Freelance Game Plan: Planning Ahead

Happy June! Who doesn’t love June? Sun, warm temps, outdoor activities ….

And a dearth of work as companies and clients go into vacation mode. Not all clients do, but enough people shift their brains to Relax Mode that it’s noticeable depending on the clients you work with. In the past, I saw work drop off from July through Labor Day (early September here in the states).

That was in the past. These days, the work is steady right up to Christmas week. So something changed, right? Right — my approach. And that’s the topic of today’s post. The plan going forward.

I saw an interesting conversation on Twitter a few weeks ago about how people approach work during the lean times. One poster lamented — rightly so — that too many companies are doing one-off types of tactics — selling in the moment rather than thinking beyond their immediate situation. What are they missing?

A long-term strategy. You know, a plan.

Part of that conversation included a poster who said they have a five-year plan. Know what it was? To continue doing the same thing. To be happy in her work, not stressed and overworked.

That’s a plan. It’s a noble one. And while the poster didn’t say it, I suspect she has other minutiae as part of that plan. Like earnings increases, or expanding into new areas. Something.

Or maybe she really is content to just be where she is. Good for her.

But is that good for you? Only you can say.

Either way, your future is what you make of it. Right now. Yes, five years passes quickly. One year goes by without notice anymore. How do you want to spend that time?

The answer that helps you grow? “Working strategically.”

[bctt tweet=”Planning your #freelance future now makes the journey infinitely easier.” username=”LoriWidmer”]

So thinking five years out may have your head swimming. Can’t imagine what it will be like? Then start smaller. In fact, I encourage you to plan out the next 12 months before diving into the next five years. Start with these items:

• The money you  hope to be making this year
• The clients/projects you’d like to take on
• Three things you can do to get these kinds of projects/clients

Those three things can be anything that you enjoy doing that could be considered marketing. Could be Twitter, email, phone, whatever you like doing that puts you in front of potential clients. Just list them. You don’t have to know what to do about it yet.

Now let’s look at those items you’ve mulled over. Let’s start with money. You’ve decided your yearly goal. Now, divide by 12. That’s how much you have to earn each month to reach that goal. I don’t break it down weekly because honestly, you’ll drive yourself nuts with constantly tracking it, missing some goals, and giving up out of frustration. Monthly is far enough out that you only have to track invoice totals.

Now, about those clients and projects:

Let’s say you’ve decided to concentrate on writing for the entertainment industry. Who buys entertainment writing? Those are your target clients. Write down as many as you can. Got a nice list going? Then start going down that list, one by one, and heading to websites to find out more about these people or companies. Feel free to scratch off ones that don’t interest you, or ones that don’t seem viable. This list isn’t permanent. In fact, none of your business planning should be. But we’ll get to that.

You want to write for more magazines. Or you want to write more for the industry itself — those companies that feed the entertainment industry (production, film, lighting, sound, film editing, costume design, you name it). Find associations that support these various trades. List them. Look for magazines that cover these areas (the associations often have magazines, so don’t overlook that). List them. Then do your homework. What do they need, what can you offer, etc.

Got it? Let’s move to those three things:

I don’t care if it’s you spending five minutes a day on LinkedIn forums or 30 minutes a week on sending email pitches — your next task will be the same.

Make a bulleted list of how you’re going to do those three things. Something like this:

• Send two tweets per day using these hashtags (whatever they are)
• Write one letter of introduction per week/follow up on one every week
• Comment on/share two items on LinkedIn on Tuesday and Friday

Do that 11 more times, making sure to increase your activity as you go along (maybe send two LOIs per week, then three, for example).

There. Your next 12 months have been planned.

I mentioned before that your business planning isn’t permanent. It shouldn’t be. Nothing you write down today has to be followed to the letter tomorrow. Look, things change. Opportunities show up. Ideas do, too. Write that list knowing you can amend it and add to it. Also, you can subtract from it those things you’re doing that aren’t working. Hell, you can even remove the projects/clients you’d like to target and replace them with others.

[bctt tweet=”A successful business plan is one you change as your #freelance business focus changes.” username=”LoriWidmer”]

How this relates to keeping work flowing:

If you plan ahead, you will see fewer gaps in your work schedule. You’ll get used to looking three months ahead. You’ll see June coming way back in March, and you’ll increase your marketing activity. You’ll get used to making adjustments to what you’re doing, and you’ll become really good at spotting opportunities, and you’ll learn what works best for you.

But you have to start. So give it a shot. Start with that simple exercise, wrap some details around it, layer on a manageable plan, and watch your efforts start to pay off.

Writers, how far in advance do you plan your activities? What works best for you?
How have your own strategies changed over the last year?