I've been working on 'side projects' for as long as I can remember, but I realized within the past few years that I really didn't have the bandwidth to continue doing so entirely pro bono.
My main focus in freelance work has always been small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures where the people involved really needed some quality work, but didn't need a full-service firm, and likely couldn't pay for one if they did. It's the woefully common place that most people/companies start off in when they're trying to do something new. How do you get off the ground without the capital in the first place? Fortunately, the Interwebs are here to help.
No, seriously...
Over the past year, I've been working through a bartering website that helps join people who can help each other, even if not directly. I can do the product photography for a new website, receive bartering credits if they can't pay 100% of the cost, and then use those credits with other barterers who have products or services that I need. I can build a website, and in turn, get some images framed at a substantially lower cost. I could do a promotional photo shoot, and in turn, spend a weekend in a resort property (again, at a substantially lower cost). I think you get the idea.
While money has been around for a long, long time, bartering has been around longer. And it's high-time that we started thinking outside the box a little bit. I've only worked with the first of these sites, but there are several to choose from, each with different companies/people participating (and this is by no means an exhaustive list!), so take a few minutes and have a look at what each site has to offer... you may find one that 'fits' you:
UberTrade
TradeBank
U-Exchange
BarterItOnline
We can, in fact, all get ahead while still helping one another.
It's a beautiful thing.
Get on board.
