Deadlines and deliverables drying up due to coronavirus? Try a different approach for more desirable results.
As potential clients become more risk-averse it’s important to think outside the box and employ innovative ideas. Our advice will help you recover from the impact of a socially-distant world…
Reach out to old clients
Repeat business is a great source of revenue and should be one of your first ports of call when things are quieter than usual. Your clients are also likely to be experiencing a difficult period and could have put off getting in touch or perhaps they’ve forgotten to enquire about a new project, don’t let that put you off from sending that first email. Start a conversation by checking in on your previous work and seeing how it can be tweaked for an audience consumed by the crisis – at the worst you might end up with a lucrative referral instead.
Develop your skills
A quiet spell is the perfect opportunity to master a tool or piece of software you promised you’d make time for while tackling a busy schedule. Even if you haven’t thought to build on your skills before now, there’s no better time to look for gaps in your knowledge and boost your CV. You’ll be ready to offer more services, better paid services and weather a difficult period by remotely honing your craft.
Improve your marketing
Being an excellent copywriter or an impressive graphic designer will only get you so far in business, as success depends on your ability to share your skills with the world. Have you let things slip on your social media accounts? Could you offer an interesting view on a blog? Perhaps polishing-up your portfolio is all you need, make sure you explore every way you can raise your profile with the world in lock down.
Rethink your rates
Do you work on an hourly rate? Maybe your fees are project-based? Either way it’s time to take a critical look at your pricing. Ask how much value you are adding rather than how much time you will need to complete a task. Maybe you need to lower costs to attract new clients. No matter what the case, your fees should take holiday leave into account to relieve yourself of financial pressure throughout the year.
Plan for the next quiet spell
Global pandemics don’t come around too often but it’s important to learn from your slow spell to mitigate the chances of experiencing another. Could you allocate time towards projects for quieter periods of the year? Will seasonal price changes appeal to some clients? Understanding why things became difficult and making appropriate changes could give you the safety net you need for a brighter future.
Posted by The Secret Businessman
Image credits: shironosov & Viorel Kurnosov