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Today, 30% of the US job market, about 42 million workers, are independent contractors, temporary staffers, or self employed, according to the July 2009 issue of Money Magazine.

No longer just the realm of creative professionals like writers and artists, freelancing is spreading to accounting, engineering, health care, law and sales.

“Now’s the time to think and act entrepreneurially when it comes to your career.” (Money 59) And in Sacramento, as teachers, state workers, and others, face layoffs and furloughs, they have both the time and the inclination to turn towards this professional avenue.
Perhaps you have started researching freelance or self-employment options? Maybe you saw the trend a year ago and got ahead of the curve?

Where do you get experienced-based answers to your questions? Where can you network and meet people who run successful freelance businesses? How do you form partnerships and collaborations? How do you find clients?

According to Janna Santoro, a freelance writer who is organizing Sacramento’s first Freelance Camp, October 17 at The Urban Hive in Sacramento, Freelance Camps—whose motto is “In Business for Yourself, Not by Yourself”—offer a venue for freelancers and self-employed people to discuss and explore different approaches to running a successful freelance business or service company.

“Freelance Camps are highly productive, yet informal gatherings where businesspeople can share their expertise with each other. They are a radical break from routine business conferences. Rather than sit back and be talked to, participants select topics they’re interested in and then break into discussion groups,“ says Santoro.

Freelance Camps are a revolutionary form of user-generated events—also known as “unconferences”—whose content is fully provided by the participants. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join. To date, dozens of Freelance Camps have been held on three continents, with more cropping up almost daily.

Each camp is run by a local team of volunteers and is put on for the benefit of the community (not profit). Hosted by The Urban Hive co-working center in midtown Sacramento, the Sacramento Freelance Camp will welcome anyone who provides business services (or is considering it): designers, accountants, bloggers, journalists, realtors, lawyers, carpenters, engineers, financial advisers, marketers, salespeople, musicians, artists, inventors and more.

“Events like this jumpstart relationships and innovative ideas in the area’s creative community. At last year's SacBarCamp, [a participant-driven networking event for Sacramento techies held last April] I was shocked to see how many talented, creative and generally fun people are practically my neighbors. A year later, I’m still exchanging advice with them and have a fabulous pool of people I’d recommend to my own clients," says Jenny Koreny, founder of a freelance web and online video business (jennykoreny.com). 

She adds that if people are out there building a business on their own, or want to position themselves as a leader in the Sacramento region, attending an event such as the Sacramento Freelance Camp is advantageous.

 "Freelance Camp is a fortuitous way to make contacts, enhance your knowledge & showcase skills and trends to your peers," says Koreny, who plans to attend the October 17 event. 

Enrollment in the Sacramento Freelance Camp includes a full day of informative seminars, networking and connection opportunities, breakfast, lunch, and an after party for participants.

According to Santoro, “This is the event that local freelancers, self-employed people and small business owners will not want to miss.”

Freelance Camps are not-for-profit, volunteer-run events. The Sacramento event is being sponsored by The Urban Hive (theurbanhive.com), Cassia Communications (cassiacommunications.wordpress.com), Sacramento Marketing Labs (sacramentomarketinglabs.com), Jennifer Basye-Sanders of Write By The Lake (writebythelake.com) and Jealousy Catering (jealousycatering.com).

The Sacramento Freelance Camp 2009 will take place on October 17, 2009, at
8 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. at The Urban Hive, 1931 H Street, Sacramento, 95811

For more information: Janna Marlies Santoro, 916-837-1646
Website: www.freelancecamp.org
Twitter: #freelancecamp
Registration: http://freelancecampsacramento.eventbrite.com/

References: “How to Profit in the New Economy: The Rise of the Freelance Nation.” Money. July, 2009, 59

Editor's Note: Robin Martin co-works at the Urban Hive.