One of my least favorite things about freelancing is not always having a steady stream of work. I am usually busy enough but sometimes if it gets quiet I start to worry if things will stay that way or if it’s just a lull. I’ve found that it always picks up whether I worry about it or not so it’s best to try not to worry. ;-)
I have, however, come across an excellent why to find more work when things are slow.
Ask for it
That’s right. When work is slow and not a lot of business is coming in, ask your best clients for work.
Well, maybe not directly but I will send out an email asking them if everything is working properly on their site and if there are any issues that need to be fixed. I will mention that I have some free blocks in my schedule and can do the work for them immediately.
And about 65% of the clients I contact have work for me. Usually they have been thinking about a project but haven’t gotten around to contacting me or they are worried that I’m too busy to work on it. They are generally glad that I contacted them first.
When I complete a project and the client is happy, I always send a follow-up email letting them know that I enjoyed working with them and please keep me in mind for future projects. I also mention to feel free to refer me any of their friends or colleagues. Frequently, this one email at the end of the project brings in another project.
So, don’t always wait for the work to come to you. If your work schedule isn’t filling up, make some calls and send some emails asking for work and chances are soon you will be super busy again.
If you freelance, what do you do when business is slow?
photo credit: WindRanch
Hi Kim.
When I get little time over, try I to search for new clients on internet and in magazins, becouse in that moment do I have time to talk with them without stress or my head are somewhere.
//Lennart
Do you use specific sites?
I do find that when I contact people for work I then suddenly have too much work :-)
When things are slow I just post an advert post on a forum like Digital Point and normally find a lotof people wanting my services.
The only problem with that forum is the people who respond tend to want really cheap labour ($0.01 per word?) So you have to stick to your guns on your price.
.-= Dean Saliba´s last blog ..Would You Pay To Have WordPress Installed For You =-.
Hi Dean – I find that most sites like that don’t pay a high enough wage to make it worth my time. If I’m really desperate, I might accept the lower rate but fortunately that hasn’t happened in a really long time.
This is excellent advice. I also like the idea of a follow-up email at the end of each project.
.-= vered – blogger for hire´s last blog ..Why Do You Like Me =-.
Hi Vered – I didn’t use to do that and then the first time I did the client gave me two more projects. I was like, “why didn’t I do this before?” ;-)
Kim,
One thing I’m working on for my business are processes that to follow up with clients, see if there’s more work and ask for referrals. The easiest sale is the one made to happy customers.
A great book I’ve read on this whole idea is “Referral Engine”
Take care!
John
.-= John Haydon´s last blog ..A Case Study In Launching A Facebook Page =-.
Hi John – Thanks for the book recommendation! I’ve also found sending a follow up asking if everything is working correctly shows the client that you care about their satisfaction and often brings in more work as well.
Of course, asking in the right circles is a good idea. I know that in real estate, all sorts of agents would appreciate the help. We have two college ages kids who help us, but other agents do not have time to do the simple things like blogging. Most do not even have a blog!
.-= Colleen´s last blog ..Barnard Griffin Winery’s 5 for 5 at 5-00pm =-.
Hi Colleen – I guess it depends on the type of work that you do. I would think real estate is very different than coding. :-)
Great advice as I am working my way back into the workforce and none too excited about it. Thank you….Asking is good in many fields of endeavor
.-= Patricia´s last blog ..Stopping to Smell the Flowers =-.
Hi Patricia – Talking to friends and other people you know about job opportunities is usually more effective than sending in resumes. Good luck!
Kim: Excellent bit of advice and often times over-looked! If you want the business, you have to ask for it.
Here’s what I’ve done that’s worked rather well. Once a month (sometimes bi-weekly), I host a free “WordPress 101” Webinar. I limit the seats to the first 15 people. Once it’s all said and done, I have a list of interested prospects who I follow up with to see if there’s any areas where I can help.
.-= Ricardo Bueno´s last blog ..Why Intelligent People Fail =-.
Hi Ricardo – That’s an excellent idea! At first I read it as weekly and I was thinking, how does he do that. Monthly sounds a lot better. Do you cover intro level topics like writing posts?
Kim, great advice and as one of your clients, I think that a reminder to see if the plug-ins are all updated or anything else that your client might not want to do themselves is done. I am loving the new digg-digg plug-in you installed yesterday for me as well as the improvement on my Professional affiliations section. It is working great. Time will tell on the analytics code you placed in the footer but I am confident that wherever I put it was only on one post not where it belonged.
That’s the benefit of having someone like you around. You know where things go. Even with Headway making my life so much easier than Dreamweaver, I am so glad to pass things off too you!
Thank you again!
.-= Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..Is Hope on the Horizon =-.
Hi Julie – Thanks! And I’m so glad you like the new features on your site :-)
Hi Kim – The follow up email or call is always a nice touch. And it’s great that you are able to get work so easily to fill in those spare blocks of time.
In the past, I always used to panic if I had a slow week or two but as you say, worrying doesn’t make a difference.
Other things you can do when you have spare blocks of time is over special deals to your existing customers. You could do a package – if they need a few hours work doing now and some more next month, you would give them a discount if they booked both now.
Or you could use the time to write an information product for those people who prefer to be DIY’ers.
.-= Cath Noble´s last blog ..Why You Are Letting Your Blog Readers Down =-.
Hi Cath – Sometimes I really start to worry – it doesn’t do much good and usually things turn around.
Offering existing customers a discount is an excellent idea!!
Sorry – that was meant to say “offer” special deals.
.-= Cath Noble´s last blog ..Why You Are Letting Your Blog Readers Down =-.
Hi Kim,
This really is some of the best I’ve seen in quite a while for freelance writers. I think that sometimes we forget to be a bit proactive and reach out to folks. That 65% rate is fantastic and is a good indicator of what an important lesson this is.
George
.-= George Angus´s last blog ..Eats- Shoots & Leaves- A Less Than Punctual Review =-.
Hi George – Thanks! The 65% isn’t an exact figure but I knew it was more than half ;-) Recently I contacted 2 people and both gave me work.