Quarterly taxes are never too far away. There is no time like the present to get ready for tax season. Use this free time to prepare your tax files so that you can get taxes down it a snap when tax time pops up out of nowhere (as it always does). Some things that you can do are:
- Make sure your books are up to date.
- Go through your expense receipts and categorize them.
- Estimate your last tax payment for the current year.
- Put all digital receipts in a digital folder.
- Make sure all of your payers have your correct information for when they send out 1099s.
Use this extra time on your hands as an excuse to be nice to your past clients and potential clients (companies who almost used your services). If you are out of work around the holidays, send out a holiday card to them (nondenominational card as to not offend them). Even if it isn’t around the holidays, you can still take the time to write a personal note to your client (preferably snail mail) in which you thank them for using your services. You can also include a coupon, certificate, or freebie in the envelope. This is a good way to just place yourself in their mind. This way if they do need some work done, they will hopefully hire you to complete it.
Add Services Depending on Your Clients’ NeedsDuring slow business times, you should focus your attention to new ways to make money for your business. This might mean that you learn a new skill or that you start doing work that you don’t necessarily enjoy. Once you get your feet back on the ground, you can change your direction and outsource this extra work. But for right now, you need some work and beggers can’t be choosers.
Lets say that you don’t have the skills or talent to offer those extra services. Well, then I suggest that you join up with some other freelancers who do have these talents. You offer to share your extra work with them that is in their career field if in return they throw business over your way. Networking is the key to the game.
Start Selling Products
I know. I know. You might think that I am pushing it past your boundaries with this idea. But, really, I am not. You are an expert in your career field, aren’t you? Some ideas for products are to create an online course or to write an e-book for Your career field.
If You Don’t Have a Website, Create One
Your best self promotional tool is the Internet. If you don’t have a web site, then you need to find out how to create one or who to hire to create one for you. If you can’t afford a website designer, then I suggest using a web template. Templates range from free to very expensive, so shop wisely. If you don’t feel that you can handle a web site, then you might be able to get away with just having a blog. You would do much better with your own domain (for SEO purposes), but if you can’t handle this than you should pick up a Blogger or WordPress account.
Create a Blog
A blog is just as important as a web site and can be used as your web site if you want. My personal opinion is that a blog is the best marketing item that you can use. Why?
- Blogs get picked up by search engines almost immediately.
- RSS readers also pick up blogs.
- You can ping sites to tell them to pick up your blog.
- Content can be syndicated and shown all over the web.
- People can subscribe to your blog.
- People can comment on each article.
- You don’t need to know HTML or how to code.
- Metatags are updated automatically.
- Trackbacks (When you link to another blog, they automatically link back to you).
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