Catching Up On Lost Time — Freelance Edition

Life happens. Here’s how not to let it kill your freelance business.

I recently lost a close family member, and it’s thrown my household into turmoil. Not only are we dealing with a difficult loss, but we had to arrange for a funeral, see to a multitude of out-of-town relatives, and start settling affairs and closing up a house.

To say it’s been a rough couple of weeks is an understatement.

We soldier on as best we can. We have our plan, and we have found ways to deal with these unpleasant tasks.

But it took a while. For around ten days or so, I was not very productive. I fell behind on a couple of projects and had to turn down a few new ones.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. This time it was due to the passing of a loved one. Another time it was due to a severe illness, followed by a different family crisis.

Crises happen. And they can have a devastating effect on a freelancer’s scheduling and productivity. In some cases, it can even jeopardize a freelancer’s entire career.

The trick is knowing what to do when problems occur. Here are some valuable tips on how to get back on track and maintain a positive relationship with your customers during trying times.

Talk to the client

There are a lot of things that can go wrong unexpectedly. Whether the problem is a sudden illness, a family emergency, or a computer problem, your number one responsibility is to let clients know there will be a delay in finishing their jobs.

Most clients are going to understand. Most businesses that employ freelancers tend to give out assignments with broad timetables. While there are deadlines, there is often wiggle room built in. Still, your client should be notified of any problems you might have hitting a deadline due to unforeseen circumstances.

It’s professional, and clients will appreciate it.

Triage

When you’re sick or dealing with an emergency, you don’t have time to think about work. Once the crisis has passed, you should immediately review your to-do list and make some decisions. See what needs to be shifted up or down in priority. Start with the most critical and time-sensitive, then work down from there.

The last time an emergency threw me off schedule, I looked at my task list and made some decisions.

Even though the magazine article assignment wasn’t my first assignment, it had the soonest deadline, so that had to move up on my list. A book layout project had a later deadline, so that could shift a few spots down on the list. I had a few essential tasks that needed to follow a weekly schedule, so I had those priorities follow the magazine article.

Once I had triaged my work assignments and had a plan, I could move forward and knock them out.

It took more than a week to become completely caught up, but at least the order in which I did everything meant the least trouble for my business or clients.

Set a sensible pace

I mentioned that it took over a week to get completely caught up. I could possibly have done it sooner, but then I’d have run the risk of burning out before I could get to everything. And if I rushed, there would have been an even better chance that my clients would not have received the quality work they deserve.

When you set about catching up on late work, be realistic about how much you can do within a specified time period. Your client would rather have their jobs correct and a little late than have them an absolute mess needing excessive corrections or, worse, entirely redone.

Don’t turn into a ghost

Don’t make clients chase you down to find out the status of their jobs. Yes, catching up after lost time can be pretty high-pressure, but that’s not enough reason to go radio-silent on your clients.

Dedicate a small part of your day to communicating with your clients, letting them know how things are going and if you need anything. Give them some updates. Give the appearance of being proactive.

They will notice and appreciate it. They’ll also be more likely to be flexible and forgiving for work that’s a little late. All your client wants is the job done right. All you want is to deliver good work and keep your client satisfied.

If you don’t keep the lines of communication open, you’ll likely not see much more work from them in the future.

Renegotiate deadlines

If you have problems catching up, talk with your clients to see if any tasks could be given a more extended deadline. Explain that you don’t want to risk doing a poor job. If a deadline can’t be extended, see if your project can be passed on to someone else.

This is where a mature, professional attitude goes a long way. Yes, it might be a hassle, and there will undoubtedly be some clients who don’t have as much flexibility as you’d hope. More often than not, however, honesty will pay off more in the long run.

Practice self-care

Your continued health and sanity are essential. Even if the crisis you had to deal with wasn’t an illness, rushing work and stressing out over late jobs isn’t sustainable. Make sure to get appropriate rest, water, and proper food.

Get in some “you” time when you can.

And while we’re on the topic, taking care of your health (and your equipment) can be a great preventative strategy to let you avoid downtime in the first place. Get some exercise, eat right, and install some anti-virus software. Anything to keep you and your freelance business running smoothly.

Finally…

Be honest.

Don’t tell a client that you’ve fallen behind due to illness and then get caught posting vacation pictures on Facebook.

Savvy clients notice things like that, and they aren’t impressed.

If you need a day off, take a day off. If it’s going to put you a day behind, be honest about it. Personal wellness days can be crucial for overall productivity.

Remember, everyone falls behind from time to time — both freelancers and clients.

The critical thing is to maintain open lines of communication and plan your catchup work sensibly.

You’ll come out fine in the end.

Cheers!

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2.

Do you like poetry, short fiction, and general oddities? Check out my new book, Life Among Psychopaths: an unexpected potpourri, now available on Amazon.