Alexandra De Cespedes
published by:
My name is Alex and I'm the CEO of Made Happy Studio. I'm a Brand Designer, Photographer, Web Designer, Social Media Content Creator & Strategist. Made Happy was created to make happy business, big and small, with one of a kind design and strategy that showcases their unique qualities and grows their fanbase. Some of my clients include HubSpot, Canva, Greystar, Douglas Elliman Real Estate and Linkedin.
Get to Know Me.
So you lost your job.. OR you’re a freelancer that’s in their slow period. Trust me, I get it. 🙋🏻♀️
Read below to see what you can do to “level up” while things are quiet.
It’s the beginning of 2023 and I’m trying to remain positive. Truthfully, I haven’t been this slow since I started freelancing 6 years ago… And based on the news I’ve seen on Linkedin it looks like you are too.
Having little to no work can be discouraging, but know that you’re not alone in your search for work. And yes, it’s a slow period for many, but that doesn’t mean we should be sitting at our desk twiddling our thumbs and waiting for a lead to come in.
Here are a few things you can do to level up your business while work is slow.
Creatives, it’s time.. it’s time to get your college work out of your portfolio. 🤢
Use this time to design new projects, rewrite your online portfolio, and show your website visitors why you’re thebomb.com
Don’t forget to include other portfolio sites like Behance, Dribbble, and Creatively
While on break, I developed a clear social media strategy and content calendar, that includes “to-do” checklists so I don’t forget a single part of my process. The coolest part is that my Trello Calendar also syncs up to my Google Calendar so I won’t miss a single deadline.
🚨 FREE CONTENT CALENDAR HERE 🚨
With this Content Planner, you’ll be able to fast-track the planning & video creation process so you can finally check content creation off your list, and get back to doing what you truly love.
This is for you if…
📌 You can’t keep track of your content ideas.
📌 You need a simple and organized process for creating ideas.
📌 You have trouble keeping a content schedule.
📌 You forget steps in the content creation process like adding hashtags or a call to action.
📌 You need a content calendar that syncs to your Google Calendar.
📌 You need to keep track of the different content types you need to create for all platforms.
Pretty self explanatory.. You should be updating your resume at least every 6 months. This includes online platforms like your website portfolio & Linkedin profile.
These are step by step instructions, for your workflow, to help you carry out a consistent routine of operations.
AKA basic instructions for getting sh*t done. 💩
Why every business should write their standard operating procedures:
What you should include in your SOPs:
We’ve heard this phrase time and time again, “Your network is your net worth.” And boy does it come into practice when you’re looking for work.
Go to a professional event, meet a past colleague for coffee*, or send a message to your connections on Linkedin.
*No more Zoom coffee chats. If you’re in the same city, I highly recommend you make the drive to meet in person. Show your commitment; With the rise of digital meetings, there’s nothing like some face to face human interaction.
More often than not, clients ask the same questions about your product or service. Creating prewritten email templates can save you tons of time and avoid the process of writing the same email over and over.
The digital landscape is changing every single day. Which in turn means that we, as creative professionals, will be asked to do and know more. While things are slow, use this time to brush up on your creative skills, learn new programs, read a business book etc. Here are a few recommendations.
Books:
Digital Courses:
Whether it’s Google Drive, Dropbox or a good ole fashion USB, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re storing your past projects, neatly and organized. I recommend keeping a File template system, use numbered subfolders to make sure everything is easy to find when you come back to it.
Now, I’m pretty good about keeping things tidy, but from time to time I can get pretty lax about the system. One thing I’m doing differently is organizing all my raw video content by category so I can recycle older content to other platforms.
Access how the past year went for you. What went well? What did you struggle with? How can you improve for the year ahead? What do you hope to accomplish in the upcoming year?
Last thing I want to say is to keep your head up. Building a business isn’t easy and not many people talk about the mental and physical challenges that come with it. Make sure you’re taking some time for yourself.
Go get your nails done, take a pottery class, write a journal entry, take a yoga class or go to the beach. Your body needs fuel and without a healthy mind, body and soul, there is no way you’ll be fit enough to take on more work, and you’ll just burn out. Trust me, I know this first hand.
There’s a lot more where that came from, but I would love to hear what you’re working on. How are you bettering yourself during this slow time? 😃
Categories:
Made Happy is a digital creative studio specializing in branding, photography, social media design & content creation.
PLEASE COMMENT BELOW