On the 1st of May, Freelancer Club is launching its first international location in New York City. We’re starting small, focusing on photographers, models and hair/makeup artists within the Brooklyn area, before gradually branching out to the rest of the city and beyond. We decided to start in Brooklyn thanks to its vibrant creative scene, full of exceptional creative individuals who are feeling disconnected and undervalued. Those we spoke to highlighted the need for a community platform such as the Freelancer Club to help them facilitate connections in a more meaningful way.

Thanks to the sheer number of people in the five boroughs of New York, the city is a haven for freelancers. They’re able to build a strong network of clients who are often high-profile, allowing them to earn more money than in other cities. Unfortunately, the lack of affordable healthcare, the sky-high cost of living, unpredictable income and the recurring issues when collecting payments pose a lot of significant challenges for freelancers.

Similar to the UK, the workers of New York are turning to freelancing in their droves, anxious to gain some control over their working lives. With so many people new to this work, it’s never been more important to provide the right kind of support.

To help with this, we’ll be providing our members with a wealth of resources. There’ll be masterclasses with industry-leading experts, live webinars covering everything from money matters to mental wellbeing, and curated opportunities for both paid work and TFP (test shoot) collaborations. Not to mention both digital and in-person meetups to help our members connect with each other and share their experiences.

We’ll also be sharing informative content specially designed with a New York audience in mind, including coverage of the current affairs and trending headlines that matter to the creative freelancers of NYC, success stories from our American members and much more.

Keep an eye out for New York based posts on our Discussions, Jobs and Collaboration boards in the coming weeks!

A CHAT WITH OUR FOUNDER

In anticipation of the new launch, I spoke with our illustrious founder and freelance expert, Matt Dowling, to find out why he chose New York for Freelancer Club’s first foray overseas and which aspects of the launch he’s most excited about:

So, why did you choose New York for the Freelancer Club’s first international location?

“New York has always felt like the most natural fit for our next community launch. The city has a lot in common with London, where we built our first cohort, whilst having its own distinct personality. It’s a diverse and hard-working city built on resilience. It’s also one of the main fashion hubs in the world and a city that produces exceptional creative talent.

Every time I visit New York it crackles with creativity. Red Hook, the Navy Yard, the East Village, Soho… No matter where in NYC you go, it’s clear that New Yorkers share our core values of community, connection and creativity.“

What will be provided for freelancers located in New York?

“Our main ambition will be to provide our New York members with an engaged creative community and to give a voice to the freelancers who feel underrepresented. Like London, New York is home to exceptional creative talent spread all over the city who often feel disconnected and undervalued. We plan on changing that. We believe that by sharing our experiences and supporting each other, everyone benefits. 

On a practical level, Freelancer Club will facilitate connections amongst the New York members who wish to collaborate with local creatives and connect them with clients looking to source content creators. We will provide our members with resources, from masterclasses and well-being webinars, to a live discussions board and essential guides. Our news articles and expert advice will ensure that our members are informed as they develop their freelance business. Most of all, we’ll be a place for creative freelancers to feel heard, supported and valued.”

What excites you most about launching in New York?

“I can’t wait to see some of the creative work that our New York members produce and the difference in style compared to our other members. I’m also really excited to see how our New York community connects with other members from around the world. 

Most of our members provide a face to face service, however, I can envision opportunities for online connections that lead to offline collaboration. A bit like Bumble for creative collaborators, a New York-based photographer could fly to London and, using the Collab tool, shoot with a fashion team in the UK before flying home. 

Our grand vision is to help freelancers connect locally as well as globally, change the perception around freelancing and show the world just how valuable creativity can be.”

Photographer Credits: Taryn Elliott
Preview Photo: Michal Ludwiczak
Image 1: Element5 Digital
Image 2: Mr Whisper
Image 3: Pixabay