Quote: (02-12-2018 06:41 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:
Count me in. 25 years working for sinking ships and sycophants. I couldn't take it any more. After I was ejected from the last one, I went out and started my own. It never really took off the way I wanted, but it does provide some income.
Quote: (03-21-2018 11:57 PM)Suits Wrote:
Quote: (03-21-2018 09:38 PM)CleanSlate Wrote:
Finally started making money again after closing some deals with new clients I met through networking and my (disorganized) "shotgun" lead-generation approach.
I made no money in the months of December, January, and February. Not one dime. It was a brutal 3-month gap of zero income that had me doubting my grand plans and whether I would make it.
But now, I have two clients on retainer and another one in the pipeline.
Did the work you had previously fizzle? Or did you set it aside to focus on closing higher paying clients?
How did you make maximum use of your time during that 3 month income gap?
The work I previously had fizzled out. One of my clients from last year had more work for me, but didn't like the rates I quoted her, so she passed. I haven't heard from her since, despite following up twice.
I kind of expected a slow down during the holidays, but I was hoping things would pick up with new clients in January, just after the new year. However, I hadn't laid in the groundwork for marketing my business, so I had to scramble in those last two months.
I told everyone I knew that I was looking for work, and hired a couple of assistants to help me with prospecting. That way I got a referral which turned into a retainer. Another client I sourced myself through a website that serves as a listing for startups and small businesses. And two other clients through networking in Vietnam. I try to go to one networking event a week, or at a minimum, two per month, here in Saigon.
Along with the work I have now, I need to establish a process for self-marketing as well as a sales funnel. Something that goes like:
1. Google alerts / LinkedIn sales navigator / Startup directories (depends on niche or market segment) ->
2. Initial outreach and relationship building ->
3. Qualify each prospect whether they need my services and/or if we are a good fit ->
4. Offer to help and fish for interest ->
5. Follow up if needed ->
6. Close ->
7. After finishing work, ask clients how they liked my work, what could be better, and try to secure repeat work
I must admit that I'm not very organized with this yet, and that partially leads to income gaps and slowdowns. I'm thinking I may need to outsource some of this, but I need to know the exact process to be able to train someone else on this.
I also spent the last two months redesigning my website, cutting 3 seconds off load time, and SEO'ing it up.