The Work You Want More Of

Some projects remind you why you started your business. You enjoy the conversations, the ideas come naturally and you’re proud of the finished work. You find yourself thinking, “I’d love to do more of this.”

Then the next enquiry arrives. It’s familiar, you know you can deliver it and there’s space in the diary. You say yes, get busy and leave the question of how to attract more of the work you enjoy for another day.

It’s an easy pattern to fall into when you work for yourself. The projects coming in shape your portfolio, your portfolio shapes the enquiries you receive, and before long you can become known for work you’re capable of doing but don’t particularly want more of.

Changing that takes some intention. You need to understand what you’re moving towards, help people see you in that space and make room for the opportunities you want to pursue.

Get specific about what you enjoyed

When a project goes well, it’s worth looking beyond the finished result. What made it a good experience? Was it the subject matter, the kind of work involved, the client’s approach or the freedom you had to explore?

You might assume you want more projects in a particular industry, when what you really enjoyed was working directly with a founder who trusted your judgement. Or you might love the look of a finished project while recognising that the process was difficult and the budget left little room to do your best work.

That gives you a more practical description of what you’re looking for. “More exciting projects” is difficult to act on. “Brand identities for founder-led businesses, with enough scope to carry the direction through to the website” gives you something clearer to communicate and pursue.

Show people what you want to be asked for

Your portfolio tells prospective clients what they can come to you for. If most of what you share is work you’d prefer to move away from, it’s understandable that similar enquiries keep arriving.

You don’t have to remove everything or wait until you have an entirely new body of work. Start by giving your most relevant projects more attention. Move them higher on your website, revisit how you present them and explain the parts you’d like to do again.

A short description can make a difference. Perhaps the finished images don’t reveal that you helped a founder clarify their offer, developed the creative direction or designed a flexible system they could use themselves. If that contribution matters to the work you want next, make it visible.

You can also share your thinking between completed projects. Talk about a problem you enjoy solving, explain a decision or explore a subject you’d like to work with more. This gives people a fuller picture of your interests and expertise, especially when your current portfolio only shows part of what you can do. Make your services easier to recognise

Sometimes the work you want is already available within your business, but the way you describe your services makes it difficult to spot.

Read your website from the perspective of someone who has never met you. Would they understand what they could hire you to do? Can they see a service that relates to their situation, or do they need to work it out from a long list of capabilities? You don’t need to turn every possible request into a package. But if you want more of a particular kind of project, give it a clear place in your offer. Explain what it involves, who it’s useful for and what someone needs to bring to the process. Be careful about promising a version of the service you wouldn’t enjoy delivering. If you want thoughtful, collaborative projects, a rushed turnaround and an open-ended scope are unlikely to help you attract them. The structure of the offer should support the experience you’re hoping to create.

Build connections around that direction

Updating your website helps people understand your work once they find you. You also need to consider how the right people will come across it. Start with relationships you already have. A previous client may know someone planning a similar project. A collaborator may be looking for your expertise but associate you with a different service. Let people know what you’re focusing on, using a relevant example where you can.

You could reconnect with a client whose project you enjoyed, share a case study with a potential collaborator or approach a business with a thoughtful reason for getting in touch. A specific conversation often gives someone more to respond to than a general announcement that you’re available.

Pay attention to where good enquiries come from. Over time, you may find that a few relationships, a particular piece of work or one useful article does more for your business than a constant stream of content. Give those routes some care.

Make the shift manageable

There may be a gap between the work you want and the work currently paying your bills. That deserves a realistic plan.

You might continue taking familiar projects while setting aside time to develop a stronger case study or test a new service. You might choose one self-initiated project to explore a direction you haven’t yet been commissioned for. If you do, label it clearly and give yourself a useful brief, so it demonstrates more than an aesthetic you like.

Decide what you can afford to invest, both in time and money. You don’t need to reinvent the business in a month. A gradual shift can give you room to learn what people respond to and whether you enjoy the work as much as you expected.

It helps to have a few questions for incoming enquiries, too. Is this the kind of work you want to build on? Does the budget support the time involved? Would you want to share it afterwards? You may still accept a project for practical reasons, but you’ll understand the choice you’re making.

Give the work somewhere to lead

When you finish a project you’d love to repeat, take a little time to help it lead to the next one. Ask for a testimonial, request permission to share the work and record what made the project successful while it’s still fresh.

Then use what you’ve learned. Update the relevant service page. Explain the process in a case study. Tell a collaborator what you enjoyed about it. These small actions make it easier for someone else to recognise a similar need and think of you.

You’re allowed to become more selective about the work you want as your business develops. Experience gives you a better understanding of where you do your best work, which relationships suit you and what makes a project worthwhile.

The next time you finish something and think, “I’d love more of this,” spend a little time working out why. That answer can guide what you share, how you describe your services and where you put your energy next.