Freelancing Through an Aging Lens

Why I think I have the best friends:

When I came down with COVID, my writer chums reached out. Some offered to help with the site, others with material. And they all asked how I was and checked in regularly.

Since I’m better but not quite 100 percent, Cathy Miller is providing today’s post. And let me tell you, it’s an eye-opening reflection on where our careers have taken us, and how we can get to where we want to be. Thank you, my friend. Your words gracing this site make us all better writers and business owners.

Freelancing Through an Aging Lens

By Cathy Miller

When I began freelancing in 2008, I had more working miles behind me than ahead. That’s a polite way of saying I’m old. As I transition from my role as a business writer, I pause to observe our freelancing world through my aging lens.

An Escape from Chaos

I began my freelancing career more as a desperate attempt to regain my self (and no spellcheck, I do not mean “myself”). Thirty-plus years in a corporate career left me burned-out, unhealthy, and in need of a lifeline.

I wanted to try freelancing at least eight years earlier. But fear kept me from leaving the corporate safety net. Until there was no other choice (if I wanted to survive). I realize that sounds melodramatic, but I believe I would have died young had I not moved to freelancing.

Little did I know how small my situation would appear against the likes of a global pandemic.

There are Worse Things than Chaos

Even the most creative writers would have a hard time coming up with a year like 2020. Chaos of a different kind ran rampant, topped off by a global pandemic that plowed through our personal and business lives.

Did your projects stall? Have clients disappeared? You may consider yourself lucky if that’s the worst that happened, considering the loss of nearly 3 million lives worldwide from COVID. However, that does not diminish the stress from wondering if your business will make it.

The Business Side of Freelancing

Whether you came to freelancing by necessity or choice, one shared factor exists – you are running a business. Do you look at your freelancing that way? Even if you believe your situation is temporary, it is still a business and I recommend viewing it like that. So, what does that mean?

1. Have a Business Plan

The term “business plan” sounds intimidating. It doesn’t need to be. If you know me, you know I love simple. My business plan for my early freelancing days was simply to do better than the year before.

In a prior post, Lori shared a good place to start. Identify your business areas for monitoring, such as Lori’s list at the time.

• Goals – e.g., annual income, who do you want to work with
• Targets – e.g., earnings target (weekly/monthly/quarterly – you choose)
• Clients – who are they? How many?
• Expansion plans – potential direction for business
• New markets – beyond your existing clients
• Marketing – target market? Methods? How often? How do you track it?

Depending on where you are with your business, you may want to pare down your areas for review. For example, if you are in the early stages, perhaps all you need is: Income, Marketing, Clients. Where you start and what you focus on is up to you. Just start somewhere.

My favorite business mantra is ~

[bctt tweet=”“The nice thing about plans is you can always change them.” –Simply Stated Business” username=”LoriWidmer”]

2. Learn to Pivot

Do you watch Shark Tank? I’m not a regular disciple but I enjoy hearing some of the backstories. Like so many of us, 2020 was hard on the entrepreneurs and small businesses pitching their ideas on Shark Tank. The show also features businesses that landed deals with the Sharks.

A trait I kept hearing about companies doing business in 2020 was their ability to pivot. For example, a big part of one company’s marketing was trade shows. COVID slammed the door on that strategy. So, they had to pivot. They took their marketing online in the form of videos or Zoom calls with customers.

Think about your own business. Perhaps you targeted potential clients through mailings to their worksite. But now, no one’s there. They’re working from home – or closed. Not to mention how unreliable the Post Office has become. What do you do? Learn to Pivot.

• Bump up your social media activity.
• Conquer your fear of videos.
• Help customers with their own pandemic communication hurdles.

“Flexibility is the key to stability.” —John Wooden

3. Diversify Your Income

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I admit, I am not as good at diversifying as I’d like. If one revenue stream dries up, you need to branch out. The following are a few ideas.

New writing niche – some businesses are thriving during the pandemic. Learn about their business. Go to the social media sites where they hang out. Show them you understand their business and what you have to offer with your writing skills.

Devon Ellington is a master at diversity. She works under several names writing fiction, nonfiction, theatre, radio, film, sports, and business writing. How’s that for diversified?

Side hustles – Yuwanda Black is another professional who has always known how to pivot. Her post, 7 High-Paying Side Hustles… offers creative ideas you can start by using your COVID stimulus check.

Learn new skills – You have multiple resources for learning new skills. LinkedIn Learning offers courses in Business, Technology, and Creative topics. Or check out some of the courses posted in 13+ Essential (Free) Courses for Freelance Writers.

“The future is always coming up with surprises for us, and the best way to insulate yourself from these surprises is to diversify.”– Robert J. Shiller

It’s Your Business

A global pandemic is frightening. We all feel a loss of control. Its effect can steamroll over our lives and our business – if we let it. Believe in your business (and you) and fight for its survival. No one else will do it for you.

1.      Have a plan.

2.      Prepare to pivot.

3.      Diversify

How has the pandemic affected your business? What have you done to keep it going?

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Cathy Miller has a business communications blog at Simply stated business. Her blog, Why 60 Miles, is inspired by her passion for walking 60 miles in 3 days to support research for finding a cure for cancer.