Refreshing Your Freelance Focus, Back-to-School Style

Kristen Fischer |
Productivity
| August 25th 2009

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Every year around this time, I think of all the kids heading back to school—and I still can’t believe I’m not one of them. But I do think freelancers can benefit from this important time of year when people get refocused on school and work, and “fall” into a more steady routine. While you may not be a pupil anymore, here are some ways to harness back-to-school time and make it work for your business.

Promote yourself

Have you lazed on your email marketing efforts over the summer? It’s a great time to put out an email newsletter or offer a special on your services. This will get your name back in front of clients and prospective clients so they remember what you have to offer and will be likely to call on you with that reminder in their inbox.

Push the holidays

It’s crazy to think about Christmas, for example, when we just had “Christmas in July” a mere month ago, but the holidays are coming up. Make sure you let your clients know that they can avoid the holiday craze by completing projects in the fall. Additionally, budgets will need to be used by the end of the year, so your clients may have room for extra work. Simply make yourself available and promote the incentives of doing things ahead of time so they have more time to enjoy their holidays, which are only a few months away.

Revisit your business New Year’s resolutions

Remember those resolutions you set last year? As you enter the final third of the year, it’s a great time to replenish your awareness of these business objectives and make them a priority if you’ve fallen off the wagon. The year isn’t over—so whether you need to get back on track or alter these resolutions to meet your changing needs, now’s a fabulous time for some good old strategic planning.

Organize your pad

Love sharpening pencils and writing in notebooks like the good old days? Hey, if the kids are cashing in on cool office supplies, why shouldn’t you? Take time to organize your office, back-up files and stay on top of filing. This won’t be as fun for those who don’t like to spend time on administrative tasks, but it can keep you in order, and that’s always a benefit to your business (especially if you get a surge of projects during the end of the year).

Take a trip

Vacations are for summer, right? No way! I do most of my traveling in the fall because I like the weather and the crowds tend to decline. So if you never got that summer break in during June, July and August, consider taking a fall trip. Most likely the weather is still nice and traveling on an off-season can be more affordable. And if you’re an autumn nut like me, you’ll want to take days off to take in the leaves and pick pumpkins instead of working, anyway.

Kristen Fischer |
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Kristen Fischer is a copywriter living in New Jersey. Her latest book is titled, When Talent Isn't Enough: Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined . Fischer also has written Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs and Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life. Visit her at www.kristenfischer.com.