How To Bounce Back If Your Freelance Work Dries Up

There are approximately 4.8 million self-employed people in the UK and around 2 million of these are freelancers. In an economic downturn, such as the one being caused by COVID-19, many freelancers see projects getting postponed or cancelled.   Losing work is stressful and it can be a cause of anxiety. If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone and there are steps you can take to keep your spirits up and to also find new projects.  We’ve spoken with a couple of freelancers to see how the coronavirus pandemic has affected them:  Ellen Holcombe, Freelance copywriter “The biggest impact is me losing my biggest contract due to the uncertainty of the next few months. Another thing that has changed is that I’m not able to go to my studio to work with other people  - I’m finding working from home pretty challenging!” Emma Cresse, Social media marketer “My workload has fluctuated - some clients have gone into temporary hibernation, some aren’t affected at all and others have increased their work...It’s certainly testing but I’m sticking to my daily schedule and allowing more time for self-care.”

6 Steps To Help You Bounce Back

Stay positive 

We’ve got no choice but to stay at home, but sitting around fretting that work has dried up will only make you feel worse. Amid the uncertainty, take time to do things that you enjoy: message or video-chat with friends or family, watch movies, read a book or start a new hobby. 

Strengthen your personal brand 

As you’ll be aware, promoting your freelance services is key to securing new projects, and a strong personal brand is central to this.  Your personal brand is a culmination of your skills, expertise and personality. It’s what gives you credibility and it also sets you apart from other freelancers who work in a similar field to you. 

1. If you haven’t invested in your personal brand, there are several things to consider to make sure it accurately reflects your offering:
2. Understand who your target customers are so your offering matches what they’re looking for
3. Know the value your service brings

Be clear on how you want to present your brand (brand image) and how you want to communicate with your audience (tone of voice) RELATED: The ABCs of Personal Branding, According To A PR Expert

Stay visible

When you find work is slowing down it’s time to speed up your marketing efforts.  Creating relevant and helpful information, whether it be as blogs, social media posts, videos or how-to-guides, will help your personal brand to be seen by the right people.  

Pivot your offering 

If you offer a niche service or focus on a select few sectors, consider expanding your range of services or moving into new markets where your expertise is in demand.  If you’re short on ideas, take a look at the open freelance roles on our Jobs section to see what skills are in demand and then pivot your offering to match. If your skills or knowledge are lacking in these areas, look at enrolling on an online course.  An alternative is to join forces with freelancers whose skills are compatible with your own. For example, a marketing consultant could partner with a web developer to offer businesses a package that covers branding and web development and management. 

Reconnect with past clients

The perfect time to get in touch with past clients is when work is quiet. And, as it takes more time, effort and money to acquire new clients than it does to reconnect with individuals and businesses you’ve previously worked with, it could be a quick and easy way to win new work. 

Source new work

In the middle of a downturn, it may seem impossible to find new work, but there are freelance jobs out there. To help you in your search: 

1. Create a Glassdoor account and sign up to receive email notifications of open freelance vacancies
2. Update your CV: It’s common for recruiters to ask for a copy of your CV when you apply for a freelance position through a recruitment agency. So, it’s best to have one ready just in case you come across a role you like the look of. If you work in the creative industry, as a graphic designer or photographer for instance, there may be a better way to present your skills, other than using a traditional Word CV.
3. Refresh your portfolio: A portfolio of work is essential for any freelancer as it’s a visual representation of your skills and experience. If you haven’t looked at your portfolio for a while or if you haven't had the chance to create one, do so now. An online portfolio (presented on your website, for example) works well, as you can easily direct recruiters or hiring managers to it. Or, another good option is to create a pdf file that contains examples of your work that you can email to people.