How To Drum Up Quick Cash

I have always been a bit of a dreamer, refusing to adhere to a 9-5, salaried routine, and preferring to do something I enjoyed that enriched my quality of life, if not my bank account.  I am fortunate that now I earn a pretty good living as a writer.  That being said, the sudden loss of a big client, receiving a check for a kill fee instead of the full payment, or an unexpected car repair bill can suddenly make a big enough dent in my budget that I have to temporarily scrabble for extra income.

After the initial shock has passed, I have a set way of dealing with any unexpected downturn in my finances, and this plan has helped me to pay the bills in many difficult times.

1. I keep a tickler file on each of my clients.  While I work on a project for them I make notes in the file about work that I think they may need doing in the future.  For example, press releases, updates to their website or brochure copy, a regular newsletter, extra blog posts, sales letters or articles promoting a product or service which can be submitted to article directories.   When I find work drying up, I go through these files, contacting each client to ask if they would like some work done. Knowing the specifics of the client's needs helps me to prepare a strong sales pitch.  The letter or phone call usually goes something like this:

"Hi Mr. Client,  this is Angela.  I did [name of job] for you a few weeks ago.  I like to keep up to date with all of my clients and I: noticed that you have some new products on your site that don't have detailed descriptions/thought you might want some fresh content on your blog telling your customers about your new services/ wondered if you have any special promotions that you might need a press release for?"

This tactic results in extra work between 50 and 75% of the time.

2. I browse around the freelance sites such as oDesk, Elance and GetAFreelancer for choice assignments. Jobs that I have found on these sites fall into two categories: quick and easy but low pay, or challenging and rewarding with higher compensation. Pay varies wildly, but I have earned up to $30 per hour on these sites so it is worth taking the time to update my profiles and dive in to the job postings.

3. I contact all Editors who have my articles or queries still on their desk, and try to move the process along, or at least get an idea of status. I also contact Editors I have worked with in the past and either send them a new pitch or ask if they have any projects that they would like me to work on.

Make sure you have a plan in place for drumming up extra work.  As a freelancer, being busy full time one week doesn't guarantee you the same income the next,  so having a way to keep money coming in is vital to an even cash flow.