Well, it happened. After buzzing along unscathed for the first five months of the pandemic, the client roster for my business experienced its first COVID-19 casualty. A longstanding (almost eight years) brick-and-mortar client feeling the vice grips of the pandemic notified me she needed to stop services.

“You have done an outstanding job over the past years, and I am very satisfied. We are trying to watch our budget …” DM

Adjusting my business belt, I weighed options on what to do with the block of time spent in the past for her contract work along with the void in income.

Immediate options:

• Temporary pause to allow that new space to breathe
• Inquire of additional work available through current clients
• Ask network for referral
• Inspire prospect(s) through a marketing campaign

Temporary Pause.

The decision was opting to pause temporarily to keep the space open and to shift focus on making improvements to my business through projects already underway.

Unsolicited Referral.

Within five days, I received a referral from a client and held a discovery call. My network had responded without even a direct ask. Serendipity?

CARES Act.

Hat tip to a Mastermind Group I am actively involved in for having discussed this topic, bringing grants and loans to light as potential resources for my small business. Learning of a grant available to Independent Contractors, I applied. Within days, I had the monies deposited to my account! These funds will cover sales and marketing projects.

Navigating the course as a military spouse, I learned the necessity of self-advocacy first hand harnessing the tenacity to be a proactive entrepreneur.