Well hello to you my reader chums! Freelancing is HARD. It's an up-and-down road for sure and getting used to that wave is all part of being a freelancer. I have to admit, this wave is something I struggle with, especially the quieter periods. 

If you're new to freelancing or struggling with your mental health, here is my advice on dealing with the quieter periods as a freelancer. 

Focus on the admin side of your business

Freelancing is a blessing and a curse as it's forever either busy or quiet. With that in mind, in busy periods, it can be harder to deal with the admin side of your business. Whether that's emailing, following up on invoices, updating your website or organising your calendar, these tasks are tedious but great to do during quieter periods.

Work on your website/update your portfolio

Your website and portfolio showcase who you are, what you offer and the quality of your work. For all prospective clients, they want to know this information and why it's crucial to ensure it's up to date. This means adding all new projects to your portfolio and keeping your website updated with relevant prices and information.

Delve into passion projects

I love a passion project as it really helps boost my creativity and spark my imagination, which in turn, benefits my work. Passion projects can be whatever you want them to be and a focus which will take you away from work but also give you a focus when things are quiet. My passion projects include this blog and my novels. 

Work on the marketing for your business

Marketing is key to helping build your personal brand and grow your online presence. In the quieter periods, this is the time to work on your marketing. Whether that's setting up an email marketing newsletter, mapping out your monthly social media content or writing blog posts. Whatever your marketing strategy is utilise this time to enforce working on it.

Pitch/search for new clients and work

Looking for work is difficult and tedious especially when a project comes to a close unexpectedly. Utilise this time to search for new clients and work. This could be pitching for a company you love, reaching out on LinkedIn or searching on freelancer-type websites. 

Go to networking events

Networking I found is one of the best ways to meet new potential clients, learn who is in your industry and grow your skills. Plan more networking events during the quieter times as you'll have more time and energy to focus on speaking with others.

Revisit and update your positivity log

In the quieter periods, for me, self-doubt hits like a tonne of bricks. At this time, you should (if you haven't already) create a positivity log and revisit it this time. This log should include any feedback you've had from a personal and professional perspective.

I hope you enjoy this post. What else would you add?

Thank you for reading <3