It can be tough those first few days when you don’t have work, especially if your business has just been going gangbusters.
My first dry spell was about a month after I launched my business. The initial work had come and gone and now I was left wondering what to do next. I reminded myself that this down time was normal and instead of stressing out I should use this time to be productive: to recoup, write, find new clients and market my business.
So I’ve pulled together 77 things that you can do when you have a spare 5 minutes or even a whole day without client work. I’m 99% confident all of them will keep you feeling productive, happy and looking fabulous online. Why? Because I’ve done pretty much all of them myself. (Homemade jam is da bomb.)
Self-care
- Take a 20 minute nap
- Bake an apple sauce cake
- Put a load of washing on
- Clean out your fridge and defrost the freezer
- Go to the gym for a workout and then relax in the spa
- Treat yourself to a massage
- Read a book
- Watch a movie
- Book a dentist appointment
- Get your nails did
- Get a new do
- Take your dog for a walk
- Take a class (learn how to tie a knot, make Origami, or make jam?)
- Join a sports club
- Stock up your pantry with yummy and healthy food
- Buy a few classic pieces so you look and feel fabulous
- Cook next week’s meals and freeze them
- Talk a walk and explore a new area of your city
- Treat yourself to a nice lunch
Marketing
- Untag yourself from unflattering Facebook photos
- Send past clients an email asking for a testimonial and referrals
- Fix broken links on your website
- Learn what SEO is and implement it on your website
- Write a blog post (or three)
- Reply to comments on your blog
- Write comments on other people’s blogs
- Write and schedule your social media posts
- Catch up on your favourite blogs and websites
- Review your Google Analytics
- Introduce yourself to three companies you’d like to work with
- Ask three people you’d like to take out for coffee so you can pick their brains
- Submit an application to speak at an event
- Refresh your website copy
- Update your email automation sequence
- Update WordPress plugins on your site
- Get a new professional picture
- Update the image information on your pictures
- Jazz up the content on your five most viewed blog posts
- Offer free coaching sessions to your email subscribers
- Be a guest speaker on a podcast or start your own
- Host a webinar
- Create a useful guide for readers
- Rewrite your call to actions
- Complete your LinkedIn profile (don’t forget to add your published work!)
- Post one of your best pieces on Medium
- Subscribe to your favourite newsfeeds so you don’t miss a thing
- Rebrand your business
Writing
- Research your next article
- Send a story pitch to your favourite magazine
- Ask to write a guest post for your favourite website
- Write a piece for a writing competition
Socialising
- Text your friends and pencil in lunch dates
- Book next month’s networking events
- Call your mum (or dad) and say hi!
- Plan a nice date night with your partner
- Send a letter to an old friend
Business
- Reach out to someone in your field and ask for advice or have a mentoring session
- Find a financial planner
- Hire an accountant
- Get yourself a Gmail business email address
- Upgrade your online storage and back up your work!
- Form a partnership with others in your industry so you can refer each other work (designer, copywriter, photographer etc)
- Order new business cards
- Do a free online course
- Do a copywriting course
- Hire a designer to refresh your look
- Create onboarding processes and forms
- Renew your magazine subscriptions
- Catch up on current events
Travel
- Book a holiday
- Update your travel vaccinations
- Claim missing air miles
- Buy new luggage
Charitable
- Go through your wardrobe and donate the worn-once items to Vinnies Australia
- Volunteer ethically at home or overseas
- Dine at Scarf and transform lives
- Sign a petition
How do you stay productive in-between clients?
Featured image from Unsplash.
