These are some business tips for the freelancer to grow their business. You will need to do things as simple as contacting people through email and more this year.

Here is one blog post for those who have yet to take the plunge – 9 things you need to do before going freelance full-time.

Some tips will link you to past blog posts to help you explore each piece of information more in-depth.

• Solve a problem, and then start the business – Your business is to solve a problem for another company. Ask yourself what business problems I am solving for my clients.
• Photographer, are you Liked or Loved – You need table food and soul food. The best way to get both is the personal project that shows your business solution through a photo project, for example, that shows how you solved this problem for someone.
• How much can you make as a photographer? – You need a good understanding of the cost of doing business. One key element is your family budget as well. If you don’t know your bills, how much you bring in, and the difference, you will probably fail in business.
• When it comes to marketing: Act like a first-year student and not a senior – No one knows you, or what you do, so you will have to tell them and communicate how your services will benefit their bottom line.
• Create a calendar with actions for you to do. Here are some things that should be on your list:
  1. People to contact by phone [weekly] – These are your clients and prospects.
  2. Targeted marketing campaign – this is where you write a letter that targets people in your database in a particular industry.
     1. Education Market
     2. Editorial Market
     3. Sports
     4. Medical
  3. Blog – this is where you share something that continues to build your reputation as an expert. I recommend three times a week.
  4.  E-Newsletter – I send one out monthly to my clients. The newsletter is just a way to reconnect with your audience. Remember to consider why they want to get this, not that you want them to hire you.
  5. Snail mail – you can send handwritten thank you cards to all your recently hired clients. Do this after each job. Maybe create a postcard or some other mailing. Remember, they have to physically touch this before it goes in the mail, whereas emails will get automatically deleted and never seen.
• Networking events – You need to be out and meeting new people. I call this fishing with a big net.
• Workshops – You need to continue to grow in knowledge, so plan to attend meetings throughout the year to help you expand your skills.

You may think of more things, but be sure you have a plan and are working on it.