Securing regular work can be a dream come true for a freelancer. Instead of wondering where your next paycheck will come from, a client you work with frequently enables you to enjoy stability while still being able to have that freelance freedom we all love.
But if all you are doing is taking assignments from the same clients, you could be hampering your overall business efforts. Why? Because opportunities come and go. A regular gig can dry up just as quickly as a one-time job. And if you’re only working with the same pool of people, you’re not making any new connections for the future.
Focus on your marketing efforts. Unfortunately, I sometimes fall into an assignment rut. Actually, I go in and out of them. But I always remind myself to break out of them by continuing my marketing efforts. Getting out of “assignment mode” does not mean you have to stop taking regular jobs–the goal is to make time for marketing while you are enjoying all of that regular work. It will help you build up your network, retain clients and plant seeds for future projects. So go ahead and send out another email newsletter or mail out more brochures. This will help ensure you are constantly “out there.” I find this works because some leads do not contact back for months (or even years). So by continuously working on my marketing initiatives, I am always cultivating new connections.
Work on your passion project. You’ve got one, right? If not, you should. Just because you are living the dream as a developer doesn’t mean you’re working on projects that you are passionate about. For example, I work as a copywriter and generally enjoy what I do. But my passion is writing books and magazine articles. Every once in a while, you have to get out of money-making mode and do something you enjoy. A good way to switch gears, even if you just need a mental change, is to work on a project that encompasses the creative talent you use for business, but fulfills you on more of a personal level. Go ahead–get into a studio and work on your painting, pick up the camera and take some photos or pen your memoir. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, a change in course can help you work better.
Schedule time for non-assignments. Sometimes assignment work can get boring–fast. If you’re slammed with work, you don’t have to become a workaholic. You may be able to schedule your assignments in blocks, or work on them during specific days. Maybe you can take a day off from assignments and work on projects–or just get away from work altogether if you really need the break. Again, it’s great to have steady work but you don’t want to let it encapsulate you.
Get inspired. Sometimes I’m on a long assignment and I just need to remember that, while I’m grateful for the steady work, I am also looking forward to the project ending so I can focus my efforts somewhere else. If I’m swamped and I don’t have time to work on anything else (this doesn’t happen often because I keep a solid pipeline of work from a variety of clients) I usually hit up an inspiring blog or browse a book I enjoy. Usually I look at book reviews or read magazine articles and remind myself that, once my assignment is up, I will have the time again to enjoy a more balanced approach to work.
Think about assignment ruts. Remember, it’s fantastic to take on assignments (and if you have the kind where you can load up during less-busy times, even better). Some freelancers work with only a client or two taking on regular assignments. But this business model can leave you high and dry if a client chooses another freelancer or does not need your services anymore. Keep diversifying. You can always enjoy an assignment–but make sure you have multiple sources giving you the gigs.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.