Carefully crafted copy
Even if work slows down, you should be able to find plenty of things to do. Things like: updating your website, updating your CV, calling potential customers, calling clients and saying hello, arranging meetings with colleagues, book-keeping, admin, back-ups, blogging, networking, reading books and blogs, skill-swapping and evaluating your competition.
You should never be ‘finished’.
If people offer to put you in touch with rich veins of work, thank them, but act as though it isn’t happening. Never rely on other people to do your work for you. And always assume that those helpful people will forget to carry out their promises, just in case they do forget.
But never resent people for forgetting little things like this. Remember that everyone is just as busy as you are.
Try everything. You can’t predict where you will find work, or where work will find you. Explore your business world.
Try a little of everything and see what works. Fortune favours the brave.
Without regular, persistent, thoughtful marketing, most freelancers would not last long out of regular employment.
So don’t forget to market yourself. You are a brand, a business and a person. All three are marketable. Some people shy away from marketing, perhaps because it sounds too American and corporate, but to me ‘marketing’ just means telling people that you exist. If you’re offering a good, professional service there’s no reason why you shouldn’t let people know.
Volunteer your services. Better to be working for nothing than working at nothing. Most charities would love to hear from you. Help people. Make a difference. Do something wonderful.
And you don’t have to volunteer for charities – many small businesses struggle to exist. Help a friend or a friend’s friend to succeed in their new venture. Each bit of experience you collect has massive potential benefits:
So I recommend that you embrace any opportunity to get involved. Of course, be careful not to get a reputation as the person who does things for free.
Kendall Copywriting Ltd 2009
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