Making the Best of Down Time
We’re collecting stories form freelancers around the country so fellow members can read and discuss. Share your story and we might feature it on our site. Stephen Fitzwater recently shared his:
2009 is in the books, and honestly, it will go down without a whole lot "in the books" for me. I have been providing freelance visual communication and product design services to a variety of clients for a little over two years. This year I gained a few clients and didn't hear from a few. Hopefully the ones I gained will be back for 2010 and the ones I didn't hear from didn't go out of business.
The market for services for the home furnishing industry (in my product design clientele base) has been devastated since the early onset of the "Great Recession." There was a lot of talk about banks and the auto industry, but the home furnishing industry felt the hit much earlier and it is still having a lasting effect. I have a lot of friends displaced or misplaced (left without work), so I consider myself fortunate to have managed to remain self-employed through this tough year.
On a lighter note, when business is down you have to keep yourself busy, so while I wasn't looking for work, I spent some idle time working on my own identity and portfolio. My New Year's resolution was to redesign my personal website and I'm happy to announce its completion early. Hopefully the time spent will come around ten fold in 2010, and I hope many freelancers can say the same thing!
If your business was down in 2009, did you find ways to make the most of your extra time? Let us know in the comments.
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