As you sit in your home, quarantined due to the recent coronavirus pandemic, youโre probably wondering how long all of this is going to last. When will you be able to travel again? Will your freelance business survive? Can you rely on your clients to keep you?
During this time of uncertainty and perpetual boredom from staying in the house, now is the perfect time to plan for the future and examine your business. Donโt let the free time you have been forcefully gifted with go to waste by binge-watching Netflix and playing video games. Be productive and come out of quarantine a step ahead of other freelancers and digital nomads.
Study, Study, Study
How many times have you saved an online course or said that you wanted to learn a new skill but couldnโt find time during the day to sit down and study? Well, now you donโt have that excuse anymore!
Start digging through those free online courses and the library of books you have piled up in your room. Learn a new skill that will be helpful in your freelance business or one that will start another side hustle for you.
Indulge in your interests and try out different things. You never know what kind of talent or passion you may find from expanding your knowledge.
Solidify Your Personal Brand
Not many freelancers put an emphasis on creating a solid personal brand online because they donโt think it directly affects their business and services. Having a personal brand and online presence can actually help you increase your clients. This allows you to make an awesome first impression on potential clients before you even come in contact with them. A personal brand communicates what clients can expect from you. It also builds trust with them.
With great SEO and valuable content for your niche, your website will come up in search engine results, which means more people will see your brand and contact you.
Examine Your Strategy
The post-coronavirus economy is going to look very different from what we previously know. We are going to be introduced to a low touch economy, which will involve a lot of remote work opportunities, more expectations for hygiene and sanitation, changes in consumer behavior, and probable phases of travel restrictions. Itโs important that your business can stay relevant and comply with this new way of life.
This is also a great time to think of what service or product will be needed that may not exist yet. Youโll have the opportunity to break into a new category and be the front runner before anyone else gets there.
Become Essential
โEssentialโ has been added to our vocabulary recently. Whether we are talking about essential workers, essential errands, or whatever else we will risk our health for, youโve probably realized that itโs extremely important to be essential during the coronavirus.
If you have lost business due to the pandemic, you are not considered essential. As a social media manager for a restaurant that has been ordered to close during quarantine, youโre probably one of the first people that restaurant owner cuts to save money.
As a freelancer offering a service, you have to find a way to become essential and provide priceless value to your customers. What will you do that nobody else can? How will you become essential? Now is a great time to figure it out and ensure that you will never lose a client again because of an economic crisis.
Self-Reflection
There are a lot of emotions to be felt during the coronavirus pandemic. From anxiety to depression to boredom to getting excited about a new project, itโs important to take some time and self-reflect.
What have you been doing for the last couple of years?
Was it working for you?
Were you happy with how things were going before coronavirus?
If you answered โnoโ to the last two questions, then itโs time to start exploring new approaches and different paths. Take this time to learn, create, and try new things.
Youโre Not Alone
Itโs important to remember that you are not alone during this crisis. There is an entire community of freelancers and digital nomads like yourself who are also scared and confused. You donโt have to go through this by yourself. Connect with like-minded people for support and encouragement through this difficult time.
Join Nomads Embassy to become part of the official global digital nomad network.