How to Run Your Freelance Business When the Power Is Out

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Windstorms, snowstorms, wild fires, and ornery animals can all shut down the electricity in the boonies where I live. If you live an area with the same type of problems, learn how you can still freelance when the power is out.

With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can ensure your business is prepared.

Here are six things you can do to keep making progress on your business when the power is out.

1. Brainstorm New Ideas

You don’t need power to generate ideas! And, being without it can be inspiring.

Grab a pen and some paper, and scribble ideas by candlelight as they come.

Changes in your environment tend to help with creativity, so brainstorm away! See how many possible headlines you can come up with.

Then take a couple and outline them. When your power is restored, you will have some great progress to upload.

2. Use a Laptop

Fast approaching deadline? Laptops can help.

I try to keep mine charged at all times so it’s ready to go just in case.

My battery isn’t great, but it’ll last several hours before dying on me. That’s a lot of writing time. The looming dead battery will help you to write even faster, so you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish!

3. Get on the Internet with Your Smartphone

Often, cell towers don’t go down when the electricity does. Check your phone and see if you have a signal. If you do, you can use it to do many things, including:

• Let anyone who is waiting on content from you know about the problem
• Check your email
• Update social media
• Take pictures for a future blog post
• Respond to blog comments
• Create a hot-spot to get your laptop online for a bit

Remember that you don’t want your phone’s battery to run down too much. While you could write a blog post from you phone, you need your phone to last as long as possible to see you through the outage.

Use your limited resources wisely.

4. Go Old School

Do you remember back in school when you had to write things by hand? It’s not as fast as typing, but it still accomplishes the job of transforming your ideas into the written word.

What tasks for your business can be done “the old-fashioned way?” Could you:

• Sketch out an image
• Plan an A-Z series for your blog
• Write up a clear description of your target audience
• Get ahead in tasks in other areas of your life so you have more time for your business once power is restored
• Streamline something by creating a meal plan or chore chart

5. Find Power

If you truly need power for a task, go find it. (If it’s safe!) When I lose power, I typically can go to one of two nearby small towns and find a connection at the library.

My family also invested in a quality generator. If the power outage is extended, this gets hooked up and it allows me to charge my phone and laptop. (And ensure the meat in our freezer doesn’t thaw…)

6. Enjoy a Break

Without power, you aren’t likely going to hustle as much as you can when everything is up and running. Enjoy the small break.

Burnout is very real. Avoid it by embracing an unexpected break from your freelancing.

Use this time to:

• Play with your kids (we love hide and seek when the power is out and the house is super dark!)
• Read a book from your “to-read” pile
• Draw together
• Light some lovely smelling candles and enjoy the smell
• Take a nap
• Or anything that leaves you feeling refreshed

When the power comes back on, the goal is for you to  be rested and relaxed.

Do You Lose Power Often?

Do you also live in an area prone to power outages? If so, make sure you have thought about what you will do for your business if it happens.

The power outage isn’t your fault, but you can definitely do things to alleviate the stress that it can cause!