Coronavirus has thrown a lot of self employed folk and freelancers into a very quiet time. Anyone else feel like it’s the week between Christmas and New Year, without the ugly jumpers, fairy lights and the fact it’s going to last for flippin’ months? I’ve been thinking about things to do when business is quiet and how we can all prepare for when things pick up.
Develop Your Skills
Have you wanted to add something else to the service you offer to clients? If you’re a freelancer you often think this but it gets put on the backburner in favour of actual paying clients. There are so many courses being made free so now is the time to take advantage of an uncommon blend of freebies and time on your hands. These courses are across a wide range of things from blogging to photography and beyond. When you return to work you can add something else to your offerings.
Organise Your Website
You’ll be able to add any new skills and completed courses to your website so potential new customers can see what you can do. Get your website and online presence on point. Is your LinkedIn profile up to date? Take some of things time to make sure that the best possible version of you is being shown on the internet. You could even start a blog to keep your website fresh with regular new content. Maybe create a freebie which will get your name out there a little bit. Maybe an e-book or an email course so people sign up to your mailing list. There are ways and means of building your online reputation which will hopefully lead to future work.
Look At Your Rates
When was the last time you looked at the rates you charge for the work you do? Have you ever looked at competitors and the prices they charge? Maybe it’s time to have a good look at the packages you list on your website, the hourly rate you charge and figure out what you should be charging. A higher rate throughout the busy times make it less of a sting when business is quiet. Don’t out price yourself and be sure to have some flexibility in your rates arsenal.
Organise Your Budget
Planning your fiances is critical in both business and personal life when you have an irregular income. I’m not going to tell you how to spend your cash but I would suggest that if you are self employed or freelance, you nestle some money away for an emergency fund. Should the worst happen, clients leave and it goes beyond quiet, you can keep going for a little bit. Organise your budgets now and you’ll start sticking within them, knowing if you don’t, you’re going to be putting business and life at risk.
Network
One of the final things I suggest going when business is quiet, is joining business groups to network. Gone are the days that you have to get up at the crack of dawn and go to a hotel meeting room for a breakfast networking meet. Those still happen but there are so many online groups that are worth joining. Find one for the business that you run and start networking. Local business ones are good too as you can often pick up new projects and get your name out there in your community. Feel free to connect with me on Twitter.
Don’t see quiet times as a negative, even though I know you will. A better way to say it is to be down and worried about it for a day and then turn that frown upside down and battle back. No one got where they wanted without going through mountains and valleys. Use this canyon as a way to prepare to climb back up the cliff side.
