FM Fairy Spotlight: 5 Benefits of Networking with the Southampton Hub
You already know that the wider Freelance Mum community is always there for you— motivating friendly faces at our online coffee mornings, or a spot of inspiration from a Lunch & Learn session. But for many of us, the real magic happens in person at the Freelance Mum Hubs.
We spoke to Jennifer Jones from Jennifer Jones Styling, who is Freelance Mum Fairy for our Southampton Hub, to get a rundown of all the benefits of hanging out with the Southampton Hub, and an insider’s guide to our networking events.
- A community
“Being part of a Freelance Mum Hub is a great way to bond with other Mums in business. Because members are Mums, you instantly have something in common and a way to connect and empathise. Getting together in person every month really helps build that sense of community—of having people you can lean on when you need to.
“With Freelance Mum, it’s all about making friends who understand you, support you, and who are your cheerleaders.”
2. Be your whole self
“Freelance Mum events, and especially the netwalks, are not about putting on your business face and preparing a sales pitch. You can come as you are, with or without your children, and be your whole self in a relaxed environment. Itchen Valley Country Park is the home of our Southampton Hub netwalks, and it’s a place where you can feel relaxed, be yourself, and enjoy the great outdoors.”
3. Grow your business
“For me, the biggest benefit of Freelance Mum and the Southampton Hub has been making close friends. But of course, we are freelancers, and we are also there to grow our businesses.
“And yes, I have had significant sales from it. Some people within the network, and some of their friends and contacts, have become happy clients. There’s no doubt it would have taken a lot longer to get my business to where it is now if I hadn’t been part of the Freelance Mum community.”
4. Local connections
“Freelance Mum is a community in itself, but being part of the Southampton Hub has also connected me with the local community. Southampton Hub members live and work in the local area, so if we don’t have the expertise or connections within the group, we’ll know someone local who does.”
5. A great place to start
If you’re just starting out, the prospect of networking can be daunting. But Freelance Mum isn’t scary. At the Southampton Hub, we have women who’ve been coming for years and have a whole host of advice and expertise and new members who are just at the beginning of their freelance journey. We all help each other—we can be a sounding board for new ideas, a focus group to gather information or a sympathetic ear.
“My advice is to just come along—we’ve all been there, and we’d love to meet you. You’ll find like-minded people who will guide and support you.”
The Southampton Hub meet for its netwalk one Monday a month in Itchen Valley Country Park, just off the M27 between Winchester and Southampton.
Freelance Mum is about more than finding new business. It’s a safe space to give and get support, offload, feel a sense of belonging and raise each other up.
Find out more about Freelance Mum business networking groups for women in Southampton and across the Southwest.
