Culture is everywhere. Every town and even every business has its own culture. Freelancers are no different. Despite not being a part of a traditional business freelance workers have their own culture. Whether it comes just from coming in contact with each other on the web or in the real world or coming to a coworking space to get their work done, the freelance culture is a vibrant and enriching one.
Anyone Can Be A Part
One of the great things about freelancing is that anyone can do it. It can be someone that is in between jobs, it can be someone doing some side work to make a little bit of extra money and it can be someone who is making a career out of it. It does not matter what race you are, what gender, what age, what religious denomination you belong to or anything else. Anyone can do freelance work.
Freelancers Are A Diverse Bunch
Freelancers come in every shape and size. Unlike a traditional office where your co-workers are potentially vying for the same promotion, freelancers are finding their own work so in nearly every case there is no competition for the work, leading to a much more easy-going relationship.
There is no need to try to stab someone in the back but instead if asked for help many freelancers will be more than happy to share ideas knowing that the favor will be returned in the future, whether it be advice or being brought onto a project.
Be A Part of Something Exciting
Bringing together people of different backgrounds and different abilities can lead to an increase in productivity and creative thinking. Many startups utilize this kind of culture to get off the ground since many of those who are working there are either still freelancing or are former freelancers.
The freelance culture allows for workers to not feel like they are being micromanaged. A freelance worker has their job, knows when it needs to be completed and can be let loose on it. Creating this culture and maintaining it has allowed many companies to thrive as their freelance workers feel like they are valued just as much as the regular employees.
Freelancers Are Motivated
Since freelancers are working for themselves it makes them extremely motivated to do not only a professional job but to do it efficiently. After all, they are only as good as their last project and because of that they are on their game. One benefit of freelancing is that you can choose what work you want to do, meaning that the person working on the project is motivated not just by the financial rewards but because they believe in whatever the project may entail Because of this many freelancers have made the decision to follow this career path.
Many companies are beginning to try to emulate this culture. Some have even gone so far as to fire all of their employees and rehire them as freelancers, believing that this will lead to an increase in productivity and a decrease in operating costs. While this is an extreme example, the freelancer culture is proving to be a boon to business.
References:
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2011/08/18/what-defines-freelance-culture/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2017/04/11/how-to-create-a-freelance-culture-in-your-startup/#7e7cfc983fe7
https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/jan/05/reasons-to-go-freelance
http://voxmarketing.com/2012/05/the-6-rules-for-a-productive-freelance-culture