Sometimes, all solopreneurs experience a period of inactivity in their professional life. These intervals of inactivity tend to aggravate most people due to the absence of available work and projects. Rather than feeling disheartened, professionals want to spend this time to enhance their business and acquire new skills. These dry spells can be useful for self development. One can maximize productivity during these slower phases, and here’s how.
What Does Dry Time Mean?
Freelancers, social media managers, marketing professionals, and many others frequently experience dry time. A dry spell or dry time is additionally termed to represent a phase within a professional’s career that generally renders a freelancer to a state of complete inactivity. These phases occur due to a client losing a significant account, inactivity in client spending, delays in newer project launches, or even during the festive season. Instead of worrying yourself sick, won’t it be better to think as it is an opportunity to prepare work and scheme for future contingencies?
Benefits Of Dry Time
It is accurate to say that some dry periods can be turned to productive bouts, especially when viewed from a positive erudition. Here are some benefits of dry time.
Proactive Communication:
Connect with previous customers to ask if they know of any potential work opportunities. It is possible that you have leads that just need to be followed up on.
Revise Construction Manuals:
Use this opportunity to refine your portfolio, resume, and other profiles. This way, you will be prepared for anything that comes your way.
Reach Out To Old Clients:
Previous clients will often be people that you have previously done work for. Therefore, continuing to stay in touch with them will certainly help generate new work opportunities. Also, these clients will be a great source for dry time business. Now is a good time to follow up and check if anything has changed.
Industry Changes:
During this time off, make sure to check updated information related to changes in the industry along with the current skills needed.
Tips to Have Better Control for Damage Done During Dry Time
The problem of working during dry periods has bothered people over time and, here are some ways to stay productive and tackle this problem gracefully.
Adhere to a routine:
Approach your day as you would a workday. Develop a flexible schedule, including time for activities that further your goals, foster skills, and quality check all produce.
Outreach and Network:
Send an email to past clients, attend networking meetings in whichever format they are, and create new opportunities. Such relationships can prove to be quite valuable when work starts again.
Revise Display Profiles:
Edit your social media or other job board profiles and change relevant sections. Make sure to add important landmarks or tasks that were previously completed to enhance the durability of your profile.
You may contact clients that were satisfied with your work and ask them for testimonials. These clients already vouched for you, so their vote of confidence for you as a business person should be quite trustworthy.
Change Your Image:
Update the details on your current website or LinkedIn page. Cover new work, showcase any new skills you have recently gained, and if you are an expert, build your profile further by creating articles.
Restructure Your Business Model:
Evaluate your business goals with respect to pricing to ensure profitability. Analyze your budget putting an emphasis on controlling costs, and maintaining proper book keeping during this process.
Develop a New Hobby:
Considering online classes, watching educational videos, or attending workshops can fill your free time while bringing value to the work you do through increased productivity in the changing workplace. Picking up new hobbies increases your ability to function in many different fields.
Look out for Industry News:
Stay up to date with modern industry changes by listening to podcasts and following vlogs and forums that focus on marketing, and productivity.
Do Volunteering:
Use your skills to help organizations that matter to you at little to no cost. This helps you expand your professional connections as well as work towards a better resume.
Self Care Comes First:
You can always make time for exercise and personal development no matter how busy your schedule is. Taking care of your mind and body results in a more positive and focused approach when it’s time to get down to business.
If You Are Out of Work, Make Sure to Get Any Active Projects: Even low-paying gigs have the learning potential like larger projects, thus people should get involved in them for better prospects.
Main Ideas
Focus On Gaining New Experience:
Make the most of your spare time to actively improve your skill set that ensures they are able to grab employment opportunities in the future.
Do Not Be A Couch Potato:
Engage with clients and request for your work to be critiqued so that you are not rendered obsolete.
Wellness:
Spend a few hours a week to help your brain relax and unwind from thinking too much, enjoy a moderate workout while working out some self pampering in.
Continuous Development:
Ensure you’re always checking the primary trends in your sector to help you with dealing in the marketplace fashion.
Conclusion:
Every freelance worker expects off periods but ironically in employment, it should not be a concern. Use this time to self-improve as well as improve your business because unlike employees, you understand things can change for the better. It is a perfect business strategy that benefits the business tremendously while providing self-confidence and firm readiness for whatever changes the future offers.
Categories: Solopreneurship