1. Freelancers U returns for the fall
2. Networking and drinks in Brooklyn
3. Creative Freelancer Conference
4. New discount from Zipcar
5. Dental open enrollment
6. The New Yorker: The power of the group
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1. Freelancers U returns for the fall

The upcoming seminars at Freelancers U include a few new topics as well as some returning favorites. Here are two September seminars to look forward to:

On September 9, Freelancers U and Galia Gichon present an online seminar: “Take Charge of Your Finances: 3 Action Steps That Will Lead to Financial Sanity.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed with trying to pay your bills, save for retirement, file taxes, balance your checkbook, and organize your receipts, this seminar will help you develop a system to get more organized.

Join Freelancers U and Jennifer Shaheen for the “How to Build a Search Engine-Friendly Website” seminar in New York on September 23. This seminar will teach you how to drive traffic to your website, in order to help grow your business.

Visit our website to learn more about all of our upcoming events.

2. Networking and drinks in Brooklyn

We hope you'll join us for a fun, end-of-summer networking party in DUMBO, Brooklyn. On Tuesday, August 26, Freelancers Union is hosting an event where you can raise a glass with other freelancers, Executive Director Sara Horowitz, and New York State Senator Martin Connor. We especially hope you’ll come if you live in the 25th senate district: DUMBO, South Brooklyn, and the Lower East Side.

Space is limited for this free event, so register soon. Read Senator Connor’s Q&A with Freelancers Union, including a few words about his own experiences as an independent worker, on our website.

3. Creative Freelancer Conference

Creative freelancers are coming together for professional development and networking in Chicago, August 27-29. If you're a designer, photographer, writer, or anyone else in the creative arts, you should check out the Creative Freelancer Conference presented by HOW magazine and Marketing Mentor. As a Freelancers Union member, you’ll get a $40 discount on the registration rate. Use discount code FRE8.

4. New discount from Zipcar

Freelancers Union members have access to a new discount (and if you’re getting this e-newsletter, you’re a member!).

Become a Zipcar member by September 15 and receive a $25 driving credit! Visit our discounts page to sign up. If you’re already a Zipcar member through Freelancers Union, you can receive a $25 driving credit if you’re one of the first 100 people to complete this online form.

5. Dental open enrollment

Dental open enrollment starts in September. If you're enrolled in insurance through Freelancers Union, keep an eye out for a reminder later this month. For members thinking about changing their dental plans, this is the one time of year to do it.

Plans in all 50 states cover checkups and x-rays, plus other dental work. Dental insurance options and availability vary by state; you can view options in your area by visiting our dental insurance webpage.

6. The New Yorker: The power of the group

An article in a recent issue of The New Yorker really caught our eye. In “Conflict of Interests,” Nicholas Lemann makes a case for the importance of interest groups—like ours!—in a functioning democracy. Freelancers Union was founded on a principle Lemann lays out in the essay: “People matter politically only as members of groups, and groups matter only when they act.”

You can read the whole article online. And once you’re fired up about how important it is to act as part of a group that advocates for your interests and stands for what you believe in, make sure you’re signed up for the Get Involved email list.