Are you worried that going on vacation could ruin your freelance writing business? As freelancers, if we don’t work, we don’t earn. Employees can take a break at Thanksgiving, Christmas or for the summer holidays and still get paid. But if freelance writers want to do the same, it takes a bit of planning.
If you want to buy presents or have money for fun activities during the holidays, you have to do a lot of work in advance. Working parents also face similar challenges if they are home while their kids are on vacation. As much as you love your kids, you won’t get as much done if they are hanging. And less work means less money, which is bad news for everyone.
Go Mobile
If you want to balance the demands of freelance writing with parenting and vacationing, here are a few things you can try. First, get a laptop if you don’t already have one. This means you can take your work with you and grab computer time wherever you go. If you don’t want to take a laptop, make sure your chosen accommodation has computer facilities, such as a business center, so you can keep a handle on your writing business. A Wi-Fi enabled smartphone is another good option.
What Do Your Clients Need?
Are your clients really going to need you during your vacation? If it’s a holiday period, they may be scheduling some down time too, which means you’re off the hook for web content writing. If they do need work, try to split it so you front load some of the work and deliver the rest after your vacation. Most reasonable people expect you to have a vacation, so make the most of it.
Budget Your Time
Planning is essential for this next step. Work out when you need to stop accepting new work so you can finish everything before you go. You will be able to meet your regular commitments that way. If you’re a blogger, now’s the time to get and schedule some guest posts and to post your content in advance. You can even do that with social media, using a variety of handy tools, so you’ll only have to make a brief check to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Check Out
Let your clients know the key dates involved: when you will be unavailable and when you’ll be back. You can let them know you’ll be checking email periodically, and that you have a backup plan in place for anything urgent. Make sure that the person you plan to outsource to is ready and willing, and you’re good to go. Enjoy your vacation!
