What to Do When Freelance Work Dries Up
Practical steps to take when work slows down.
Most freelancers will hit a slow stretch at some point. It's one of the most stressful parts of the freelance lifestyle.
When work dries up, it’s easy to feel stuck. I just went through a slow season myself, so trust me, I get it.
But staring at your inbox while questioning your life choices won’t make clients magically appear. The best thing you can do is take action.
This week, I’m sharing a few strategies that have helped me push through slow seasons and come out the other side.
Reach out and reconnect
Hello, my fellow introverts! I see you hiding behind your laptops. 🫣
I know reaching out is easier said than done. But sometimes the most productive thing you can do during a slow stretch is to push through that discomfort and make the first move.
A temporary lull is the perfect time to reconnect with past clients. It’s easy to lose touch when things get busy.
But just because you haven’t worked with someone in a few months doesn’t mean they don’t need freelance support. They may have a project coming up, or simply need a reminder that you’re available.
Take a few moments to send a quick check-in note. Ask how they’re doing, share something they’d find useful, and let them know you have some availability opening up.
Staying in touch with past clients shouldn’t only happen when work slows down. A slow stretch is a good time to take a step back, reassess how you're staying in touch with clients, and build regular check-ins into your routine. Staying connected between projects keeps you top of mind and strengthens your client relationships.
Show up and get noticed
As I mentioned earlier, I recently navigated a slow season.
One that lasted a couple of months. 🫠
Instead of waiting it out, I got intentional.
I reached out to people in my network, put more effort into outreach, and started showing up more consistently online. And while it wasn't an overnight fix, things slowly started to turn around.
Throughout the last few weeks, I've landed several new projects, two of which came directly from LinkedIn. I came across posts advertising freelance opportunities that aligned with my experience, reached out, and started a conversation. And it led to new work.
If work has slowed down for you, increasing your online visibility is one of the best things you can do. LinkedIn is a great place for freelancers to network. Yes, you’ll come across some cringy posts. And putting yourself out there can feel uncomfortable at first.
But the right person could come across your profile, comment, or post at exactly the right moment. Sometimes that's all it takes. You can't control the timing, but you can control whether you're visible when it happens.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. All you have to do is show up. Leave a helpful comment, engage with someone's content, or post an update letting your network know you have availability opening up.
When you see an opportunity that aligns with your experience, make your move. Leave a comment, send a DM, or follow up with a quick email. You never know where a conversation might lead.
Turn downtime into progress
Outreach and online visibility are important, but you can’t spend every second networking. Burnout is real, and the last thing you need is more stress.
A slow period is also a valuable opportunity to tackle the business tasks that fall to the bottom of your to-do list when things get busy.
For example:
Updating your portfolio with your most recent work samples
Improving your onboarding process
Learning a new skill that complements your current offerings
Attending a virtual webinar or networking event
Writing that blog post or newsletter you’ve been putting off
Putting a financial plan in place so the next slow season feels less stressful
These are the kinds of tasks that often get pushed aside. A slow stretch gives you the perfect excuse to get them done.
Don’t give up hope
Slow seasons don’t last forever. As uncomfortable and stressful as this time may feel, things can and will get better. You will come out on the other side.
The work you put into your business during the quiet moments is an investment in yourself. When things pick back up, you'll be glad you kept going and showed up for yourself during the hard moments.