The Freelance Market Is Temporarily Closed
Acqyr.com
Think I've been neglecting this blog? Then you don't even want to know how badly I've been neglecting my marketing efforts. My friend, Lori Widmer frequently makes it a point to remind us freelancers how important it is to continue looking for work even (and especially) when we're experiencing a feast.
Usually I take Lori's advice to heart, but I have to admit that I've gotten lax of late in the job application department. Work is good--really good--these days. In fact, I'm pretty much booked up through the first week of October. The problem is, at the end of each long and exhausting day, the last thing I want to be doing is looking for more work.
During times like these, these are the types of questions that cross my mind. So I thought maybe they might cross yours too when you're busy:
1. Why waste my precious time on leads that aren't likely to actually lead me anywhere? Why not let the clients find me?
2. I'm already overworked. What do I tell a lead if it actually pans out? "Yes, I'd love to work with you. Sorry, but you'll have to wait a month for me to fit you in." Yeah, then I'll be the one hearing, "Screw you!"
3. When my current workload finally dies down, don't I deserve a break?
All of these are valid observations (excuses), but danger also lurks in each and every one of them. If I don't get back into marketing mode soon, chances are October and/or November is going to be looking pretty famine-y. What do you do when you're just too busy to pound the freelance pavement?
Labels: discussions
posted by Irreverent Freelancer @ 6:03 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
This sounds a lot like me lately. I feel very guilty about slacking up on my marketing routine just because I'm busy, but man there are only so many hours in the day! I know, I just need to get more organized...
Yep. Sounds like me too until I made the decision this year to cut way back on my freelance work and to have more fun with it.
When I feel too busy to market, I think about the big client I used to rely on for several years--who was bought by another company and reassigned my work to a staff person.
I experienced a sudden drop in income that I'll never forget. So I always do some form of marketing--even if it's networking with potential clients, rather than sending queries for specific jobs--no matter how busy I get.
debbie mack, you've made a GOOD point!
I don't market as much as I used to. I have steady work from enough sources that if I lost a client, it wouldn't be a big enough loss to make a dent. I would consider it a nice break, frankly. :-) If for some reason all my clients dropped off the face of the earth, I have plenty of funds saved up. I don't worry about that happening, but if it did I would pitch around and find something else. If I were marketing myself to new clients right now, I would be doing what you say and having to turn them away (thereby making myself look like an idiot). Maybe it's an excuse, but I think it's a legitimate one. :-)
And here I thought this was just my own dirty little secret. It's refreshing to know that others are 'fessing up to feeling the same way.
Thanks for the link love, doll. Here's what I do when things are too busy for me to look for work:
I contact past clients. It takes a few minutes to locate their emails and send out a "How are you? I'm seeing some time opening up on my schedule in a few weeks - is there anything I can help with?" note. I sat here last week grimacing under the weight of some pretty large projects, but I still sent out a note to a magazine with a new article idea. You don't have to spend hours on it - just a few minutes looking in tried-and-true places may net you the work you'll need once the current rush is over.
Right now I'm working for a client that supplied me with a TON of work this year. There are two slow periods - I just squeaked through the first. My goal is to work my arse off for them, doubling up on work if I can, so that the December slowdown won't hurt so much.
If they disappeared, I'd have to find someone to replace a $20K gap in my revenue stream. That's NOT something I want to have happen!
Kathy, another thought: Why not schedule a break for that second week of October? It's a great time to take a drive and enjoy the fall colors. You of all people don't have to drive far!
Schedule the vacation. Then watch the work come streaming in two days before you leave. LOL
I like Lori's idea - You could come visit me! ;-D
I'm glad I'm not the only one. But I too worry about the famine part again. I'm trying to secure enough work through smaller jobs right now rather than large projects so I don't feel so exhausted and I still have the time to market or write for myself - which it seems like when I am really busy, there is no time for.
I used to do a lot of marketing during "feast" seasons too, but I've had to turn down offers because I was too busy to take them on. I'd often wonder if I'm the only one who's had that kind of problem, since everyone kept reminding everybody else never to stop applying for jobs and networking.
Glad to know I'm not alone.
Great post, Kathy. I struggle with this one a lot!
2. I'm already overworked. What do I tell a lead if it actually pans out? "Yes, I'd love to work with you. Sorry, but you'll have to wait a month for me to fit you in." Yeah, then I'll be the one hearing, "Screw you!"
You read my mind. :)
Kristen
Kathy, it sounds like you've really hit on a universal feeling among freelancers. Not only am I not marketing, but I've having to turn away the fruits of my marketing efforts from a few months ago. That's the problem... One never knows when an editor might assign you an article that you pitched six months ago. Or when that client that you met at a networking event might finally be ready to get started on a project they've been promising for weeks. I guess that is just par for the course.
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