| One of the features of running your own business | | | | collaborating with other businesses you trust. |
| is the whole feast or famine aspect when it | | | | Alternatively, look at outsourcing the peripherals - |
| comes to getting the flow of work right. There | | | | a virtual assistant, for instance, can take some of |
| will always be down times when the amount of | | | | the routine administrative tasks off your hands. |
| work coming in is slower than you'd like; | | | | Build the relationships now so that they're ready |
| conversely there will also be times when several | | | | to use when you need them. |
| pieces of work all come in at once. | | | | You can also use the quieter times to build up a |
| How can you turn this unpredictability into an | | | | reservoir of articles, blog posts and newsletter |
| asset? Firstly, always try and agree mutually | | | | ideas to draw on in the future. If you use social |
| workable timescales with your clients. Unless the | | | | media, put together a list of tweets and |
| work absolutely has to be done yesterday, and | | | | Facebook updates for future use so that you can |
| we've all had those sort of clients, then agree | | | | keep your on-line presence constant during the |
| something that works for both of you. Always | | | | busier times. If you need to do work on your |
| bear in mind your existing work commitments and | | | | website, this is the time to do it. Use Google |
| how you can work around these. However, if the | | | | Analytics and other tools to look at your on-line |
| deadlines don't work out and you know you will | | | | presence and analyse what is working for you |
| be unable to complete all the work in the time, | | | | and what isn't. Take the time to put the systems |
| then consider if any part of the work can be | | | | in place that will make your life easier, but which |
| outsourced. | | | | you don't have time to do when you're busy. |
| When things are slower, use the downtime to | | | | If you stop thinking of slower times in terms of |
| your advantage by planning ahead. This is the | | | | billable work and instead see them as an |
| time to do your research into subcontractors or | | | | opportunity to plan ahead, you will find yourself |
| other businesses who might be able to help you | | | | much better placed to deal with the busier times |
| out in future. Consider where you can outsource | | | | when they come. |
| some of the main aspects of your business by | | | | |