Building a business goes beyond just creating a career and life for yourself.

As a freelancer, you can also be a job creator for your community and freelance peers.

After all, other freelancers are your community, not your competition. 

Here are three ways you can create job opportunities for fellow independents.

Be generous with referrals

Ask any freelancer — referrals can make the difference between a slow month and a waitlist of clients ready to work with you.

If you’re consistently booked and still have prospective clients inquiring about your services, instead of turning them away or adding them to the waitlist, refer them to another freelancer you know.

“Be generous!” says Ashlee Sang, Brand Messaging Strategist & Consultant. “It feels so good connecting business owners with the right-fit service provider, while growing other freelancers’ and consultants’ businesses at the same time.”

Share opportunities with the community

Even if you can’t directly refer people for jobs or projects, you can indirectly refer them by sharing opportunities with your network. 

Finding clients and projects can be challenging for people who are just getting started with their independent business. Amplifying any opportunities that come your way can help them reach people who may be a good fit.

If you hear of opportunities — even if they aren’t related to what you do — consider sharing them on social media or within any groups you’re part of. 

For instance, there are several people in the writing community, including Sonia Weiser and Kat Boogaard, who send out weekly newsletters with writing and freelance opportunities. There are also Slack groups where members often share opportunities they hear of within their own network.

Consider subcontracting or hiring

Want to be a job creator for independents in your community? Hire them! 

The best way to directly support freelancers is to give them work. And you don’t even need to have a full-blown studio to do it. Freelancers can subcontract work to other freelancers when their plates are full or team up with someone who offers a complementary service to tackle a larger project together.

Hiring or subcontracting for the first time? Ashlee recommends starting small. “My recommendation is to start with a small project or chunk of hours so that neither of you is committed to something long-term that isn’t the right fit,” says Ashlee. “Before you do commit, be sure to vet the person for shared values, the specific skill set you need, and, of course, price.”

Simply put, helping to create or amplify job opportunities for your peers is beneficial for the entire freelance industry. Because when one freelancer wins, we all win.