6 Things Freelancers Should Do During Down Time

There’s no reason a slow period should be unproductive.

It seems like it would be nice if there was never such a thing as downtime as a freelancer, but in truth, a bit of downtime can be a good thing when properly taken advantage of. Not only does downtime give you room to breathe, but it also allows you to take care of other facets of your business that could use some attention.

Here are six things you should be doing during the slow periods.

Catch up on administrative tasks

Do you have any outstanding invoices that need following up on? Do you have your tax records in order? What’s your printer ink situation? If your freelancing business involves making physical objects, is your workspace clean, organized, and fully supplied?

Rather than get caught off guard during your busy times, use this lull in the action to make sure your home office or work area is optimized and that your business paperwork and accounting is up to date.

Update portfolio and website

Chance are, your writing has only gotten better over the past year. Why not show it off? This is a great time to look over your portfolio and decide if you want to switch up your highlighted pieces. My favorite online portfolio service is Contently, although Linktree has a lot going for it as well. I use both, and I make sure to links to my linked social media each time I’ve updated my portfolio.

If you have a website (which you probably should), this is also an excellent time to give it a fresh review and see if anything needs to be changed. Are your advertised rates still the same? Has any of your contact info changed? Do you have new testimonials you’d like to share?

Remember that many websites note near the bottom of the page when it was last updated. It’s not unusual for potential clients to look for this information to see how active you are. A website that hasn’t been updated in over a year is less likely to impress a new client.

Engage in professional development

There is always something new to learn. What’s nice about living in the future is that there are more ways to pick up new tips and tricks of your trade than ever before.

My morning routine often includes podcasts such as “The High-Income Business Writing Podcast” and The Filthy Rich Writer. Both feature interviews with successful freelance writers and offer an abundance of great advice.

I’ll also use my Kindle Unlimited account to download books on creativity, writing, and freelance strategies. I’ll also use an app tied to my local library to download similar books for a mobile reader or audio play.

Speaking of audio, Audible now has quite a few interesting books and podcasts available to listen to for free.

You could also look at online courses, webinars, or just cruise YouTube for informative videos. You’ve got the time, so make fair use of it.

Engage in some networking

Why network? Because it works. Not a week goes by when I don’t see a fellow freelancer post somewhere on social media that they have a solid lead on new work or have work they want to pass on to someone else. There is not a day when I don’t come across some interesting tidbit of advice from a fellow freelancer, and I get my opportunity to return the favor.

People remember.

Physical networking has become a bit of a challenge this past year, but online options via social media, Slack, Discord, and the like are perfectly viable. The social engagement would be healthy for you in any case.

Send pitches and cold emails

You may know where your next job is coming from. You may not. One thing that is vitally important for freelancers is a steady flow of income.

Even long-time clients fall off the map. It happens. If you’re starting to see holes open in your schedule or anticipate it happening sooner than later, then you should waste no time in hustling up some new work or clients.

Start with existing clients that you’ve not done much with recently and pitch them some new assignment ideas, or simply let them know you’re still out there, available, and that you’ve new pieces in your portfolio. Now might be a good time for them to see if you’d be a good fit for any upcoming projects.

This is also an ideal time to approach entirely new clients. Introduce yourself and point to a link with your portfolio. Do some research beforehand so you can tell them why you think you’d be the perfect person to hire for new projects. Find out what sort of work — art, writing, or what-have-you — and make a case as to how your services could enhance their business.

If you hear back from one cold pitch out of a couple of dozen, that’s still more than if you’d not sent any pitches out at all.

Take a break. You’ve earned it.

Personally, I love the freelance life.

That said, it can also be a career of almost non-stop hustle. Taking a day off is not really a thing — but it really should be.

If you’ve got some downtime from freelance work, enjoy some downtime in your personal life as well if you can. Sure, try some of the above suggestions as well, but don’t stress out. Think long term. If you work too hard, you’ll burn out early. If you learn to pace yourself and take a break from time to time, you’ll enjoy greater longevity as a freelancer and more significant benefits.

Take a break. Take a breather. Stop and smell some roses.

You’ve earned it.

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