What freelancers need to know about coronavirus

With tens of thousands of cases in more than 100 countries and Facebook memes traveling faster than the speed of light, the coronavirus outbreak seems to be the only thing people are talking about right now.

But what does it mean for your work as a freelancer?

If you work from home, the recommendation to practice "social distancing" probably just sounds like business as usual. You may already conduct most of your client meetings virtually and collaborate via tools like Slack and Google Docs—now everyone else is just catching up to you.

Right now, the biggest economic threat is to those in the events, travel, and hospitality industries, where large gatherings of people are the norm. As events coordinators work to comply with health officials' recommendations (and limit the negative PR that could come from a spike in cases), major conferences are being canceled or postponed every day—with lost income already reported to be more than $1 billion. So far, South by Southwest, Google I/O, and Mobile World Congress have been scrapped, while the massive 30,000-attendee Game Developers Conference is indefinitely postponed.

There's no telling at this point how long this outbreak will last, so if you've got an event on the calendar in the next few months, it's safest to assume it won't be happening, or will be taking place virtually instead.

Because of this, businesses specializing in virtual meeting technology are looking at a major boom. If you're a tech consultant, now's the time to start networking (online, of course!) to let potential clients know you can help them make the transition to virtual meetings a seamless one.

Here are some things all freelancers can do to stay safe and productive during this time:

Stock up

In addition to must-haves like toilet paper and breakfast cereal, think about the things you need to get your work done. Shipping supplies? Printer paper? Whatever it is, try to have at least a two-week supply on hand.

Stay safe

If you do cowork or share office space, kick that handshake habit (try a simple wave or elbow bump instead) and avoid touching your face while you're out in public. And remember, if you feel at all sick, don't take the risk and go out anyway. Stay home and keep others safe.

Upgrade your space

Have you been considering boosting your internet service? Getting a bigger monitor for your desk? If your budget can handle it, now's a good time to make your home office more comfortable. You could be spending a lot more time here for the foreseeable future.

Keep learning

If your business is impacted, use the downtime to take on a big project you haven't been able to find the time for—whether that's mastering SEO or learning to knit. It doesn't have to be professionally productive (though we always respect the hustle!), as long as it's satisfying to you and keeps your brain engaged. And who knows? You might find a whole new revenue stream while you're at it!

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from Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/03/11/what-freelancers-need-to-know-about-coronavirus/