Here’s a list of things to do now, if you are in a work slowdown, so that when things pick up again you’ll be ready!

1. Recommit to your core services

It’s easy to get off track when you are slow. Requests for charitable work or even paid projects that lie outside the area you love to work in is enticing since it represents much needed income or exposure.

The problem with accepting too many such requests is that it’s work that takes longer to do since it’s not routine. Or, even if you can turn it around expeditiously, if it’s a killjoy you’ll come to resent the time you’re putting in on it. Then once you get really busy, you may be saddled again with some types of work that you decided long ago that you weren’t going to do any more.

Use this time to remain true to your areas of expertise and joy. If you want to donate services, only donate them in the areas of work you love to begin with.

2. Reexamine your structure

When you are swamped again, you may wish you had carved out some time to set up systems for referring overflow work, creating affiliate and/or referral programs, creating a virtual team work structure, or even moving beyond providing direct service into the realm of education through writing, training or speaking on your industry.

If you want to grow your business beyond being a solopreneur who personally handles every job, you can work now to set up an organized strategy for when the work comes rolling in again. Study the various systems utilized by some of your industry’s leaders so that you can create your own profitable approach now while you have time.

3. Dig out your crockpot

When you get slammed, it’s easy to develop and rationalize bad eating habits, even though you know that cooking at home is better for your body and your bank account. Practice some new culinary techniques and find local sources of good fresh foods.

Apply this principal to some of your existing office practices, too. If you’ve been doing your time tracking by hand, for instance, or never learned how to track projects using a database,  look around now for some software options which can automate these processes for you later. It’s like finding dinner ready and waiting for you in the crockpot at the end of the day.

4. Do your part to solve  an important issue that you CAN do something about

You can’t personally fire up this economy. But you can make a difference by adjusting your various daily habits or by trying to help someone else in your community.

Blog Action Day is every October 15th and is a world-wide effort to bring attention to an issue that affects the entire world. Participating bloggers dedicate a post to their personal examination of that year’s issue.

By participating you can educate yourself and  consider what you personally can do about the issue locally or globally. In 2008, the topic was poverty. In 2009 participants will blog about the topic of Climate Change. You can get involved (it will cost you nothing but time) by going here.