A few months ago a friend and I jumped on the ferry and took a day trip to beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada, to experience our first ever Freelance Camp.  The event was touted as a chance for freelancers, entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone interested in learning more about freelancing to discuss ways to start, expand, or improve their business. Turns out there are dozens of these events going on across the world, making for fantastic opportunities for freelancers. Continue Reading

I like going to conferences — especially those that are out of town. I like the excuse to travel, to meet new people and to hear interesting talks. But without an employer willing to spring for a ticket, transportation, room and board, I have to make sure that I can justify the expense. That means taking a good long look at just what I — and, by extension, my freelancing — get out of the conferences I attend.

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The San Francisco Bay area’s annual FreelanceCamp is coming Saturday, August 15 to a beach in gorgeous Santa Cruz!

FreelanceCamp is a community-driven conference that will connect, educate, motivate and inspire freelancers and startup entrepreneurs looking to grow a business.

• Venue: Downtown Santa Cruz, CA
• Date: Saturday August 15, 2009
• Time: 8am – 6pm + after party
• Cost: $25 or free if you are a student or really, really, really need the help
• Schwag: Klean Kanteen 27oz bottles (retail cost for these is more than the price of your ticket)
• Register: http://freelancecamp3.eventbrite.com/
• More Information: http://freelancecamp.org

Not in the area? Don’t worry! We have a freelance camp coming to Reno soon (date still to be decided). Still out of luck? Start your own. We have already had five freelance camps in 2009 and every freelancer who has put one on sent me personal notes telling stories of how much this has caused a serious boost to their careers and the local economy.

Why write this post so early? I usually wait until 2 weeks before the events, but in this case we have limited space. Fire marshal has us capped at 300 people and I love the venue we are finalizing so I won’t change even if you all try to beat the doors down. Last year, after my email blast (which we will be sending out around June 18th or so) we sold out in 3 days. This is my first mention of the event in any public form and we are already down to 231 tickets as of tonight (June 13th) just based upon word of mouth. So if you want to come, sign up fast.

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Miami’s first FreelanceCamp is coming Saturday, June 6 to the Miami Beach Convention Center!

FreelanceCamp is teaming up with LaidOffCamp Miami to host a FREE community-driven conference that will connect, motivate and inspire jobseekers, freelancers and startup entrepreneurs looking for some hope during these challenging economic times.

• Venue: Miami Beach Convention Center
• Date: Saturday June 6, 2009
• Time: 9am – 2pm
• Cost: FREE
• Register: http://laidoffcampmiami09.eventbrite.com
• More Information: http://laidoffcampmiami.org

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Texas’ second annual Freelance Camp is coming this Saturday! All the details you need after the jump.

Don’t live in Houston? No problem. There are freelance camps starting to be organized across the country. Visit freelancecamp.org to find out more. If you don’t see one for your town, start your own.

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Photo by stop.down.

Having the ability to work from home rather than in a traditional office setting was probably one of the major attractions to freelancing for most of us. However, working solo from home can be a real challenge due to the lack of personal interaction. Although the peace and quiet of working alone is a great benefit, there are times when most of us would prefer to be around more people. If this is ever the case with you, here are ten things you can do to get more interaction as a freelancer.

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The Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago is less than a week away, so if you’ve been thinking about going, now is the time to make your decision.

It’s set to be the first business conference for “creative solopreneurs,” serving graphic, web and interactive designers, photographers, copywriters, illustrators and anyone else who is committed to making a freelance life work.

A panel of creative-business experts, led by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, will share best practices for pricing, marketing, building client relationships, crafting proposals and contracts, maintaining a work/life balance and other skills critical to freelance success.

Creative Freelancer Conference
August 27-29, 2008
Hyatt Regency Chicago
http://www.CreativeFreelancerConference.com
Early Bird Registration ends July 15th.

Check out the www.CreativeFreelancerBlog.com for tips and techniques too!

Could you make it to Leeds on the 12th of September? If so, you might want to check out Going Solo, a conference for freelance internet professionals.

More information after the jump!

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Come hang out August 16th in the amazing coastal city of Santa Cruz, California (bring your beach towel)!

Freelance Camp is a place to discuss and explore the different approaches to running a successful freelance business / small service company. The event is FREE and we even feed you (thanks to our very cool sponsors). Come ready to learn, and if you are up to it, ready to talk!

The event is capped at 150 people, so sign up quick if you can make it.

More information after the jump! Continue Reading

Do you live in Chicago?

Could you get there?

The Creative Freelancer Conference, slated for August 27-29, 2008 in Chicago and presented by HOW Magazine and Marketing-Mentor.com, is the first business conference for “creative solopreneurs,” serving graphic, web and interactive designers, photographers, copywriters, illustrators and anyone else who is committed to making a freelance life work.

A panel of creative-business experts, led by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, will share best practices for pricing, marketing, building client relationships, crafting proposals and contracts, maintaining a work/life balance and other skills critical to freelance success.

All in all, it sounds like a great excuse to get out of the house, learn some things and network (read: booze) with other freelancers!

Creative Freelancer Conference
August 27-29, 2008
Hyatt Regency Chicago
http://www.CreativeFreelancerConference.com
Early Bird Registration ends July 15th.

Check out the www.CreativeFreelancerBlog.com for tips and techniques too!