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7 Tips for Freelancers Arranging a Holiday

Posted 05 Aug 2010 - 5 Gratefully received comments

I had a very strange experience last weekend. I didn’t do any work! In fact I hardly touched my computer or answered my phone at all. You could say I was practicing for my upcoming holiday.

Not doing any work sounds great, but as a freelancer it’s a doubled edged sword. It’s always nice to take a bit of time out for yourself, but if the phone isn’t ringing and you don’t have a project to work on it can only mean that your income is going to be affected.

I freelance in my spare time, so I’m not too worried by fallow periods, but I always have plenty of personal projects to busy myself with, as well as a lot of informal work that I take on.

In short, even when I decide to take some time off I end up beating myself up by thinking that I should be working. Unfortunately, this state of mind continues into the time I set aside for holidays.

Next week I’m planning to take a week off from work, which is a very nice idea, but to enjoy it fully it’s important to put extra work in to ease my mind. Here are a few things I do to ‘cut the cord’ and get a little distance from work.

1 – Plan in advance
Make sure you know well in advance when you want to take some time off, this will give you plenty of time to manage your workflow and free up some time for your holiday. As I will go on to explain, there will be plenty to do in the run up to your break.
You must also be sure to book your holiday at a time that doesn’t conflict with any pre-arranged commitments & projects. Once you have nailed down a date, you can be sure to keep that block of time clear and schedule your work around it accordingly.

2 – Decide on your terms
Are you willing to take some time out to work while you are on holiday? Do you want a clean break so you don’t have to think about work at all for a few days? Perhaps you will favour a client or two by saying you will be available as a last resort?
It’s important to set your terms so you can inform your clients (current & prospective) how available you’ll be during your time away from work.
It’s worth discussing your terms with family & friends that you will be spending your holiday with, as any work that infringes upon your holiday time will affect them as well as you. If you plan to take a working holiday it’s common courtesy to inform those around you.

3 – Inform your clients
Let all of your current clients know that you will be on holiday well in advance. Let them know the terms you have decided upon. Be sure to let them know you will be flexible on the run up to your break and try to fit as much in as you can.
Most clients will be accommodating if you give them enough notice.

4 – Decide how accommodating you will be
Once you inform your clients that you will be away for any amount of time you will usually find that they suddenly have critically important jobs for you to do!
You might want to take all the work that is suddenly presented to you resulting in a higher level of stress before your hols, or you can take the risk that the jobs being offered can, in fact, wait a week or two while you’re away.
If you take all of the work on you’ll certainly need of your break!

5 – Follow through on your terms
When you actually begin your holiday it’s important to stick to the terms you’ve set out for yourself.
If you’ve gone for a clean break don’t check your business emails, turn your phone off and try your hardest to forget work for the duration.

Most clients will respect the fact that you are on holiday and leave you alone. Some will try to contact you with the lure of ‘urgent work’. This is a judgement call, in my experience there are very few ‘urgent jobs’ that can’t wait a week or so.

If you have promised to keep in touch with a few clients try not to let it take over. Check your phone and email once or twice a day at most. It’s very easy to let work takeover once you let it seep into your leisure time, after all it’s your business, and a big part of your life, but you have to be strong and resistant if you want a proper holiday.

6 – Breaking your terms
If you break your terms you should have a very good reason for doing so. You might get in the good books of the client, but the chances are they will take your actions for granted anyway.

You have to weigh-up the pros and cons. The chances are that if you work during holiday time you will disappoint your family/partner/friends. I have a very understanding fiancee, but I’d feel bad working during a time I promised we would spend together.
Is it worth upsetting a loved one to do that ‘urgent job’ that could have waited until when you get back?
It’s just good manners and common sense to stick to the terms that you agreed to in the beginning. Only consider breaking them under extreme circumstances.

7 – Announce your return
Once you get back to work reopen the lines of communication. Let your clients know you are back and make inquiries about work that they might have held back while you were away.
It seems like a simple enough action, but you might be surprised how quickly you can fall off of a clients radar.
Send this notice to all past and present clients, even those that you didn’t feel the need to notify that you would be going on holiday. You can view this simple announcement as a way of touching base with old clients giving them a reminder that you are still in business and eager for their custom.

Conclusions
This week will be a hectic one for me while I tie up my loose ends and make sure that everything is in order for my time off. I’ll be writing a few extra blog posts ready so I can publish them remotely as well as making sure that any work I have is in a position to sit quietly for a week or be wrapped up in a timely fashion.

It takes a while to make arrangements for a holiday when you are employed, but if you are freelancing the work is doubled. But it’s all worth it if you can detach yourself for a while and return to work refreshed and ready to get back into doing your best for your clients.

Please let me know your thoughts on this issue. Do you dread taking a holiday? How do you prepare in the lead up to time off? Do you ‘cut the cord’ completely? Or perhaps you just can’t let go?

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