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"HOW FREE AGENTS HANDLE SLOW BUSINESS TIMES"

By Paul Bednar

Every business experiences a slow down at one time or another during the year. Free agents are not immune and experience these times too. How one handles these situations determines whether or not one remains in business.

Here are 5 ways to cope with slow business times.

1. Do not panic

It is easy to get nervous when you have bills to pay and little or no income on the horizon. Stay calm. Client work usually moves in cycles. You either have more work than you can handle or you have lots of free time. Understand that every business experiences slow times. Buckle down and prepare to ride it out. If you have financial concerns, get a part-time or temporary job.

2. Maintain your marketing efforts

Marketing is an essential part of your business. On average, it takes between 3-6 months to get a client after the initial meeting. By continuing to market your services, this ensures you will be properly positioned in the marketplace and get retained quickly when business recovers.

3. Innovate

Use this time to develop a new product, learn a new skill, or create a new service. This keeps your business adapting to the changes in the marketplace. When business picks up, be ready to implement this new idea.

4. Relax

Free agents work a lot of hours in order to juggle the many daily tasks such as client work, marketing, and administrative items. It is important to take time off to rest and to avoid burn out. Reduce your work hours. Take a vacation or a weekend trip to rejuvenate.

5. Reflect

Use this time to analyze the marketplace. Identify the upcoming changes in the next 6 to 12 months. Brainstorm possible solutions and services to meet these marketplace changes. Analyze your business too. Evaluate your performance against your goals and make any necessary changes.

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Copyright 2002 by Paul Bednar. He writes a free newsletter about
the business aspects of freelancing. Each issue contains an
informative article, answers a common question, and shares a
lesson learned. Visit http://www.free-agent-information.com to
subscribe or email mailto:subscribe@free-agent-information.com.

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Paul Bednar. He writes a free newsletter about the business aspects of freelancing. Each issue contains an informative article, answers a common question, and shares a lesson learned. Visit http://www.free-agent-information.com to subscribe or email mailto:subscribe@free-agent-information.com.