Deliberate Freelancer #93: Renew Your Business Now for Post-Pandemic Life
On today’s show, I want to talk about something super positive: post-pandemic life! Let’s look ahead and see where we want our business to be once lockdown is over.
Most of us were affected in our business lives in some way when the pandemic hit last year. We lost clients, or had to suddenly work from home 100% of the time, or had to rethink and change client projects. In-person everything was canceled.
Many of us worked hard last year, working long hours, to try to find new work. And when we did, some of us had a scarcity mindset and that “must work all the time” mentality because we weren’t sure if the projects and clients would keep coming. That was completely understandable last year, but we all know it’s not the way to run a business long term. So, if you haven’t recovered from that mentality yet, I am here to be your cheerleader—and guide—to help you think about how to refresh and renew your business as we head out of full lockdown.
Here are six questions I encourage you to ask yourself.
They revolve around what your business looks like right now versus what it looked like before the pandemic and what you want it to look like post-pandemic.
- Do you like your current clients?
2: Do you like what you are doing?
Evaluate the services you offer and whether you want to change those up.
- What will you do if the clients you lost come back to you in some form?
Don’t feel obligated to work with those past clients if you don’t want to. You can say no. But even if you love them, take the time to check in with yourself and see if you need to change anything about the relationship first.
4: What would allow you to be pickier?
Oftentimes, the answer is money. So, how can you make more money in less time? Would this involve creating a passive income stream?
5: Do you need to slow down work and take care of yourself?
There will definitely be some aspects of our lives that will change soon. We should make time to decide how to treat ourselves and what we want this new life to look like.
Consider creating a Power Hour After list. A power hour is where you take time to blast through that annoying to-do list of chores and errands that you’ve been putting off. Well, there were a lot of things couldn’t be done during the pandemic. So, make a list now of all the things you need to get done, like doctor’s appointments, dry cleaning and dropping off donations.
And then, think of all the fun things you want to do too! (Bookstores, libraries, sporting events, family visits!)
Planning for these things now, while asking yourself these big questions and bettering your business, can lead to more financial freedom and hours in the day. Then, you can spend time with your loved ones and do the things you have missed so much this year.
6: Do you need to plan a new marketing strategy?
Reevaluate your marketing and networking. Did you do some marketing efforts last year that really worked? Will they work post-pandemic? Or, are there new things you need to try to find more and/or better clients?
And think about in-person opportunities and how to prepare for those—maybe you need to create a better social media strategy, revamp your website or perfect your new elevator pitch.
So, to recap, what does your ideal business look like post lockdown? And how can you start planning now to make that happen?
Biz Bite: Simplify your kitchen time.
The Bookshelf: “The Sun Down Motel” by Simone St. James
Resources:
Subscribe to the new Deliberate Freelancer newsletter at MelEdits.com/newsletter.
Jennifer Goforth Gregory’s poll results: “Why the majority of writers in the FCMW Facebook Group made more in 2020 than 2019”
Episode #11 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Find the Right Anchor Clients
Episode #63 of Deliberate Freelancer: How I Got a PPP Loan as a Sole Proprietor talks about the Biz Bite “Create a Power Hour After List”