The co-founder of a Dorset collective which enables freelancers working in the creative industries to support, collaborate and grow together is hopeful the idea will spread nationwide.

Poole-based BuddieUp was co-founded by Mark Reynolds, a freelance graphic designer, and his wife, Anharad, in 2017.

Created with people at its heart, the collective is described as the antidote to the lonelier aspects of life as a freelancer where more than 40 per cent consider themselves as lonely.

It offers weekly socials and members regularly collaborate on projects.

Thanks to its combined wealth of experience and skillsets, BuddieUp can help businesses with innovation, marketing and advertising, offering a strong alternative to working with creative agencies.

Mark Reynolds, Co-Founder, BuddieUp.

Mr Reynolds said BuddieUp’s agile approach – easily scaling up and scaling down – offered businesses an innovative way of expanding and building upon in-house marketing teams as well as supporting start-ups.

He said: “I started BuddieUp when I was working as a freelancer myself. I was doing pretty well but it was during a weekend away that I realised how lonely I was feeling.

“My wife, Anharad, asked me how work was going and I realised I wasn’t getting the collaboration that I used to get when I worked in design agencies and that was getting me down.

“We realised that there must be lots of freelancers in the same position. Working for yourself is amazing, but it’s lonely too.

“When we started looking into it, we were pretty alarmed at what we found so we started to think about how we could help. That’s how BuddieUp began.”

Mr Reynolds said BuddieUp’s values were simple.

“We put people first, we’re honest and we’re transparent. That’s the way I personally like to work and it’s the ethos that runs through BuddieUp. Every freelancer in the collective subscribes to it.

“I invest quite a lot of time in meeting each new freelancer that approaches me to join BuddieUp. I take time to learn about their skillsets and passions and to ensure they share my values.

“We offer businesses agility and flexibility. We can scale up and down and add in new skillsets to a working team as and when required. Our clients know exactly how much work will cost, which individuals are working on their project and can directly contact any member of the team at any time.

“We are also growing an academy offering. Local freelancers and business professionals looking for training in marketing can attend workshops run by BuddieUp experts.

“We have the first of these running in a couple of weeks’ time, which is exciting.

“I think this concept, of a group of super talented, highly motivated creative freelancers working together to deliver amazing projects has real scope to grow.

“I’d like to have BuddieUp hubs all over the country, helping businesses to make use of local freelancers.”

BuddieUp is holding a free ‘Meet the Collective’ event this Thursday, October 24, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at BuddieUp HQ in Ashley Cross.

The event will allow attendees the opportunity to meet the BuddieUp freelancers and find out more about how they can assist.

You can get your free ticket for the event here or visit the BuddieUp website: buddieup.co.uk

See more about BuddieUp at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiDfQUtSrrU&feature=youtu.be