ForwardLB - Bridging the gap between Freelancers and Entrepreneurs

Before resigning from your previous full time job, you must have thought of all the challenges that you were about to face as a freelancer. Freelance is a business model that requires too much management and organization efforts to be able to deliver as per the customers' expectations. Service seekers who hire freelancers expect a cheap price in counter to high quality service. Most often those service seekers overlook that freelancers also have a lot to handle the same daily problems that any business deals with, compounded by the constant stress of not having the sense of security that comes with full-time employment.

Still, freelancers have to deal with many challenges:

No social security benefits
Delayed payments by customers
Expensive prices for legal consultation in awry situations
The need for a decent and affordable working office and an environment that boosts productivity

A group of enthusiastic techies from Beirut recently launched ForwardLB, a new and unique not-for-profit co-working hub and startup studio in Jal El dib city that aims to build a community of freelancers, independent workers, entrepreneurs and startup teams. Their aim is to connect those people and create a productive ecosystem where everyone can profit from everyone's services.

ForwardLB has comfortable offices for working and co-working, fast internet, a library, coffee machines, a chill zone along with an exclusive meeting room. In other words, all the basic material for a productive working day.

Another benefit this co-working hub brings to freelancing members, is the image boost that a professional (yet still casual) environment offers them in front of their clients. It is always better to meet a potential business associate in a dedicated and private meeting room, than a loud public coffee shop or restaurant.

If you are a freelancer in the tech field, art, graphic design, journalism, architecture, engineering, laws, copywriting or planning to become one ;-), pick yourself up, head to ForwardLB and you won't regret it.

For more information about ForwardLB, check out their Facebook page and their official website forwardlb.org.