Poll: How Has Economic Downturn Affected Your Business?
In our last Linkswitch, we had a look at a NY Times article on the “self-employed depression.” While it’s true that recent events have made making a living harder for many people who put themselves in the self-employed or freelance category, many freelancers are finding that business is as good as ever. A few days after, we published a piece by Martha Retallick on surviving the economic downturn. It’s clear that the state of the economy is an important issue for freelancers, as tiresome a topic it can get with the media milking it for all it’s worth.
So here’s what we want to know: how many of our readers are doing well despite it all, and how many of you are facing difficulties? Is the depressing and rather biased NY Times piece accurate or just another story written to sell? Cast your vote in the poll and then feel free to vent your economy frustrations in the comments.
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Business is booming, but it has little to do with the economy. I made better connections with my clients over the years and now its paying off. Instead of taking 100s of clients for small job, I am selective and take big jobs but few clients (it wasn’t easy choice to make). I make sure my clients are extremely happy with their first impression (I go overboard sometimes, but that’s the plan), so the next time they need something they think of me first. I don’t even have an online portfolio, my clients are my advertisers, I often meet them in person whenever possible.
On top of it I have some personal blogs I am running which are doing great.
So overall I am happy.
I’m noticing that companies are cutting back on in-house graphics departments but still have a work load that needs completed. Then they look to freelancers as an alternative.
Good topic to make a poll for, I think everyone for the most part felt the economic downturn at some point whether it was severe or not, but from the looks of it I think things are starting to pick up again for most people and companies or at least in New York it is from what I have been noticing.
The clients I am aiming for at the moment, the vast majority have said that they would value my services IF they had a better cashflow themselves. The smart business owners are using my services and will reap the rewards when the rest of the population realise that in order to get out of this ‘downturn’, you have to start to spend money. They will be the businesses at the forefront of everyones mind when they snap out of it as they will be the ones who were still operating as normal during the ‘downturn’
IMHO, due to recession big clients are cutting back on there budgets and going to the less charging companies or may be freelancers.
Which ultimately is helping them earn good even in this downturn.
Business is up for me. Booming in terms of requests, but I’m a poor salesman so my sales ration on them is still low. Also a function of the type of services I offer, local search marketing for small businesses. Those contacting me are interested but at the same time fearful of the new, and many small businesses are just afraid to spend right now.
However, for my current clients, their business IS booming thanks to me (only a tiny bit of ego in that statement). The economy may be slower in most sectors but there are still customers out there and my clients are capturing a growing share of them,. Their competition however must be the ones felling the downside in this market.
I lost my “real job” a few months ago as a result of the economic downturn. However, now that I have more time to actively search for gigs, my freelancing side business has increased substantially. Everyone I have talked to, is laying people off, but picking up freelancers in order to get the work done. Even my “real job” hired me back for a couple contract projects – I made more money in one day on contract than I did in two weeks as an employee.
I didn’t fair to well. The town I live just doesn’t want or think they need web design. I completely flopped on my face.
This is the best year we’ve ever had out of the last 6. Like the first commenter, this has as much to do with pre-recession sales efforts as it has to do with anything. Do good work, and the work will come. Keep your clients happy and the phone will never stop ringing. We get at least 2 calls a day for new work.
We have seen a very steady rise in the use of our services since the economy fell apart. It really is a double edged sword, we are happy business is on the rise while at the same time there are many people hurting out there…