5 Productive Things to Do During the Holidays
No matter what kind of web designer you are — freelancer or firm worker — holiday season is not always a time for joy and happiness. This is the time of year where we have no clients, or very few. If we do have some, communication is likely cut back as are regular payments. To top it all off, our spending must go up as well!
Even with no clients, though, we can still be productive. You are likely to be setting some work-related new years resolutions, so why not do all you can to get ready for that? Here are five productive things you can do during the slow holiday season, to make your work not-so-slow anymore.
Productivity Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Clients
Clients are our income and we need them to run our businesses. However, there are a number of other tasks one can do to still be productive that can either lead to more income immediately, or greater income down the road (for next year!).
Even with knowing this, it is difficult to get the “I won’t survive without clients!” mentality out of our heads. The first phase to being productive during slow times is to change your view on productivity. Realize that you can still be productive even if it doesn’t mean an instant paycheck.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, cement it into your mentality, and we will continue…
1. Improve Your Portfolio
Yes, even if you work for a firm. There are a number of things you can always be doing to improve your portfolio, and while they aren’t always urgent, doing these tasks can improve your clients and your paychecks. Below are a few areas where you could do so:
- Update the works you currently show off, either by adding more, or weeding out the older and not-so-impressive pieces. Only show your best work.
- Does your portfolio need a redesign, or even a realign? Or, it may just need some sharpening, tweaking, or polishing. Either way, now is the time to do it. Do it now, impress clients for a more profitable income next year.
- Improve your selling pages. Update your about me, services page, or the way your contact page is set up. Can it be more systematized, can you sell yourself better, or can you find any errors that may have been hurting you this past year?
There are a number of other ways to improve your portfolio; above are just the basics. Take the time to do this now so you can get a running head start at the new year!
2. Educate Yourself
Once we get to a stable place in our careers, we’d much rather be focusing on clients, and focusing on keeping up with our finances than learning new skills. While most of us understand the value of education, why improve if we’re already doing what we want?
Especially in a technological age, we need to constantly be updating our skills, both in terms of design and art, as well as in software, technology, and in business. Also, even when stable, things can get boring. If there is something that you’ve wanted to learn for awhile now, take this holiday time to explore that new route. You may find it easier than ever implementing your new skills into your work once your client base picks up again.
3. Organize Your Email and Files
Spring cleaning just turned into winter cleaning. Organize your desktop and other files so your computer runs faster and you can find things quicker. Organize your email, and take any information out of your email that is unneeded, or could be transferred to your hard drive.
Also take the time to organize your desk, workspace, and even the rest of your home. This is a great opportunity to get some of the to-do things off your list that have been put on the back burner. While this may not be directly productive to making you instant income for your business, it can later help you concentrate and become more organized when you do get busier.
4. Market Yourself (to the extreme!)
Take the time to apply for A TON of jobs (assuming your a freelancer). Depending on where you are in life, you may also want to apply for firms or better jobs within your current firm. Update your resume, get organized, and apply, apply, apply.
Also start putting your portfolio into CSS galleries, web directories, and of the like so you can be found easier when clients begin looking or designers when the new year rolls around. Place your works into websites like Behance.net, and Flickr. Get more into the community by commenting on blogs, writing for publications, and getting yourself out there.
The reason you and the rest of the web design world is slow right now is because clients just aren’t looking for your services. This is why it is pointless to waste your effort trying to find clients who aren’t there. Focus on attracting them once they are there in upcoming months.
5. Try a New Venue
If you’ve wanted to expand a service, start a blog, or start your own business, start now! Start the planning phases and get set up. This way, once the new year rolls around and everyone is settling back into their usual routines, you’ll be there, and you’ll be able to launch with a bang.
If there’s any dream you’ve always wanted to accomplish, the holidays are the perfect slow time to get started. We only live once, so live, learn, and try something new!
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