Lowering prices could harm your business rather than save it — How has COVID-19 affected your business? For some, work is slow or dead in the water. For others, it’s been busier than ever, which brings its own challenges. The temptation is for many companies to drop their prices until life returns to normal. Have you considered it? On the surface…

Make yourself useful, be human, and adapt to what happens with your clients’ business — Amidst the difficulties of coronavirus, there’s never been a better time to connect with your audience. This is the perfect opportunity to develop strong relationships with your ideal clients, and to position yourself as an industry expert. Many businesses facing financial struggles are cutting back on marketing. But why not…

Simple ideas for families having to home-school children during the corona virus outbreak — If you’re suddenly faced with the prospect of home schooling, you may well feel overwhelmed. As school close around the world, parents are having to juggle teaching their kids around work. It’s not easy for anyone. The key to home educating in this crisis is to remember what works for…

Simple strategies for freelancers when your potential client goes silent — Ghosting is a familiar and frustrating experience that has become commonplace. A pitch goes well, emails exchanged and plans made. Then suddenly it all goes silent and you never hear from them again. Ghosting happens just when everything is going great. It’s often at the point of success that the…

Balancing parenthood with a freelance business is always a challenge, but worth the struggle — The freelance dream of working flexibly around your young family is often shown as a simple route to happiness and financial freedom. If only it was that easy. Freelance work that gives you more time at home can require far more hours than a typical desk job. …

If you’re struggling to submit to a publication, look at these common errors to see where you’re going wrong — Most publications have style guides detailing exactly what they want from a submission. These documents are a valuable way of ensuring you don’t waste your time. Reading and understanding the style guide requirements means you know exactly what a publication is looking for before you write.

Choose the best pitching strategy to bag new clients, save time, and reduce rejection — There’s a widely held belief that cold pitching is simply a numbers game. Email as many people as possible and you’re bound to hit upon your ideal client before long. It’s just a matter of time. …

The right background music can help you stay focused and writing for longer — When you work alone, silence can be loud. Small distractions, like a neighbour cutting their lawn, the washing machine beeping, or a siren in the distance can stop you working. Using background music is often suggested as a simple way to maintain focus whilst writing. But tuning into a radio…

Using simple, clear writing is the way to engage your audience, share a message, and position yourself as an industry expert. — My love of big and important-sounding words started in the run-up to my exams. Aged 15, I thought they might help me hide my complete lack of revision and show I was a bit of an expert. Every essay I wrote was riddled with them. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. …