Will Your Freelance Business Survive Without You (Temporarily)?

By Ashlyn Rochester, Communications Specialist

Whether you’re out sick for a few days, on a much-needed vacation, or there’s an emergency, you need to prepare your freelancing business for your absence. In a traditional employment role, you can call in sick or use paid time off and your employer will handle your clients and tasks. But as a freelancer, that’s not an option since most work alone and don’t have a backup system. Incorporate the following steps to create a backup system so your business can still succeed in your absence.

1. Create a business contact list

Your business contact list should have your primary person and their contact information such as their business, email, and phone number. It should also contain your clients, vendors, collaborators, and whoever else is part of your freelancing community, and labeled with their connection to you. This should be updated regularly as your business changes.

2. Designate someone to be your notifier

You should have someone designated as your notifier in case you can’t reach your contacts. This person should have access to your contact list. It would be helpful to also create an emergency script for your notifier to update and send out to your contacts on your behalf. You can draft an out-of-office email to live in your inbox that your notifier can send on your behalf as well.

3. Know alternative locations

There are several scenarios, mostly weather-related, where you might lose power or Wi-Fi access to your home. This is why you should know the area around you as a backup location. Some popular locations are coffee shops or a library.  This is also the step to check what your backup process is like too. Do you have a cloud server accessible from anywhere? Can you access downloadable files on your computer without internet access?

4. Document your processes

As a solo freelancer, it’s important to write down your processes. Not only can it help others step in to take your place, but it can also be a reflection tool as it will also help you understand why you do what you do. Your processes should include what you do, how you do it, and when you do it. This is also the step to gather your necessary legal documents in one place. This should include information like power of attorney for your business, who can access your bank accounts, who can use your social media accounts, etc.

5. Detail your business accounts

Have a password-protected list of the services and subscriptions you have and their login information. This list with email providers, graphics, tools, etc. should be shared with your notifier.

6. Work ahead

A general rule of thumb for any employee is to work ahead. Not only will it free up time in the future and reduce daily stress, but for freelancers it can help as insurance if there’s an emergency.

Once all the steps are completed to create your backup system, it’s time to promote it and share it with your partners, collaborators, and clients so they are aware of the emergency plan process. This also shows that you’re a responsible freelancer.

With these tips implemented in your freelancer business, you’ll be set for any emergency or vacation!