I have been hearing a lot of “woe is me” stories from freelancers lately. They’ve suffered everything from lost clients to fewer projects to smaller fees.

I get it.

My business suffers, too. Many of my regular clients are now irregular clients, and I find myself competing for new projects with a much bigger pool of highly talented people all scrambling to make up for lost work. Yet, the one advantage that freelance writers have in a down economy is resilience. Unlike employees who only know how to work for someone else, when one door closes we are used to searching for and knocking on the next one. Just having this non-defeatist, “freelance state of mind” is an advantage in tough times.

If you’re letting the slow economy drag you down with it, it’s time to pull yourself together, dust off the panic particles, and start thinking about ways to see the hidden opportunities buried under the muck. Here are three inroads to finding freelance work:

1.  Write resumes for others.

A down economy means an upswing in job searches. Use your talent for persuasion to help others craft an attention-getting resume. Some people seek resume writers on their own, but many resume service companies are adding freelance writers to handle the influx of additional work. Why shouldn’t you be one of them? You typically get paid per resume rather than per hour and the fees are usually very good.

2.  Create package deals for entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs need professionals to help them with their marketing materials. Unfortunately, they don’t have the same kind of budgets that big companies do. You could offer a menu of set-fee services for entrepreneurs to pick and choose from, but you will likely stand out from the crowd and capture more clients by creating a package of related written pieces for a flat fee. For example, you might offer a publicity package that includes a designated number of press releases, a media kit, and a one-hour speech for keynote presentations to community groups. You make more money per client for the packages than you would a la carte, and they get a great deal on materials that could really help move their businesses forward.

3.  Contact big companies for freelance work.

A year ago, many companies could afford to hire ad agencies and PR firms or keep a full-time, on-site creative staff. These companies face a different situation this year. Cutbacks and layoffs are quickly shrinking the size of creative departments and turning big businesses away from big agency fees. But, despite the rush to cut costs, there’s still work to be done… and companies are choosing to use professional freelancers. Even the most expensive freelance writer is usually more affordable than agency retainers and employees who draw both a salary and benefits. The pay-as-you-go plan with freelancers looks more attractive than ever.

TIP: Many companies that downsize also look for freelancers through creative placement agencies. You might quickly find freelance and temporary assignments by working with these “middle man” placement firms. Track them down and send in your resume. They pay fairly well and you are always given the option to say “no” to any assignment.