It happens to the best of us. We’re doing great with our business, finish off the last client file, and then…

Suddenly nothing.

We find ourselves scrambling to try and make ends meet, and worry and fret that perhaps going into freelance design wasn’t that great of an idea. Our savings begin to burn up, and we panic.

What can be done?

Don’t Panic

Don’t go out and find a full time job just because clients appear to have dried up. Perhaps in some cases this is the only solution, but before you dive into the 9 to 5 grind, open your eyes and look back on why you began freelancing in the first place. Was it for money? In part. Was it for a greater amount of control and freedom of your schedule? Whatever the reason, if it’s a good enough one to keep you as a freelancer, then stick with it! Remember, however, that right now we are in an economic crises. Things may take a while to turn around – years, even. But all hope is not lost!

Always Remember Your Towel

I don’t mean a literal towel. I mean a figurative one – your address book. Pick it up. Thumb through it. Anyone in the network you haven’t contacted lately? Then contact them. Tell them about any changes you’ve done with your site, or with your business. Politely request referrals, or send along your new business card.

Work On Side Projects

You’re a designer. A creator. Or even a developer, a thinker and an engineer of web applications and sites. So put it to good use. Create a side project, or mockups for mock clients that emphasis your abilities, and feature them in your portfolio. This not only keeps your skills up-to-date, but allows you to work on your portfolio – your main marketing tool.

Clean Your Portfolio

This should be a no-brainer. Get rid of older designs that don’t display your current skillset, and use the step above to add new projects to it. Don’t allow your portfolio to become completely overrun with mock clients, but make sure that it displays you at your best. Pull your best designs to the top, and the not-as-good designs you wish to keep toward the bottom. Make sure all of the URLs in your portfolio work, whether they are to live sites or to screenshots of your designs, and if you are a developer, troubleshoot and bugfix any applications you might be featuring.

Go Back to School

Technology is an industry that changes at a very fast pace. And sometimes, we even might forget something we learned years ago that’s important. Going back to school and taking a few classes, design-related or otherwise, helps us grow as a person, and may inspire you. Also, it will allow you to network, a very important thing for the freelance designer.

Chin up! Oh, and Prepare in Advance

We all know that sometimes there are hard times for every business. The best thing you can do is always prepare in advance. I personally save at least 50% of my income from clients in the possibility of having a downturn in business; while you don’t necessarily need to go to this extreme or might not be able to afford it, it is still good practice to have a savings account that reflects what you would need to live on for a month or two, perhaps even three for extreme cases. Daddy always did say that if you take care of your money, your money will take care of you.

But have hope! Get out a little bit with your free time, and take a walk. Sometimes clearing your head a little bit is exactly what you need to get back to work on the search for clients.