Okay, so here we are in the middle of summer, and by this
time of year, most of us freelancers can experience a
little motivational lapse – either due to a temporary dip
in workload, or because it’s getting harder to resist the
daily temptation of all that glorious weather just outside
your office door.

Here are five things you can do in the last half of the
summer to supercharge your freelance business, and perform
better this year…

1. Get Your “System” Organized
When you work on your own, it’s critical to be disciplined,
efficient and productive. To be successful as a freelancer,
you need a time management system that runs like a well
oiled machine. But time management is really a misnomer
because your system should allow you to do more than just
map out how you spend your time.

You should have a reliable system in place for capturing
new ideas, planning your daily activities, tracking
projects, and making sure they move forward. Is your system
airtight, meaning nothing falls through the cracks? Or is
it a complete mess, meaning you rely on scribbled notes,
have mountains of paper stacked around your office and put
up with a large amount of chaos every day?

When you’re in a period of chaos, it’s either because
you’ve fallen out of the habit of sticking to your
organizational system, or because you don’t have a reliable
system in place to begin with.

So… either get back on track, or look to the experts for
inspiration on how to get organized. The two best resources
I’ve come across on this subject are David Allen’s book,
Getting Things Done (extremely intricate and quite a long
read, but worth it) and Michael Masterson’s ebook Personal
Productivity Secrets (not as comprehensive, but very
effective and much easier to digest in one or two
sittings).

My own personal organizational system is airtight thanks to
some of the teachings in these two resources.

2. Try a New Marketing Initiative
Make a list of all those marketing activities you’ve wanted
to do to promote your freelance business… write a press
release, create a direct mail campaign, write and submit
articles to blogs and publications in your industry. Now,
this summer, DO one of them! Just one. Take a day or two to
plan it out. Set an achievable launch date, and promise
yourself that you’ll make significant progress within one
week. And of course, record this project in your system to
make sure it gets done.

3. READ and LEARN!
If you do slip outside to catch a few rays of sunshine…
bring a book along. I usually have several books on the go
to help me stay focused on my business goals, but also to
remind me about the importance of enjoying life in the here
and now. Here’s what I’m reading this summer:

* A New Earth, by Echkart Tolle
* The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield
* Plus, everyday, I’m reading the articles and
comments on the brand new blog:
www.TheWealthyFreelancer.com

In the three weeks since it’s been up and running, I’ve
picked up some excellent tips for running my freelance
business. That’s because of the great insight from my
fellow Editors on the blog, Steve Slaunwhite and Ed
Gandia, not to mention guest articles from contributors
like Peter Bowerman.

The blog has lots of great advice on critical topics that
all successful freelancers have to pay attention to, like
getting clients, pricing, finance, strategy, and having the
right mindset. Future guest contributors include Nick
Usborne, Chris Marlow, Dianna Huff, Dean Rieck and others.
Check it out at www.TheWealthyFreelancer.com.

4. Enjoy Yourself… Take a Business Trip
Take a break this summer. Get out of town for a few days.
But save yourself a little money by doing it this way…
include an in-person meeting with a legitimate client or
prospect  so you can expense some of your travel, meals and
accommodation.

You should always keep accurate records of trips you take
for business meetings so that you can expense them
accordingly. This summer though, mix business with pleasure
and take your spouse along or meet up with friends for part
of the trip. Check with your accountant first if you’re not
sure which of the costs will be expense-able.  

5. Connect with a Coach, Colleague, or Mentor
If you don’t make an effort to connect with people,
freelancing can be a lonely life! But there’s no reason why
it should be. Make an effort to reach out to someone in
this industry that you want to get to know. Visit blogs and
websites where successful freelancers share comments and
advice.

Sometimes you’ll need to pay for the advice, like with a
coaching program or ebook, but there are lots of other ways
to get your questions answered for free.

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