE CLICKed A BUTTON EARLIER, BUT THIS ONE WILL DO
.

Oof. That was a lot of scrolling.
You deserve a cuppa and a biscuit. Or five.