Today we are going to talk about a very pertinent topic for all our readers who are entrepreneurs, freelancers and also for all freelancers, since we know that the country has gone through a economically and politically complicated period and there are signs that it will take some time to improve.
That is why it is a time when we must, above all, put differences aside and help each other to keep our industry healthy and prosperous. So here are some tips that I observed and spoke with more experienced professionals who have already gone through similar periods and managed to stay in the market.
Tips so that the crisis does not touch you fully
That great acquisition, that business trip abroad, that change of company headquarters, that is a good time to review all this and other expenses that your company is having. Yes, it is necessary to invest in your companyHowever, the cost and risk that this includes must be measured, especially when there is a great possibility of a shortage of jobs and the return on your investments is not as guaranteed.
Cut expenses
I firmly believe that there is no worse situation than in times of crisis, so making cuts in both costs and equipment may be necessary. Pass budgets with a lower profit margin It is an option to get more jobs closed in that period, but it is always necessary to take care of the budget so as not to work for free. For example, if you are a freelancer who works from home, what is the use of having a telephone line just to do business when a good part of your projects are solved by email, WhatsApp and messages to your personal phone?
The expenses with fixed accounts such as rent also always need to be reviewed and renegotiated, depending on your situation, many times it is enough to make a change to a lower headquarters or create a home office, of course, always trying to maintain the same productivity and delivery of the work.
Keeping in touch with the customer is important
As we already mentioned, the crisis is not always the best time to do investments in materials, travel and infrastructure, but something that always pays off is checking your professional contacts, mainly observing how your relationship is with the rest of the market, not only clients, but business partners, suppliers and even competitors.
Something that many companies tend to ignore is the internal culture, not only the relationship with their current employees, but mainly with their former employees, even if they are no longer in your company it is of crucial importance that they have a good view of the place where they once worked, since that will indirectly impact your relationships with the rest of the market.
Meeting people from other markets is also a great practice at that time, many times there are requests for your service in the most unusual and least exploited places, so always keep an open mind.
Designing projects
There is no better time to try and experiment personal projects than moments of crisis, since not only is the demand for work lower, which allows you more free time, but it is also in periods of crisis where the most effective solutions become more necessary, therefore, take advantage of this moment to test new ideas ,.
The important thing is to always be working or doing something, standing still or just prospecting clients without much success will only generate stress on you and the team around you.
Follow the trends
The world not because of the crisis, it continues to change constantly and it will not wait for you to be at your best to be able to accompany you. So its important be aware of what is in vogue at the moment, many companies end up taking advantage of trends to create successful projects or even to open new businesses.
It is necessary, however, to be careful with tendencies so as not to catch the «end of the caravan», very common is to see entrepreneurs trying to take advantage of trends that are already becoming obsolete. To invest it is necessary to be wise and know how to differentiate what is emerging from what is declining.