Has recession put the squeeze on your freelancing business?

Late last year I wrote about Recession and the Freelance Writer. At the time, I shared my initial thoughts on how economic recession might affect freelance writers. Many of you also contributed your ideas on emerging trends. So, six months on, has it turned out as I expected?

Getting The Work In

To kick things off, here’s how I think recession has affected my writing business. As it happened, I was lucky, landing a couple of new contracts just before companies started to feel the pinch. Those cushioned me from the worst effects and I have seen very little fall off in business from my better clients.

Outsourcing

Where it has made a difference is to outsourcing. I used to have a lot of work to outsource. Now I have very little, as I find that most of the time I can comfortably handle the work that comes in. I still outsource a little, but only to a couple of people who produce excellent and reliable work.

Getting Paid To Write

There’s also a difference in getting paid for my writing.  Some clients pay up as promptly as ever, while there are two whom I have to chase every month. This is obviously their way of managing cash flow, and since they never get too far behind, I am not worrying too much about it. Overall, I would say that recession has not harmed my writing business, but now, more than ever, it pays to be vigilant about cash flow.

Your Turn

What about you? Is business booming, shrinking or somewhere  in between? What are you doing differently to keep yourself afloat? I’d love it if you would share your experiences with us.