The Free Creatives

July 19, 2010 in Marketing, Productivity by Crystal

When we read articles on productivity here or elsewhere, we think of those freelancers that always have a few clients on their plate at any given time. We think of those freelancers that always have too much to do and too many clients to please. For many of us, of course, we wish that was our biggest problem.

The truth is though that many freelancers, no matter how successful, have slow times. These slow times may consist of only one or two clients for awhile, leaving them with far too much free time, or no clients at all for months on end. In these slow times, it can be difficult to stay on track, and to stay productive.

In this post we’re going to talk about ways to stay productive and always be growing your freelance business. When we don’t have to do anything, it can become easy to get lazy. Here are a list of things any freelancer can stay busy with during these slow times.

1. Blog

If you don’t have anything to do nearly every day, then be sure to blog every day. Every freelancer should have a blog, as it can be a very powerful marketing tool when used long-term. When freelancers are busy, sometimes their blogs get lost in the background. We all try our best to not let that happen, so take advantage of slow times to write.

2. Study

Learn something new. Buy a new book and read it, look up something new online, or just keep reading blogs for new techniques and methods. Whatever you do, don’t use your valuable free time to sit in front of the TV and drain your mind away. Keep it active and be inspired by new technologies and best practices in your field. A good freelancer should read at least one new book/ebook/resource a month, a great one likely reads more.

3. Design a Template, WordPress Theme, Icon Set, etc.

Whatever your specialty is, create a theme or template for that. If you specialize in WordPress, create a theme or plugin. If you create icons, create an icon set. Treat it just like a client project so you don’t get rusty, and then either send it out into the community for free or for a premium price. This can be a great way to make some side income as well as market your services for the future.

4. Look Again at Your Goals

Do you have any professional goals you’ve been putting on the back-burner? Have you waited to begin these goals until you have more money, time, or experience? Now is the time to start with those long-term goals. If you don’t have all the resources to finish completely, that’s fine. Every big project has a planning stage, or things you could start on in the meantime. Make a plan to reach your biggest professional goal, and get started.

5. Get Your Desk and Finances Organized

Get a head start with your taxes and start to get your finances in order. Clean up your desk, and re-organize all your papers. Clean up your computer and empty out old, unused files. By doing so, for one you’ll have a much easier time finding and using things, and you’ll have a much easier time come tax time. As an added bonus, you can get a clear look at your finances so far this year, and can look to see if you’re on the right track. This way, you can alter your methods as necessary for the rest of the year.

6. Write a Buzz-Piece

A buzz piece is a 7-10 page piece that is targeted at your clients. It is a very popular marketing method among freelancers, and business owners of all types. The idea is to write a guide, how-to, case study, or something of the like and give it away for free to prospects. By doing so, you can look like an expert in your field, and drive an insane amount of targeted client prospects to your portfolio and website.

Unfortunately, many freelancers don’t have a buzz piece at all. If you are one of the smart ones who does have one, look at it again for improvements, or create another! Then, send out a sales letter or market it via social media.

7. Keep Busy with B**** Work

If you’re in one of those situations where you don’t have a lot to do, but also don’t have a lot of savings to ride on, then it may be the time to start doing some side work you’re really not into. Babysit, get a temp job, do favors for friends, or look for cheaper web design projects that may not even be related to your niche. Michelle Goodman calls this bread and butter work, and she and many freelancers know that doing this type of work is sometimes necessary. If you’re really bored and desperate, look for this type of work. It can definitely be easier to come by.

8. Upgrade & Update Your Portfolio

Keep your portfolio updated with the latest and best pieces. Check your about page and whatever other content you may have on your portfolio and keep that updated as well. You may find that some information is out-of-date, or does not match your branding style anymore. By keeping this updated, you may find that a lot better targeted work comes your way.

9. Get in Touch with Older Clients

Send a short email or postcard to older clients to keep in touch. Know how they are doing and how their website (or other work you did for them) is holding up. Give some advise if necessary, and keep that professional relationship on great terms. That little reminder of “I’m still here!” may land you some more work in the near future through them or through their referrals.

10. Go Community Crazy

Log into LinkedIn, Twitter, your favorite forums and start in on all the conversations. Don’t get distracted and forget to comment! Don’t just read through, but actively participate. Do the same for some of your favorite blogs in your niche. This can help you to learn new things, and also become more well-known. This is probably the one most effective way of networking, and we all know how a great network can bring in the work.

What do you do in slow times?

Hopefully these ten items helped the many of you that are probably experiencing slow times right now. If not, in the future hopefully they will help! What do you tend to do during slow times? Are they productive or not?