Is your growth in-line with your peers in B2B SaaS & AI? 

Benchmark yourself against actual billings data for Maxio’s 2000+ global customers, alongside firsthand company perspectives to understand how growth varied by company size, business model, and strategic focus.

Key takeaways from the report: 

Download the report 

#ad

If you’re a freelancer, you’ve probably encountered a dry spell.

It might be in the summer (hello, summer slowdown), after the holidays, while waiting for marketing teams to get budgets and content plans approved, or a few times throughout the year, depending on your service-based business and niche.

Slowdowns happen to every freelancer, even the ones who make it look like they’re flooded with clients on LinkedIn. (Psst! That’s part of their marketing!)

What separates the ones who bounce back from the ones who spiral is what they do with the downtime.

Here's what to do when work slows down and you're staring at an inbox that’s only showing promo emails, no matter how many times you hit refresh.

Make the most of a slow season.

Keep marketing.

This is the number one mistake freelancers make when things slow down: they stop marketing. Commit to spending twice as much time on targeted outreach in your niche until the work picks back up.

Set up calls.

Block off time to connect with other freelancers in your freelance community, former coworkers, friends who own businesses, and potential clients. You never know which conversation will lead to your next gig.

Get out of the office.

When you've refreshed your inbox for the 47th time, close the laptop. Meeting people in person — casually, at a networking event, or through a volunteer opportunity — can spark ideas and possible assignments that staring at your screen won’t.

Take long breaks.

Step outside for a long walk and finally listen to that business podcast you bookmarked six months ago. Getting away from your desk clears your head and keeps you in a learning mode even when you're not billing.

Tackle your backend.

You know that list of things you promised yourself you'd do "when things slowed down"? Now's the time. Update your website copy, review your contracts and onboarding processes, clean up your portfolio links and add new ones, and streamline your client acquisition process. (This customizable client intake form can help.)

Do something creative.

Work on a passion project or try something you've never done before. It doesn't have to make you money right now. It just has to keep your brain curious and your skills sharp. Sometimes I’ll watch sewing or crafting videos on YouTube to help me with a sewing project, but I’ll note their setup, video editing, and how they present the content. Ideas are everywhere!

Learn a new skill.

Pick one thing you've been putting off and dedicate 30 minutes to an hour to it. An online course, a new tool, a new type of writing skill, or a service you've been curious about. Slow seasons are an investment in the next busy one.

>If you have 75 minutes, check out this presentation on How to Become a Nutrition Writer and How to Become a Health Writer

>If you have 25 minutes, discover fresh & fun ways to find new freelance clients in this presentation

Rest on purpose.

Taking a break is not a sign you’re lazy. Rest is part of the job. Explore free things in your town, sleep in, or read a book that has nothing to do with work. You'll come back sharper.

Dry spells are uncomfortable, but they're not permanent. Work always picks back up. Keep marketing and trust the process.

The freelancers who make the most of the slow season come out ahead when it does.

If sending DMs to potential and previous clients on LinkedIn is part of your marketing strategy, check out this guide with scripts for exactly what to say.

Most e-commerce sellers juggle 6–8 tools and pay hundreds monthly to keep operations running. StoreClaw replaces the stack with one autonomous AI engine that monitors competitors, optimizes listings, automates marketing, and tracks profit 24/7. Connect your store and let AI handle the work — no prompts, no complex setup, no credit card required.

Try if for free today

What I’m watching: The Boys (A superhero drama) on PRIME

What I’m reading: Workhorse: a novel by Caroline Palmner (and) The Joy of Money: How to do more with and feel better about your money, no matter how much you have by Carrie Joy Grimes (May 2026, Harper Business)

What I wrote: Who are the subject matter experts I should use in my content? (NEW LinkedIn article: Send it to your content marketing clients when they don’t know who to introduce you to as an expert at their company.)

What I wrote for a client: Follow these simple LinkedIn engagement strategies when you aren’t sure what to post on the platform (Inc.)

Here’s a roundup of creative, full-time, part-time, freelance, remote, and hybrid jobs in the editorial, copywriting, content writing, and creative fields. Good luck.

This post may contain affiliate links