Building a client network as a freelancer or founder

Key rules

• Referrals: Personal contacts and recommendations are the biggest source of clients, so put most of your effort there.
• Introductions: Ask a mutual contact to introduce you instead of emailing a stranger cold.
• Time: Plan several meetings, often including a meal, before you expect a firm commitment.
• Decision-maker: The first person you meet may not decide, so ask who else needs to approve.

Start with referrals

In Spain, most freelancers get clients through word of mouth, referrals, and former employers or colleagues. Tell everyone you know what you do and who you want to work for. Ask for introductions, not just leads.

Other channels come second: LinkedIn, your own website and social media, freelance platforms, and subcontracting through agencies and consultancies. Use them to support your network, not to replace it. The decision table below compares where to put your effort.

Join an autónomo association

The main national associations are ATA (the largest), UPTA (linked to the UGT union) and OPA. Others include CIAE and UATAE (linked to the CCOO union), plus regional and sector groups, local chambers of commerce and professional colleges.

They usually offer advice on taxes, social security and legal questions, plus training, discounts, insurance and networking events. Many give free information, and membership may be free or paid. Terms and fees vary by association and region, so compare on each website before you pay.

Use coworkings and startup hubs

Larger cities have established hubs. Examples are Impact Hub and Talent Garden in Madrid and Barcelona, Betahaus in Barcelona, and Lanzadera and Las Naves in Valencia. Málaga and Bilbao also have active hubs.

They run meetups, afterworks, pitch nights, community breakfasts and workshops. Many events are free or low cost and need registration through an events site. A coworking desk needs a paid membership, but many spaces sell day passes, which is a cheap way to try one.

Go to a desayuno de trabajo

A desayuno de trabajo is a morning networking meeting over coffee and a light breakfast. Chambers of commerce, business associations, clubs, media and companies organise them, often with a speaker and questions. They usually run from about 8:30 to 10:00, in a hotel or restaurant. They are most common in Madrid and Barcelona.

Some are free, some are sponsored, and some charge a fee that covers the breakfast. Arrive on time, dress business-smart, introduce yourself, swap cards or LinkedIn details, and follow up in the next few days.

Expect trust to take time

Spanish business runs on relationships. Expect several face-to-face meetings, often including a long meal, before a firm commitment. Small talk and personal interest come first, and business comes later in the meal.

An introduction from a mutual contact speeds things up a lot. Cold emails tend to get slow replies. Things move more slowly in small and family firms and in the south. They move faster in multinationals and in startups in Madrid or Barcelona. Contracts are still signed formally, but usually only after rapport exists.

Find the real decision-maker

Spanish firms are fairly hierarchical. In small, medium and family firms, the owner or managing director (director general) usually decides. The first person you meet may be a gatekeeper who can only recommend.

Watch who the others defer to, who speaks last, who sets the next meeting and who can commit on price. Ask politely who else needs to approve, and ask to include that person in the next meeting. A lunch invitation from a senior person usually means real interest. In large companies, expect committees, purchasing and legal review.

The checklist below gives the steps in order.

Choosing between options

Where should you put your effort to find clients in Spain?

• Referrals and personal contacts: Best first choice: most Spanish freelancers get clients through word of mouth, former employers and colleagues.

• Venues such as associations, coworkings and business breakfasts: Use these when you have few contacts yet, to meet people who can refer you.

• Online platforms and your own website: Use these as a secondary channel, or to fill gaps while your network grows.

Start with referrals and personal contacts, build more of them through venues and events, and use platforms and your website as a backup.

Checklist

• Look at the main autónomo associations (ATA, UPTA, OPA) and compare their advice, training and networking events before choosing one.

• Join the association whose membership terms and fees suit you, or start with its free information and events.

• Find the coworkings and startup hubs in your city that run meetups, afterworks or pitch nights.

• Register for one free or low-cost event at a hub and go along.

• Go to a desayuno de trabajo (business breakfast), arriving on time and dressed business-smart.

• Introduce yourself and exchange cards or LinkedIn details with the people you meet.

• Ask a mutual contact for an introduction instead of cold emailing a prospect.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the real decision-maker at a Spanish client?

The real decision-maker is often the owner or managing director (director general), especially in family-run and small firms.

How many meetings does it take before a Spanish client signs?

Expect several face-to-face meetings, often over a long meal, before a firm commitment. It takes longer in small and family firms and in the south, and is faster in multinationals and in Madrid or Barcelona startups.

Should I rely on freelance platforms to find clients in Spain?

No, platforms such as Malt or Upwork are usually a secondary channel for Spanish freelancers. Most clients come from word of mouth, referrals and former employers or colleagues. Use platforms to fill gaps while your personal network grows.

Do I have to pay to go to a business breakfast?

Not always, because many business breakfasts are free and paid for by sponsors. Others charge a fee that covers the breakfast. They usually run from about 8:30 to 10:00, so check the price when you register.