In the spirit of encouraging you to do whatever it takes to grow your freelancing business even if — no, especially if — it’s hard and uncomfortable, this month’s challenge is for you to network.

If you already network, then the challenge is to find a new venue for networking, or to get more active in your current networks.

If you haven’t been networking, then now is the perfect time to start.

Read Up on Networking

There’s plenty of help right here at The Savvy Freelancer:

Start Networking to Find Clients gives an overview.

Networking Tips for Freelancers is an interview of Ryan Healy on face-to-face networking.

Online Networking contains my tips for online forum networking.

Twitter for Freelancers shows how you can find clients on Twitter.

I have to admit, I already have a headstart. Since I increased my rates in January, I realize that I’d outgrown many of my existing clients so I had to meet new prospects. As a result, I’ve joined a couple of new online forums.

January Challenge Update

Speaking of which, I’d like to share with you some of the results of increasing my rates. In a nutshell:

• I earned about 50% more than my average monthly income in 2009.
• I am working way less.
• I’m working with fewer clients, but getting involved in their businesses more deeply.
• I have more time for my personal projects.
• I am discovering a whole new world of prospects, including what they’re really looking for in terms of copywriting and marketing.
• I’ve found that there are people willing to pay as much as $100 for a video marketing special report I give away, without even requiring an email address.
• I’m still NOT doing as much housework as I should.

Your Turn

Will you take the February challenge? Share your exact plans in the comments below.

And if you took the January 2010 challenge, what were your results? I’d love to read about it.

photo credit: Orin Zebest