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the project pipeline - thinking 3 months in advance

There is no crystal ball, no fortune telling, or tarot cards.

We all know that just because you are working on a project today, doesn't mean you will be in a month, let alone next week. In this crazy economy money can dry up quick, leaving some freelancers stranded with their arms in the air wondering 'wtf'? After 8 years of freelancing I can easily say that the project pipeline is the lifeblood to any good freelancer.

You always have to know what's coming down the pipe, but not necessarily what's aroud the corner. The things that are right in front of you, coming your way, that's the project pipeline. On the average, I know it can take 30 days for some clients to feel comfortable enough to sign contracts and write that initial retainer deposit. Some clients breeze through this process in less than a day, but we're just talking about averages here. I need to have enough action in my project pipeline to sustain myself if a client is taking their time, and enough availablity to entertain the clients that want to get started immediately. Oh yeah, how do I know how long a client is going to take in this process... I ask them when they want to start the project.

Getting into a smooth rotation of projects starting and ending can be a killer on the schedule, but bottlenecks can plug up the project pipeline like hair in the shower drain. Do what you have to in order to keep projects moving, and all will be wil. Most of my projects these days can take 2-3 months anyway, so I know that as projects are coming into that final month I need to be looking around for the new business. Sometimes I'll start looking for new business early and just get out and do some networking... those relationships can start quickly, but business may not come from them until a few months in.

Just keep your project pipeline flowing, learn to adapt to the unexpected changes that occur, and always be on the lookout for prospects.

comments

  • Chris Gross

  • Great post here. A lot of people I have met are a bit slow to sign on the line and I've had to do exactly what you said and keep a flow of smaller projects while being patient with the larger ones.

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