Free Content

What Should You Do When Business Is Slow?

Running a business requires flexibility. That doesn't mean you have to be flexible with your boundaries. It doesn't mean you have to take on crappy clients or low-paying work. And it doesn't mean you have to stop doing the things you love.

There's no doubt that the past couple of years have been tough for a lot of freelancers.

During the lockdown years, there was a huge increase in people starting their own businesses. This was fine when business was booming and money was flying around, but that was never going to last forever.

The economic impacts of Brexit and the pandemic have caught up with us, the cost of living has increased, and the rise of AI cannot be ignored. All these things are taking their toll.

Like many freelancers, I've seen a decrease in enquiries over the last two years. My ideal clients are freelancers and when the market is tough, mentoring isn't seen as a priority.

Fortunately, I've structured my business in a way that means I can withstand a few quiet periods. But although I can withstand them, I don't ignore them. I don't sit around waiting for things to pick back up. I take steps to make those quiet periods as painless as possible.

It just means that you need to adapt.

Invest in yourself

Maybe it's time to learn a new skill, get some outside help, do some training or invest in your expertise.

Back in January 2025, I started an experiment. I set up publications on three different platforms - Beehiiv, Substack and Ghost. Doing this experiment gave me a lot of new skills, knowledge and experience to share with my clients.

I can help them decide whether they should invest time and effort into email or content marketing. I can talk through the advantages and disadvantages of email newsletters. I can advise on the pros and cons of each platform. I can help with setting up a publication or membership programme on Ghost, Beehiiv or Substack.

How could you develop new skills or knowledge that would benefit your clients? What would enhance your ability to support clients? How could you elevate your services?

Change who you work with

Just because some industries are struggling doesn't mean every industry is struggling. You could adapt your business by changing who you work with.

Follow the money. Pay attention to where government funding is going. Look at which industries are booming and figure out how you can market your services to them.

Look for other freelancers or companies that have a similar ideal client to you but don't offer what you do. How can you partner or collaborate with them? Perhaps they could offer your services as a bolt-on to theirs and vice vers. Or maybe you could offer a referral fee if they introduce you to new clients. There could be opportunities to collaborate on a product such as a webinar or training course.

Change your marketing strategy

LinkedIn used to be my main source of new business, but it no longer gets me the results it used to. So I changed the way I use it. I introduced new marketing channels (my email platfroms) and used LinkedIn to promote them.

If you are no longer getting the results you once got from your marketing, it might be time to try something new or change the way you approach things.

And there's always something more you could be doing or an option you haven't explored. It might not be your preferred way of marketing, but that doesn't mean it's not an option. I don't enjoy cold-calling, but I'd do it if it was the only way to get new clients right now.

Fortunately cold-calling is not the only option. In fact, there are loads. How many of these are you doing or have you tried?

Social media
Blogging
Podcasts
Video
Email
Newsletters
Direct mail
eBooks/books
PPC
SEO
TV ads
Radio ads
Press ads
Webinars
Billboards
Cold outreach
Events and exhibitions
Sponsorship
Leaflet drops
Brochures
Referral marketing
Influencer marketing
Guest blogging
Networking

You don't have to start again from scratch when it comes to marketing. You can push your existing audience to a new platfrom, or change the type of content you put out, or start using a more direct marketing approach on your existing platform.

But don't just keep doing something that doesn't work hoping things will go back to how they were. Platforms evolve. You need to evolve too.

Diversify your products or services

My 12-week programme is excellent, but it also involves a big commitment of time and money which is a barrier for a lot of freelancers in the current economic climate.

So in 2024, I launched mentoring lite - a rolling monthly programme that allows you to get my support without long-term commitment or a large upfront investment.

And in 2025, I launched my group programme, which is super affordable at just £20 per month.

I'm finding ways to make my support more affordable and accessible without devaluing what I offer.

Could you adapt your products and services, introduce new ones, or change the way your services are packaged?

Be proactive

There are plenty of ways to adapt when times are tough. The key is being proactive. Don't wait for the market to pick back up. Find a way to get yourself back on track.

And if you don't know where to start with that, book a session with me. We'll figure out how you can make the biggest impact on your marketing without having to make huge financial investments.