When I used to work in sales and marketing, clients would always send me cards and gifts around Christmas time. These thoughts were always well appreciated, and personally, those were the type of clients that I wanted to continue doing business with. Of course, I also sent out my fair share of cards at the same time.
Do you ever send thank you notes to your freelance writing clients? There is no better time for this than the end of the year. If you forgot about this and missed the window for sending a Christmas card, you have not missed the boat just yet. Remember, you can always send a card directly after Christmas wishing your clients a happy New Year.
Believe it or not, thanking your freelance writing clients can go a long way. You may think that this gesture will go unnoticed, but the fact of the matter is that you are probably wrong. Most companies, especially smaller ones, take great notice of who sends them what over the holidays. This is not to say that they are materialistic, but it only makes sense that they know what is arriving in their mailbox.
Before I even sent out any cards a few weeks back, I received five from clients of mine. If they are going to send me a Christmas card it only makes sense for me to return the favor, right? This has a lot to do with business, but at the same time it helps to keep things personal as well. Remember, when you have a personal relationship with clients they will want to do more business with you in the future. And it is always more difficult for a client to stop sending you work if you are friends with them.
There is no better time of the year to thank your freelance writing clients. All you need is a box of cards, some stamps, and the time to head to the mailbox. For a few bucks you can show clients how much you care about them. It is safe to say that you will more than earn back the cost of cards and stamps with repeat work in 2008!
What would it take for you to quit your current job and move into freelance writing on a full-time basis? You all know what may freelance writing income looks like, but when I started I was not nearly as successful. It took many months of making no more than $2,500 to reach my current income level.
Before you decide to jump into freelance writing full-time, you need to know what number you are chasing. Generally speaking, this should be the income level that you must reach in order to keep your head above water. For instance, if you can live on $2,000/month, you should strive to make at least this much. And remember, you will have to pay taxes on your income. If you need $2k to live, you will have to bring in right around $2,500 or so per month to break even. Not knowing how much you need to earn can make for a very painful transition into the world of full-time freelance writing. This is why it is a good idea to have some extra money saved that can carry you for a few months.Â
As you can see, you are the only one who knows how much money you need to make. Some people will do just fine with a couple thousand dollars from freelance writing, whereas others would need much more to support their family and current style of living. No matter what position you are in, make sure that you know what you are striving for. From there, break down your income goals into smaller chunks. This will allow you to know just how much you have to earn each day to successfully reach your freelance writing income goal for the month.
Personally, I always find this time of the year one of the most difficult for keeping my freelance writing career on track. There is a lot going on at the end of December, and every year I seem to get off track even though I try not to. While there is nothing wrong with taking some time off for the holidays, I always find this difficult to do. This time around, I hope to cope a bit better than in the past.
There are two main reasons that this is a difficult time of the year for me.
1. With so many distractions, it can be hard to concentrate on the task at hand. After all, I have to buy presents, entertain family, and of course, think about the gifts that I will receive! In all seriousness, this can begin to slow any freelance writer down as Christmas gets closer and closer. I must say that this year I have done a great job staying on schedule with my work. In fact, as of today, my freelance writing income is ahead of pace for the month of December.
2. During every other month of the year, clients are usually quick to respond and offer new work. But in between Thanksgiving and the new year, this slows down considerably. Just like me, I am sure that my clients have a lot on their plate as well. In addition to personal tasks, they also have to get their business ready for the upcoming year. For this reason, you do not want to pressure your freelance writing clients too much during this time. Instead, give them some room to breathe, and then regroup after the first of the year.
When it comes down to it, you do not want your holidays to get ruined because you are too caught up in your work. Even though I work hard day in and day out, this time of the year should be for relaxing as well. With that being said, I know that I will be at my computer checking emails the first thing Christmas morning. Oh well, I guess I am addicted!
