Is it 2021 yet?
I’ve spent a lot more time online recently and a recurring theme seems to be that freelancers have been using this time to hone their skills, retrain (not in the way you think Rishi) and to work on their own business models and strategies. I’m hoping that most of this is bluff, as I seem to have spent a whole year watching This Morning, making nice dinners and wearing tracksuit bottoms.
I have spent some time on this website, I’ve removed unused plugins and got rid of the slider from the front page. I’ve also (hopefully) made the journey through the pages a bit clearer… let me know if I haven’t! I’ve deleted and reordered some of my blogs and finaly sat down to write this new one. I have also spent a good bit of time networking (virtually of course) and working on my own social media accounts. It’s been really nice to get some of this admin done, as it is what I advise everyone I work with to do!
I also attended a wellbeing workshop, which taught me to stop feeling envious of everyone else. I’ve always been very candid with what I put out online and have never been one for writing ‘oooh look at me’ posts, so really need to stop feeling affected by those posted by others. If you have genuinely made amazing new sales via LinkedIn I’m not sure why you would be offering the how to as a £149 course – or maybe that is the secret? Balls. *goes off to write a shit five step course unlocking your potential – with the option to purchase next level secrets at twice the original cost*. Those adverts really wind me up, I have been trying to find genuine courses as I don’t have any official marketing qualifications and am now being bombarded by the smiley faces of dads able to work from home and women who have rediscovered their power. It’s marketing at it’s worst. Aimed directly at those with low self esteem and at an odd point in their careers and it makes my fucking blood boil.
Networking online has been fun, the format for the Business Buzz meetings is brilliant. The platform that it’s on is like a game and most people don’t know how to play it yet so there is much more genuine chat than in a normal business networking event. I’m still struggling with Twitter, as it just seems to be thanking everyone you ever talk to and takes up too much time. LinkedIn is becoming more interesting as people are showing more of their personalities as we all have less work to do. I have always loved Instagram and Facebook is great for local business and networking groups. TikTok can fuck off with SnapChat and as for advertising on these for business… not unless you sell fast food, cheap fashion or iphone cases please.
I had an absolutely flying start to the year and have to say the SEISS grants have been a lifesaver – I don’t understand all the backlash there has been with regards to these, probably because I was eligible for them and will be living off them until January. The World better restart then as I don’t have anything left to sell.
The Tiger King era of lockdown was a good one, I was still pretty busy and quoting for a lot of new work, it was really sunny and drinking from 11am was not frowned upon. House Party Quiz era was the low point, drinking 24/7 had become acceptable and we were all doing fuck all apart from walking the same walk everyday, trying to get toilet rolls and pasta and Normal People & Clapping was all there was to look forward to. I never attempted banana bread (I hate bananas even more than online quizzing) and festivals at home are shit, do not pretend otherwise. So now we are in the Rule of Six era, a weird, introspective, self-care moment in time that needs to do one by Christmas before we all go mad(der).