9 Ways Freelancers Can Make the Most of a Slow Summer
As freelancers, we know it can be tough when the world slows down and you’re still ready to go, go, go — especially when your workflow and your bank account depend on it.
When summer comes around, odds are good that the perfect email you’ve spent hours crafting is met with an out of office reply. How and when a client replies is out of your hands, particularly if they’re enjoying their summer vacation, but what you can do is make the most of a slow season. Below we’ve listed some ways to actually enjoy the summer slowdown, and help make sure it doesn’t break the bank.
- Create a forecast for next year
First things first: If you’re experiencing a slow summer, use that as information to help create your forecast for the year following. Keep track of what projects and cash you have coming in, as well as what your expenses are. This way, when you’re in your peak season, you’ll have a sense of how much you should be reserving for summer savings, so by the time next summer comes around, it won’t feel like a gut punch if or when the work slows down. And if you end up with more work over the summer than expected, you have an extra cushion or funds for something else. (Like a summer vacation perhaps?) - Take advantage of free summer things to do
Here’s one good thing about summer: Lots of free, outdoor activities. No matter where you live, your city or town likely has some free (or cheap!) activities to take advantage of. Enjoy some free movies, concerts, or pay-what-you-wish museum evenings without having to worry about how the much-needed leisure time will affect your bottom line. - Use it an opportunity for building relationships and collecting leads
So, everyone who makes the Big Decisions is out of office for the next three weeks. That doesn’t mean you can’t spend some time getting to know others with whom you’d like to collaborate. Ask to get coffee with someone whose work you respect, or to whom you think your services could be a value add. Take the time to research some new companies and prepare your pitch, so when the fall comes around and you want to cold email (or ask for an introduction), you’re well-prepared. - Pick up a personal project
We don’t have official statistics on this, but we’d estimate that four out of five freelancers have a personal project that falls by the wayside in favor of client work. Summer is the perfect time to pick back up that manuscript, re-open that Final Cut Pro file on your computer, or put the finishing touches on that oil-on-canvas. Reconnect with your art and remember what you love about your craft in the first place. - Consider bartering goods for your services
If there’s an area of your portfolio that could use some buffing up, use this as an opportunity to offer your services to a local business you like but know could use a boost with their website, social media, or anything else. Offer your services to a local gym in return for a free membership, or help out a nonprofit with a mission you believe in. - Hit up your local library
Stave off those high energy bills and get out of the house by logging your work hours at your local library (or for those of you in New York City, our free Freelancers Hub coworking space). - Ask to raise your rates
One potential solution to summertime money woes: Asking to raise your rates. If you have a consistent client, for whom you’ve long been delivering good, consistent work, now may be the time to make the business case for raising your rates. If they say it isn’t a good time, create a timeline for when the conversation could be revisited; if they are completely resistant to the conversation, consider casting a wider net for new clients. - Take an actual break
Hey, if everyone else is taking a break, maybe you should too. Finally enjoy that vacation you’ve been putting off — or make it a staycation. The important thing is to use the time to your advantage to rest and recharge. - If you’re going somewhere, try to find a way to write it off on your taxes
Don’t forget: If you are going somewhere on vacation, but you’ll be able to use the trip in your work later, or conducting business while there, you may be able to write it off on your taxes. Keep detailed records of your expenses — and don’t forget that as a freelancer, to use what tips and tricks you can to your advantage.
A slower season doesn't have to derail your long-term goals. Make the most of it, whatever that may look like for you.