Networking is one of the single more important things about being in business for yourself. Scratch that – it IS the single more important thing. OK, debateble, but the point is to be successful in any industry, it’s always about who you know.

Now it is true that just because you know the right people, you are not always guaranteed success, either. But knowing people goes a LONG way. There are other key factors too, like your character, your reputation, your talent and your work ethic. But often times those don’t mean a hill of beans if nobody knows who you are or what you do. Being honest, this is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in being in business for myself. Looking back now I can see that when I started in business my existing network consisted very little of people who even knew I was a designer. I have really had to work at spreading the word about what I do.

One of the ways I’ve learned to network as a design professional is via online communities. There are many. Some geared toward design, some toward business, some for personal use, and these days who doesn’t have a facebook account? The cool thing is that all of the social networks out there today often don’t compensate for real world contacts. But they certainly can serve a purpose. The perspective I have on it is that it’s like anything else in life, you’ll get out of it what you put into it. If you just sign up for social networks and check your messages once in a while, you’re not really “networking.” But if you approach it as a real tool to meet new people and connect with people you know in new ways, you can truly get a lot out of them.

Here’s a few I’ve enjoyed participating in:

• Behance Network
  The Behance Network is free social network specifically for creative professionals where you can post projects from your portfolio and network with other creatives. There is a wide range of artist represented from graphic and web designers, to illustrator, motions graphics professionals, fashion artists and photographers. The network is invitation only, but you can request an invitation, and pretty much as long as you are not a spammer I think they will let you in. Each project you post allows you to upload images, video or audio files, as well as descriptions and links. You can even send people links to your projects that have an “ad free” version. Other members can leave comments on your project pages, and you can request feedback, although I’ve found not too much real constructive feedback takes place on the site. Mostly people just say “great job” when they like something but seldom leave actual constructive criticism. Overall it’s still a great place to meet other creatives, get inspiration and showcase your work either as a primary online portfolio or a supplement site.

• ConceptFeedback.com
  Concept Feedback is a great site that is still in Beta, and developing quickly. The idea is you can sign up for free to be part of a member community where you can critique and review concepts of other members, and likewise receive feedback on your own concepts. Although the member community is still quite small, it seems to be a very active community. I just heard about it a couple weeks ago, but already I’ve posted several projects and gotten lots of valuable feedback. Postings can include graphic design, illustration, web design or other projects.

• Linked In
  Linked In provides a terrific resource that has more of a professional atmosphere, complete with your profile page acting as an actual resume. But the part I like most about Linked In are the professional groups you can join. They are basically like forums, where you can post questions or discussion topics. I’ve used the Linked In groups many times to get solutions to problems or just get other people’s perspective on topics. The group I’ve personally found to be most valuable is called Designers Talk, for all things design related. There’s another group called Design + Develop that focuses more on issues facing designers who are turning into web developers.

• Twitter
  Twitter is one of the fast growing internet phenomenons of all time. And although nobody knows how long it will remain popular, it seems micro-blogging has certainly found a niche that is here to stay for a while. For anyone not familiar with Twitter (really?) the concept is that you can post short updates about yourself, your business or whatever you like in 140 characters or less. While the premise doesn’t necessarily sound that fantastic, people and businesses alike have found very creative and innovative ways to use it. The most popular use for twitter, however, may be sharing links to articles or resources of interest. It’s also a great tool to drive traffic to your website or other featured resources.

• Facebook
  With more than 250 million active users and more than 150 million people who log on every day, Facebook has become a staple of modern technological society. It’s only common sense for anybody who’s interested in networking to create a presence on Facebook. Does that mean you need a fan page for your business? Not necessarily. I have one, but more as a formality. I still primarily just use my personal account to meet people and network with those I know. But just don’t under-estimate the ability you have via Facebook to meet new people and connect with those you know for business or personal means.

• Logopond
  Logopond.com is a gallery style site where users can create a profile and upload logos they’ve designed. It serves as a nice place to showcase your logo work, or just a good place to browse other logos for inspiration. You don’t have to sign up just to browse.

The important thing to remember with any of these resources is that you have to make them work for you. That is, they don’t just start working for you because you sign up – you need to use them and get involved by posting content and connecting with other members, etc. But if you are willing to put in a little effort, you’ll likely be surprised to find out how much of a benefit they can be. I particularly have enjoyed participating in discussions on Linked In’s member groups, which provide a very valuable forum for someone who is often accustomed to going weeks without interacting with a client or colleague in a face to face manner.

What resources have you found that help you be successful at networking? Have you had any experience with any of these I mentioned? What about others? I’d love to hear about it.

For Part 3 I’m going to share some insights on staying organized and motivated, two things that help you build and keep momentum as a freelancer. Stay tuned!

So these days everyone seems to want to “make a little extra.” Or, maybe you’ve found that being your own boss is just the way you prefer to work. Whatever the rationale, the industry of freelancing designers, developers or other miscellaneous consultants seems to be growing like never before. Especially with a sour economy, it seems like people just have to find ways to make ends meet.

I’ve been freelancing for almost five years now. I got my first freelance graphic design gig right out of college when a professor from a last semester class loved the work I did and decided to put me in touch with a contact of hers in the apparel industry. Don’t laugh, but the class was an apparel illustration course – the only reason it would be funny is because I was probably the only straight guy in the glass, which was filled mostly with girls anyway – thus the draw (that and the fact I needed an extra class to keep my scholarship for the semester). Obviously it ended up being a blessing to be in, as well as a great creative outlet for a public relations major.

But my career in design didn’t explode from there. I worked only a few jobs here and there while mostly working full time or part time jobs in other fields for three years. One position, where I worked for a year, allowed me to use my PR education and get some formal graphic design experience at the same time. But it was for a non-profit where my PR and other roles fell secondary to the work the organization was mainly involved with.

Finally, in 2007 after working for over a year in admissions for a large educational corporation in Pittsburgh, I decided I had enough of doing part-time freelance. My dream would have been to land a great design job with a reputable firm or agency, but I just seemed unable to find one.

So with a lot of faith and a little (very little) business knowledge, I decided to resign from my full time position and launch out into the world of full time freelancing. Dunh Dunh Dunh! OK, so it wasn’t quite as climactic as it sounds. Turns out I really only had one client to start with, and he only needed a small amount of work. In fact, things were pretty tight in the beginning. And I’m not going to lie to you, things are still pretty tight. But alas, it seems this is the lifestyle of a freelancer (a.k.a. “self employed”). The words sound so glamorous when you proudly say them to someone you meet or know. “Yes, I am SELF EMPLOYED.”

Immediately your mind conjures up the best possible picture of yourself one day, once you’ve reached success, sitting on a yacht in the Caribbean sipping a Pina Colada and working on your latest gem of a masterpiece that some high profile client has been throwing money at you to do for them. But then reality sets in and you remember that after you get the next big check, you still need to take out money for taxes, pay your credit account and some outstanding bills elsewhere, set aside a little money for a much needed software or computer upgrade, and put aside the remaining pennies for gas so you can go cold calling a few days in the next couple weeks. It’s not all glamor after all.

But still, there is great reward in working for yourself to those that thrive on self management and self motivation. And therein lies the key. I would not be doing what I am with design if I were not driven by a desire to succeed and to serve others. Something about being my own boss makes me find great motivation to learn new things, accomplish great tasks and even endure an awful lot of discouragement. Ultimately, when the rubber meets the road, the people who are cut out for freelancing as a career are those with the attitude that says, “I can run my self better than any other manager can.”

I have a long way to go as a freelancer. Ultimately, I’m starting to look at myself as less of a freelancer and more of a small business owner because I see my business growing into more than just myself over time. But for now it’s just me myself and I. There’s lots of challenges that come with doing anything for yourself, not to mention a job where you can sit in front of a computer and not go anywhere, see anyone or talk to anyone for days at a time. Some of my clients I only communicate with via email due to distance. It can make for a very difficult road.

In my coming entries I’m going to share some resources I’ve found that have helped me with networking with other professionals in my industry, getting outside feedback on my projects, good ways to find new business, and some specific vendors I have had experience with.