5 Ways to Stay Productive When Out of Freelance Work

The typical freelance career looks like a wave. It has “crests”, where you have more than enough work to keep you going, and “troughs”, where you have little, if any, work on your plate.

During the “trough” or “famine” periods, you have to be extra careful since it’s when you’re most vulnerable to being upset, desperate and ready to take on any job, no matter how degrading the work and/or the pay, as long as you can get by. Nevertheless, there are better ways to deal with “troughs” than settling for the low-hanging fruit.

Think about it. If you have less work at the moment, you have more free time to focus on tasks that can help with your freelance business. These 5 tasks increase your productivity, flex your entrepreneurial muscles, and most importantly, give your business a push in the right direction, whether you’re in a “crest” or a “trough”.

1. Pitch guest posts to websites in your niche

Do you have any skills, knowledge or experience that the Average Joe can’t easily learn/fake? Use these to your advantage by pitching article ideas to websites that align with your interests and expertise.

However, use guest posting in moderation. If you have something to say, and can put a unique yet grounded spin on what you want to say, then by all means send in that pitch. If you’re only guest posting for the exposure and backlinks at the expense of your readers, there’s a good chance Google will penalise you for that.

2. Update your online profiles

If you’ve learned new skills, gained more experience or just finished a major project you’re proud of, it can only do you good to have your professional online profiles reflect that.

Also, if your freelance rates are available for public viewing, you might want to update those too. You don’t want to be in an awkward situation where you have to explain to a client why you’re charging 120 dollars per hour today, when your website says you only charge 80 dollars per hour.

3. Learn new skills or hone existing ones

Now that your schedule is wide open, you don’t really have an excuse not to improve your current skill set. If you want to keep your core skills nice and sharp, even without a job, try initiating a pet project. The great thing about pet projects is that you have full control over everything: the pacing, the deadlines, the artistic direction, etc.

You might also want to read more books, take more courses, and keep abreast of the latest developments in your industry, so you won’t feel “rusty” or “out of touch”.

Networking with other freelancers, especially the more experienced ones, is likewise a step in the right direction.

4. Organise your paperwork

Although paperwork can be nightmarish to deal with, this doesn’t change the fact that contracts, invoices, feedback survey forms and the like, are indispensable for the serious freelancer. These documents can easily get lost in your computer or cloud drives, so it’s a good idea to keep them organised while you still have the time.

5. Market yourself

Now that your potential competition is on the rise, you can no longer afford to just let your talent speak for itself. You have to work harder to get yourself noticed by setting up a website, showcasing your work through that website and promoting the same through social media.

SOURCE: Hongkiat