Today we should be near Fort William or Glencoe. There’s a chance we’ll be back on the Isle of Skye, one of my favorite places. Doesn’t matter — the point is I probably won’t be around today.
When I return this weekend, I’ll be thrust right back into work and right back into building up the client projects yet again. So far this year, my work has been 99 percent referral business (1% was magazine queries). I’ll be sending out queries on Monday. Easiest way to get back into work is through magazines.
While all is going well this year, I’ve been feeling a bit stagnant lately. So it’s time I haul out some new approaches. We do get bored with the routine sometimes, don’t we? Or maybe we’ve been working at the same pace for years, but not quite getting past a certain earnings bracket.
Time to expand. Here are four ways to do that:
Teach others. It astounds me how many businesses (and frankly sales-focused businesses) don’t really know how to communicate with their customers. An example: This sentence was part of how to improve a company’s customer service experience: “Increase your individual, team and organizational effectiveness and capacity through lean processes and efficiency” Huh? These people need help!
Why not show them what you know? Hold onsite seminars, Twitter chats that are a prelude to your online webinar or e-book.
Specialize. Go big by going niche. A great way to increase your current freelance writing business is to find an area of writing and make it yours. Resume writing, white paper writing, brochure design… whatever you love doing can become a great business enhancement.
Edit business communications. If you’ve ever read an article full of sentences like the one in my first example, you know there’s a huge need for editing in business communications. Don’t ask the company for the job of writing these pieces, particularly if you know they have people who do that. Instead, offer your editing services.
Add a complementary skill. Maybe you’re known for amazing website copy. If so, think about adding website design to that menu. Or maybe your book editing clients are always asking you to promote their finished product. Do you write resumes? You might want to consider training and serving as an interview coach. (Note: don’t do any of these things without adequate skills/training. Otherwise, you could harm your clients and your own reputation.)
Writers, how do you enhance and expand your business?
When was the last time you were able to add to your current skills? In what way?