Staying Productive When Client Work Lulls
Most of us have had times when a relationship ended and we were wondering what to do with ourselves. But while eating your weight in gummy bears is tempting, it won’t bring you satisfaction. Instead, taking some time to work on yourself will get you in a better place to succeed in future relationships. This week we’re talking about how to make the most of a break in client work.
Lull in Your Work? Don’t Just Sit There.
So, you’re running a bit thin on work for a few weeks. Maybe there’s a gap between one client departing and another coming on board, or perhaps you’re actively searching for the work to help fill those billable hours. Whatever the reason, you’ve got some time on your hands. What should you do to keep your team busy? Here are a few ideas to keep you busy and productive.
Back Burner, Welcome to the Front
Every shop has a huge list of projects they can’t ever seem to get to most of the time because client demands always take precedence. A lot of it is kind of boring organizational work, and it could include anything from sorting your files, to completing training courses. But you also might have a hard time catching up on your strategic planning when things are busy, and now is your chance.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about expanding your offerings, narrowing them down, or even shifting your focus to different services entirely. This is the time for you to put some resources into work that can help you meet your goals in the long term. You might also take the time to look at the competition and see how they stack up against you, for ideas on how to improve.
Upgrade Those Skills
Chances are you’re already encouraging your staff to develop their professional skills on a regular basis, but this is another area that is great in theory but often falls by the wayside in the everyday chaos of client work. When you’ve got 40 hours or more of billable work to do, it’s hard to justify sacrificing revenue for training.
But if you find yourself with gaps in the task list, this is a perfect time to let your employees level up their abilities. It will keep them engaged, prevent discouragement, and it will also make them more valuable employees when your client work ramps back up. They might also discover new talents that will expand what you can do for your customers. Annual reviews are a great resource to help identify areas for improvement.
Market Yourself
This is kind of obvious, since you’re looking for more client work, but there are some ways you can lay the foundation for a stronger client base moving forward. In addition to following up on all your leads and references, you should spend some of your downtime updating your website content and refreshing the look, if necessary, along with your social media presence.
Take some time to record your past successes and promote the great work you’ve done. Interview your employees and add bios to the website. Get more involved in online conversations in your industry, and try pitching your own thought leadership content to trade publications. Making more of a name for yourself will pay off.
As scary as it can be to be low on work, it can have a silver lining if you are smart about it. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself and strengthen the foundation of your shop.
Every shop goes through periods of downtime, but it shouldn’t be a reason to panic. If you’re strategic in how you handle slow periods, you can come out ahead when the work picks back up. I believe in you, so you should too!