Project-based businesses tend to undergo a feast-or-famine cycle, especially during the first years. Inconsistent revenue is challenging to balance when people don’t know who you are and what you bring to the table.
But this doesn’t mean you have to grind your teeth and hope your fund will be enough to carry you through the low-yielding times. Nor does it mean you should chase every possible lead, no matter how feeble it may be.
There are ways to put your business on a growth path using sound reasoning, logic, and a strategic approach. In today’s article, we’ll explore three such strategies, so make sure to stay tuned until the end.
1. Build Recurring Revenue Through Service Packaging
Project-based businesses can be a financial rollercoaster. One month, you’re buried in work; the next, crickets. This unpredictability makes long-term planning nearly impossible, and it will, eventually, wear you down.
The Strategy
Reframe your offerings into recurring service packages. This way, instead of relying solely on one-time projects, you create ongoing value that keeps clients coming back. Think monthly retainers, seasonal maintenance plans, or “preferred client” programs with priority access or bundled pricing.
Besides gaining a line of recurring revenue, this is also a great way to improve customer loyalty and satisfaction. After all, what client wouldn’t like special treatment?
How It Works
Let’s take the example of a freelance photographer who typically books individual shoots, such as portraits, events, or brand photography. It’s good money, but also wildly unpredictable. To balance this aspect, they can launch a monthly content package for small businesses, which includes two photo shoots per month, a set number of edited images, and priority booking.
If the photographer can sign five recurring clients at $500/month each, that’s $2,500/month in baseline revenue, regardless of whether new jobs come in.
2. Standardize Internal Processes & Automate
When you’re neck-deep in work, the last thing you want to do is admin work. Yet, if you don’t have a team (and many project-based businesses don’t), you’re the one who has to do everything.
But if you’re busy with revenue-generating work, the admin work will have to take a step back. And this can lead to a series of mistakes, misunderstandings, and delays that may stall your growth.
The Strategy
Learn from the big guys and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These are step-by-step instructions that outline how to perform routine tasks. They help streamline operations, ensure quality, and make it easier to train new team members.
Also, make full use of workflow automation tools to free up your time. Small things like onboarding checklists, proposal templates, automated follow-up emails, and job scheduling tools show you just how much time you’ve been wasting on routine tasks.
How It Works
This time, let’s look at a landscaping business. The owner handles everything, including site visits, quotes, scheduling, client communication, ordering supplies, and more. However, they’re starting to feel the burnout, so they decide to upgrade the business’s internal systems.
First, they decide to use a job management app to assign crews and track progress in real-time, as well as automate appointment reminders and follow-ups via a CRM. Next, they begin using a specialized tool, such as DynaScape landscaping software. This is a landscape design and business management software that automates plant/material counts, as well as generates cost estimates.
3. Nurture Strategic Partnerships
Project-based businesses often rely on referrals or cold outreach to land clients. While that might work in the short term, it can create long dry spells and limit your exposure to new markets or opportunities.
The Strategy
The best way to avoid putting your business in a corner is by aligning with businesses that serve a similar audience but aren’t direct competitors.
Here are a few examples of strategic partnerships that work wonderfully:
- Wedding Photographer + Event Planner – Same clients, different services. They can refer each other and offer bundled packages.
- Interior Designer + Home Renovation Contractor – The designer handles aesthetics, while the contractor manages execution.
- Fitness Coach + Nutritionist – Both target health-conscious clients, offering complementary expertise.
- Web Developer + SEO Consultant – One builds the site, the other drives traffic to it.
- Landscaper + Pool Installation Company – One enhances the yard, the other installs the pool.
These partnerships don’t have to be formal joint ventures. You can start with a simple referral agreement or collaborate on a small campaign. The goal is to expand your reach without expanding your workload.
In Summary
Sustainable growth doesn’t require massive leaps, but it does require consistency when taking small steps. If you nail that down, your project-based business can scale with confidence. Start small, stay consistent, and remember: growth isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things, better.
