Sometimes it's the Busiest Months that can be the Scariest

In voice over, there are traditionally a few months each year that are expected to be slow. January-February, June-July, and sometimes December. However, this isn't the rule, and 2011 has proven to me that anything is possible!

So far this year, my January and February were fantastic! April, normally a great month, was awful for me. June and July were two of the best months of my career, while September fell quite flat.

You just never know! A few weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a producer friend of mine, and he mentioned something that really hit home with me. He said that when he has a really busy, high earning month- that's when he's the most nervous!

Why?

During a really busy month (like my July for example), you are so focused on getting all of the work done, meeting every deadline, making your clients happy, getting those invoices sent, etc- that you stop doing all of those proactive things for your business (like marketing, auditioning, answering e-mails, etc). You simply don't have the time! And while you won't feel the effects of that immediately, you will feel those effects a month or two later.

The same thing happens when something in life takes your focus away from your work for a period of time. It's a month or two later when you really feel the pinch.

Seeing for myself how a crazy busy summer led into a slower start to fall, I've decided to set a new goal. The busier I am, the more effort I will make to set aside a period of time every day to do something proactive for my business. It's easy to do when things are slow, but it's even more vital when things are hopping! Even if it's just an hour or two on the weekend, it's imperative I don't ever become over-confident when the work pours in and neglect marketing my services to future clients.