Within about 3 months of me starting freelancing, I got an email from another healthcare writer looking to partner and pass work back and forth.

That was a massive surprise since I was new…why would somebody want to partner with me? Now though, it makes perfect sense.

He was smart…he was out there, looking for other writers in his niche to share work, advice, and even motivation.

You should be doing the same thing, but remember…you can’t be out here partnering with anybody and everybody.

You’ve got to be selective if you want to get anything worthwhile out of a partnership.

What to Look For in a Partner

I’m a big believer in being very strategic about looking for a specific kind of partner.

The last thing you want to do is pick up someone else’s bad habits, or receive nothing but low-paying referrals…so here are a few things you should look for when you’re searching for partners.

Someone in Your Niche

This is probably the most important. Not only do they help you stay focused as a freelancer, but the perspective you gain from another set of eyes on your niche will amaze you.  

Someone with Similar Goals

If your goal is to push your rate to $150/hr by next year, and somebody you’re considering is happy at $60, you’re probably not going to get much out of the partnership. You don’t have to be aligned on everything, but make sure there are at least one or two ways you’re headed in the same direction.

Complementary Skills

I talked about this in the strategic partnership blog post, but the best partnerships are the ones where your skillsets are different, but still complementary. I get pulled into projects from market researchers and consultants all the time who want to do big, team-based work, and need somebody to fill the writer slot.

They’re Good at What They Do (Maybe Even Better Than You)

You generally want to aim to partner with people who’ve gotten good at what they do. They pull in better work and give you higher-quality perspective as a professional.

They’re Better Than You at Something

Partnerships should be a place where everybody’s learning. I’ve taught my clients about messaging and in turn, learned how to be more assertive, take more chances, or even just make better design choices.

Keep all five of those in mind, because next week, we’re going to talk about where to find the partners that help take your business to the next level.

Megan