Building Momentum in Your Freelance Business
Momentum can swing your freelance writing business one way or the other.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
If you have momentum in your business, then you’re probably doing great as a freelancer. You likely have steady work, and you feel energized about the projects on your plate or penciled into your calendar.
But, if you don’t have it, then you’re probably feeling a bit stuck and the motivation to keep doing what you’re doing is likely waning. Maybe you’re starting to doubt whether freelancing was the right choice for you. Maybe you find yourself thinking about finding a “real” job.
So, how do you right the ship if you’re not in the space of creating momentum?
First, look for a series of quick wins to start building that momentum again. Second, develop a skill set that promotes consistency in your business so you experience far fewer periods of downtime.
Can you address the pain points of your clients?
Recently, I’ve had a lot of conversations with prospective clients about needs assessments. I’ve talked about them pretty extensively before and I’m a BIG fan of knowing how to write them well because of the consistent need for this content by any company that produces CME activities.
One of the CME providers’ major pain points is finding writers that produce high-quality needs assessments. Let me say that again - a major pain point for CME providers is finding writers that produce high-quality needs assessments (and that stick to their deadlines). This equals a huge opportunity for you as a freelance medical writer.
What are freelance medical writers most often seeking in their businesses? Consistency in income.
What are CME providers most often seeking? Writers that consistently write great needs assessments.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
The demand for needs assessments is high, as is the demand for writers who can write the programs that get funded by strongly-written needs assessments. And there is certainly no shortage of CME providers. So what I’m saying is, if you’re looking for one way to create consistency to smooth out the ebbs and flows of freelancing, then you should seriously consider getting into the CME space.
It’s time to build some momentum in your business
The time to get on board with needs assessments is NOW. Here are just a sampling of the conversations that I’ve had recently with prospective clients:
Prospect #1: “We’re planning out a schedule for our 2020 grants…”
Prospect #2: “We’re looking ahead to 2020 for our grant proposals…”
Prospect #3: “We’re currently beyond capacity and looking for options to get our proposals submitted…”
Prospect #4: “It is sooo hard to find good writers these days…”
Sometimes, the most powerful component of being a freelancer is addressing the clients' needs immediately. They might need help right away, and when you’re prepared, you can swoop right in and be the person that gets the job done.
For a freelance medical writer, this is a great time to get in on CME work - especially needs assessments. The work is plentiful, CME clients are usually pretty laid back, and, most importantly, getting a few small wins with clients (e.g., delivering a few great needs assessments) can provide BIG momentum in your business.
Nearly five years ago, this is how I grew my client base. I started out writing a bunch of needs assessments - the clients were happy, their needs were met, and they started approaching me for more and more work.
It was a huge momentum shift. I went from feeling frustrated with the whole freelance process to completely filling my schedule with steady client work. I was energized and thankful for all of the work that was coming in.
Where do you start with needs assessments?
If you’re saying to yourself right now, I don’t know a thing about needs assessments. Don’t worry, I’ve been there.
Over time, I developed systems and processes that make writing them a whole lot easier. Now, I approach them very systematically - I know where to find the information that I want, where to put it, and how to write in a way that satisfies that client and often leads to funding.
Soon, we’re opening enrollment again for our signature course, How to Write Needs Assessments Like a Pro. Learn the step-by-step process for writing needs assessments that teaches you how to stay in a loop of steady income, write grants that get funded, and keep your clients happy.