Someone out there needs me, but how do I get to them?

[FlorenceandtheWashingMachine]

Help! I am stuck and could do with bouncing ideas off someone. I have successfully worked from home for the past four years. I have had three ongoing accounts (all through word of mouth) - two of which are giant corporations - and until now that has been more than enough. However, one client has just had a big reorg and will only be using me sporadically from now on.

They were my smallest account so this is not a disaster, but I would like replace them and have been networking furiously with contacts to do so. No luck so far, although something great may be on the horizon for 2014 through this.

Over the past four years I have taken anything I have been offered and this means PR, digital content management, English language 'glossing' plus internal comms. Just to confuse things further, I work for two consumer electronics giants and one fabulous little hospitality company, so I don't even have an industry to own!

I know that there must be companies out there who need me, but how the hell do I find them? I need to identify and reach out to likely companies/individuals online. What has worked for you, please?

Sorry about the long post.

Flo

I do pretty much what you do.

What do you WANT to do, what are you best at, and who is your perfect client? You need to work that out before you can work out where your perfect clients are hanging out -- and then go and network wherever that is. You've just got to be a bit more targeted, I think.

That means you can be a bit more direct, too, when networking. "I want to work for a client like X. Can you introduce me?" or something like that.

Keep going with your networking, although agree with Friendly that you could probably be more targeted. The other approach is the good old-fashioned cold call. It's shit, it's hard work, and you have to do a lot of calls to get a return, but it does work. And will have a much better success rate than doing it online (although if you have a good website or online portfolio that will be a good back-up to direct people to.)

Start by making a list of companies which do the same things are your current clients and hit the phone...

Thanks very much for your input, FriendlyLadybird and WilsonFrickett. Great advice. I definitely need to define what it is I do!

I used to be an account manager many moons ago (established accounts, however, no cold calling), so the thought of getting on the phone feels okay. I will do some research into who I could target.

One of my current clients recommended me for some ongoing work yesterday. This would be great if it works out and would grow the area I am more interested in (the PR/content management side). My client raved about my work and then forwarded what she had said to me, which has put a big smile on my face too :-)

One of the things I did was wait until I got offered a free Linked In premium month and then use it to look up names/job titles of potential contacts within my dream clients. Then that's my cold calling list.

Luckily (as I hate talking on the phone), every time I dust it off, someone gets in touch with me.

I assume you're on Linked In? Can you ask your client to put her raving onto your profile? That has yielded good results for me :)

Thanks, Kiriwawa. Yes, I am on LinkedIn and the client has already raved. I also have a decent photo on there now, which looks more professional.

That's a great idea about using Premium temporarily for research. Sounds like a plan! :-)

I know of a free traing session for freelancers in Stockport next week - the link is
introductiontofreelancing.eventbrite.co.uk/

Sorry that link again - I think posted it wrong

www.introductiontofreelancing.eventbrite.co.uk/

Thanks, MoneyMakingMum. Just back from a holiday, so I missed it I am afraid.

Hi Flo, I'm a bit confused as to what it is you actually do, what services you provide for clients? Also what would you like to be doing and what are your main skills?