What’s on the iPod: To the Sea by Jack Johnson
Interesting day yesterday. I managed four projects and the beginning of a fifth (project, that is) before 3 pm. How I’ll never know. Maybe it was my eagerness to return to working. Nothing done on NaNo. Every time I started I remembered another project that I could dash off.
Today may be somewhat frustrating as I finish a larger project and take care of some very unnecessary errands. When I was in Manhattan on Monday, I’d bought something at Club Monaco. With all the guests here, I didn’t open the bag again until yesterday. They’d left the security tag on it. So now I have to A) ship it to New York so they can remove it, B) take it to our local store, which is in the city and a train ride away, or C) find a way via the Internet to get the infernal thing off. And let me tell you – I was presented with only the first option by a manager who was not quite present enough in the situation. I got an apology, but if I follow her suggestion, I also have the expense of mailing that sucker back. I may get back on the phone and get heated. Because of someone else’s inattention, I’m having to double my efforts just to wear the thing.
Some bad news on the work front – two clients came to me with reduced workloads. One is reduced by 75 percent monthly. The other is at the mercy of their clients, whose job requests have tapered off for some reason. That’s about a $2K bite out of the income. So I spent a little more time yesterday crafting queries.
But don’t we know that’s coming anyway? Ours is a cyclical business. Those regular clients today turn into distant memories within a week. Budgets dry up. Needs are fulfilled. Directions are shifted, and we’re suddenly without those projects that serve as our financial foundation. I was somewhat prepared, but not adequately.
So how do we prepare for the unexpected? We have to treat every day like it’s our last with our regular clients. It may be. In numerous cases over the years I’ve watched what felt like sure things dry up overnight. Here’s how I combat it:
Market constantly. It’s why I preach marketing when you’re busy. Tomorrow, you may not be busy at all. Keep the projects coming in and you’ll not have such an impact to your income when one or two clients bow out.
Keep in touch with existing and past clients. Today’s email or Twitter interaction could be tomorrow’s gig. Make sure you cultivate your relationships. Just be genuine about it. No one likes to hear from someone whose only message is “I need work – have any?” Build relationships like friendships – care about that person.
Heed the intuition. The one client’s note came as no real surprise. I had been wondering for two months now if the work was about to be decreased. I was supplying quite a bit. If you feel it, act on it.
Always have another direction in which to go. I’m sitting on a writing course I’ve developed. I could put it online tomorrow. In fact, I may. It’s something I’ve been tweaking endlessly. It’s a direction I’ve not gone before, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do. What are you wanting to do? Use that as your next new direction.
How do you recover from lost business?
9 responses to “The Cycle Turns”
Bummer, Lori, but you're right, it's the life of a freelancer. I just had a 2 article/month regular pull the plug for who knows how long.
Earlier in the year, ongoing projects from one of my 1st clients completely dried up. And along came a new, better-paying one. I have Pollyanna tendencies, but it never ceases to amaze me when one window closes, another opens up. But, that didn't happen by itself. You are so right about the marketing. And marketing includes the soft marketing aspect of social media. It took me a while to get more strategic about it and narrow my focus to just a few venues. For me, that's LinkedIn. I get a lot of business from LinkedIn. The other "soft marketing" is having a site that showcases your work. Your next great client may be lurking around there so put your best words forward. 🙂
Have a great weekend everyone!
I hear ya. One of my longtime clients cut their business in half last year, then filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, so there went the other half. It was a low-five-figure annual account, so not an insignificant departure — but, not a darn thing I could do about it. When they cut the newsletter from 4x/yr to 2x/yr, I saw the trajectory.
(I've never really thought of it till just now, but it's what my dad dealt with all the time as an independent sales rep: If he started to do really well, they'd cut his territory in half.)
How to recover? Dark rum, mourn, move on.
You're right that prevention is the only satisfactory strategy. The overarching message for me has always been to diversify: different types of media (i.e., web, print, video, audio) and industries as well as a variety of clients. I've always believed the saying on Wall Street holds true on Freelance Street: "There's always a bull market somewhere."
Sorry about losing the gigs. I think we've all been there at least once.
The thing is freelancers are very resourceful. I've had friends say how scary it would be not to have a regular paycheck. Well, yeah. It can be. But getting loads of irregular checks isn't bad, either, when you consider we never have to worry about being laid off. We win clients, we lose clients, but we never lose our ability to win new clients. At least not when we follow your lead and market-market-market.
Remember the old network, network, network? It really works!
Would you consider one-off literary manuscripts to edit? Or a collection of short stories headed to be a book. Or laying out a book for self-publishing? Or ghostwriting yet another book about domestic violence (this one in the military)? Actually it is a proposal that's needed for that project.
These are only the latest I've talked the clients out of hiring me to work on. If you're game, I'll start sending them your way!
Hey! I just remembered you're a writer — slow time? Write something valuable and if no one buys it, publish it yourself! Although I have enough work, I'm taking time to prepare my first book for Amazon's DTP (Kindle format). If it sells as well as the reviews and articles are, I'll be able to retire some day!
Good luck. I know you are a versatile and resilient woman with a lovely tweet side!
Georganna, definitely! Let me shoot you a note.
Cathy, I'm a believer in that, as well. Doors closing now mean someone's prying open another, better one.
Great point, Jake. Diversifying keeps the damage to a minimum. And dark rum heals deep scars. 🙂
Paula, it's odd, but it gets less scary as time passes. Maybe because we've learned how to be resourceful? I feel now that I'll never be unemployed. There's always work to be had somewhere. Mind you, I have to look for it and ask for it, but it's there if I do the legwork.
Definitely interested, Georganna. 🙂
Communicating with your current clients is something that I've dealt with recently.
My dad's health has taken a turn for the worse and it looks like he won't be hanging around with us much longer, so I contacted my current clients to let them know the basics of what's going on (not every personal detail though) and that I won't be available for a bit.
Since I want to spend some time with him in case he does go, I worked hard at getting ahead of the regular projects, so those clients are not hanging high and dry and I can be with my dad as much as possible and not have to worry about my business as much.
No one has a problem with it and they say they plan to contact me later on to see if I'm up for more projects. Being open, honest and communicating with them keeps a bond going, so that they're kept in the loop. In some cases, they stick by you and that's one of the things I love about my freelancing experience.
I won't be around much, but I plan to come back later on. In the meantime, I hope work picks up for you and you gain more clients.
@Lori – ugh! Sorry to hear that. I know you'll replace the income in no time, though.
@Georganna – we all need friends like you! I've been trying to network more for referrals and it *is* slowly working. How nice of you to offer that up to Lori. 🙂
@Wendy – so sorry to hear about your dad. You'll be in my thoughts.
I am actually heading to a business breakfast sponsored by a local radio station. Each month they put one on for local businesses to network together. I am actually looking forward to getting more involved in the local market and as Georganna said, "Network, network, network."
Does anyone else try to utilize local businesses or magazines when things slow down a bit?
I figured it is a good way to supplement the holiday-months income as businesses are still trying to gear up for the big shopping days.
@Wendy – I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I wish I could have been in the same position as you are now, to take some time off to be with my dad. Relish the moments and make sure you tie up any loose ends in your relationship if there are any. You will be in my thoughts.