Peaks and valleys. We talk about them a lot here on Wobizzle.  It’s pretty much the norm when describing the workflow of many solopreneurs. A rough patch with too little work can be a pain in the purse. But a peak with too much work can be stressful in other ways.

Too Much Work Is A Good Problem To Have – Or Is It?

When you are experiencing a peak, everyone around you responds to your situation with a “too much work is a good problem to have.” Perhaps it is, but those intended words of comfort don’t make it easier to punch through to the other side of an extreme influx of projects.

Too much work can make you feel like you are in triage mode. I’m there right now. For the past two weeks, I have been over-scheduled on meetings and phone calls. Monday morning before breakfast, I already felt the urge to stress eat. Not the way to start the day – or the week!

I can physically feel the burden of several deadlines bearing down on me. The air in my office feels heavy. The endless meetings and phone calls suck time away from my ability to work on projects that are currently in play.

And, I know that all of those meetings and phone calls are going to result in more work and more deadlines that will all converge around the same time. That creates a constant state of underlying anxiety that stifles productivity and clear thinking.

I am also acutely aware that I am missing out on a chance to enjoy some outdoor time on a perfect spring day.

So here I am,  just trying to maintain some semblance of control and sanity as projects, tasks, and deadlines are closing in on me. It’s happened before. I have survived it. It will no doubt happen again. Peaks and valleys are standard operating procedure in my line of work.

As I sit here enjoying the gift of 45 minutes given to me by a client who had to reschedule our call this afternoon, I am choosing to use it to write myself (and you) a survival guide for the next time this situation comes around.

Accept It As Reality.

As a freelancer, work is full of peaks and valleys. You often don’t have control over workflow. At least not completely. When the orders come in you need to fill them. That is if you want to eat and pay your house payment or rent and do all the other things in your life that require income.

Know that it is completely normal to experience a peak. It won’t last forever. You will make it to the other side.

Fight The Fear Of Famine.

I don’t know about you, but when I find myself with too much work, it seems like suddenly even more work starts flowing in. A full plate apparently attracts more helpings.

And, if you are prone to a “feast or famine” mentality, which a lot of us solopreneurs are, your fear of a famine next month may tempt you take on more this month than you can handle.

Don’t get caught up in that kind of chaos. When you feel that urge to take on more, instead take a step back. Be realistic about how much time you have available and what you can accomplish within that time. Don’t overschedule yourself. It’s not fair to you, your clients or the people you love. No one does their best work under duress.

It doesn’t mean you necessarily need to tell a client or potential client “no.” It may just be that you have to tell them “not right now, but here’s when I can do it.”

The bonus in that scenario is that you’ve just booked yourself some work for the future to help ward off that fear of famine that lurks in the back of your brain.

Stay Organized.

When you are in a peak, diligent (even militant) organization is critical to getting it all done.

I use lists to keep me on track and on deadline. It gives me a sense of control over what might otherwise be an overwhelming load.

Every Sunday (or Monday morning if I had a busy weekend), I create a master list for the week ahead. I organize it by client/project with the tasks under each client/project heading that need to be completed that week to move forward.

What doesn’t get done, gets rolled over to the following week. It took me a while to develop the right system for me. Think about your work flow, how your mind works and develop a system that will work best for you.

When I am in triage mode, I also make notes on my list of tasks that will take an hour or less to complete. Then, if a client reschedules a meeting or call, or I otherwise find myself with a little time to spare, I can pull something into that space that will fit, and boom! – I am ahead of the game.

And, if you charge an hourly rate, don’t forget to track your time! When you are crazy busy, bouncing from one project to another, it can be easy to forget to keep track of all of those hours, minutes and seconds.

Minimize Distractions.

When you are fully booked, you need to make the most of every minute you have. Minimize distractions by putting your phone in silent mode. Turn it face down to keep pop up notifications from catching your eye.

And by all means, stay off of social media. If you must be active on social media for your business, make a list before you log in of what needs done while you are there, and set a timer for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes tops. When the timer goes off, get the heck out of there.

Social media platforms are built to attract your attention and keep you engaged. It’s just too easy to get distracted and end up eyeballs-deep in someone’s high school reunion photos with no idea why you logged in to begin with.

Track Patterns & Anticipate.

Peaks are not always predictable, but if you have regular clients, you may be able to anticipate and plan for busy times by looking back at your history together.

Review past invoices to look for patterns of when they have needed you most. If you have projects that occur at a certain time every year and you see a log jam on the horizon, check in with those clients to see if you may be able to get started on their projects a little earlier than you typically do.

Let them know the blocks of time that you have available and when you anticipate your time to be more limited. Get them on your schedule so they can count on the same level of service they have come to expect from working with you.

Give Yourself A Break.

Self-care and enjoying a little downtime is always important, but it’s especially critical when you’re working harder and longer than you normally do. Long hours and deadline-oriented stress are hard on your body and your spirit.

Your brain can only stay focused on one task for around 90 minutes, so keep your productivity high by taking breaks every hour and a half.

Carve out a little time in the morning for a walk, a little yoga or some meditation. Find the time and space to enjoy a distraction-free cup of coffee or tea. Whatever helps you clear your head, make a little time for it.

When your work is monopolizing your time, something else is going to have to give. Empower yourself to say “no” in other areas of your life – social, volunteer work and other commitments.  Ask for (or hire) help with the household chores. And, you absolutely have my permission (if you feel you need it) to order carryout or delivery for dinner.

Remember How It Feels To Have Too Much Work.

Work-related peaks can feel overwhelming, unfocused and chaotic. They can be downright uncomfortable. While they tend to come with the territory of being a one-woman show, there are steps you can take to make them more manageable. When the dust settles and the work is complete,  remember how it felt to be overwhelmed. You will be more motivated to do what you can to make it a little easier on yourself the next time around.

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If you’re a full time freelancer, no doubt you have experienced the roller coaster ride also known as WAITING TO GET PAID. Symptoms include: being ready to pounce when the mail carrier arrives. You also know the fastest route to the closest branch of your bank. And, you are quite aware of the latest possible time to make a deposit that will be credited for the same day.  It’s stressful. You can’t control when that check is cut. But there are some things you can do to get paid faster.

Get Paid Faster By Invoicing Immediately

When you have projects piled up on your plate, it’s easy to put off administrative tasks. Though you may not directly charge your clients for the time it takes you to create and send an invoice, invoicing is a revenue generating activity. If you don’t invoice, you won’t get paid.

Your clients won’t start the process of paying you until after they’ve received your invoice. So, invoice as soon as possible after you’ve wrapped up a project or your hours for the month. The longer you wait, the longer you will be waiting to get paid for the time you’ve put in.

Get Paid Faster By Knowing Your Clients’ Pay Cycles

Many businesses have specific pay cycles. If you are working with a client on a regular basis, it’s worth asking if they have a pay cycle that you could/should follow for invoicing.

For example, I have a client that I work with three or four times a year. This particular organization cuts checks twice a month. Checks are cut on a Monday. The invoices are due for processing on the Wednesday before the checks are cut. If I can get my invoice in by the Wednesday deadline, I can get paid two weeks faster than if I wait.

Get Paid Faster By Accepting Credit Card Payments

Many online time tracking and invoicing programs like Harvest, FreshBooks, etc. allow you to give your clients the option of paying invoices by credit card. You will need a PayPal (or similar service) account to make it work.

Embrace it. You may be surprised to discover that some clients prefer to pay this way. My experience has been that clients that do pay this way, pay faster. So far, record time is three minutes from the time I invoiced.

Get Paid Faster By Requiring Money Down

For me, this was a lesson learned the hard way. Long story, but about six months into my business, I got stiffed for 50+ hours of work.

I was naïve. And, since I had a good rapport with the client, I had no reason to believe I wasn’t going to get paid.

I wish I knew then that requiring a percentage down was a common practice among freelancers. It may not have resulted in me getting paid for all of the work, but I would have been paid something.

Nowadays, depending on the size of the project, I invoice for 20%-50% upfront for new clients and clients that I have worked with previously, but do not work with on a regular basis.

Get Paid Faster By Charging A Late Fee

Add a late fee to your invoices to motivate clients to pay on time. Some invoicing programs allow you to set this up automatically. Spell out the terms on the invoice. Clearly state when payment is due and how the late fee will be calculated.

It doesn’t have to be much – 1%-2% per month after the payment due date can be enough to get a client’s attention. It’s also enough to make you feel a little better about getting paid late if they are a slow pay.

Get Paid Faster By Working On Retainer

It’s great work if you can get it. Working on retainer typically means that you get paid at the beginning of the month for hours you will be working during that month. Retainers are typically longer-term agreements. For example, a client might sign on with you for 20 hours a month for six months or a year.

You get paid before you actually perform the work, which is great. But because the client has made an advance purchase of your time, you are beholden to them to be available when they need to cash in on the time they’ve purchased.

That said, it doesn’t mean you can’t establish some boundaries. You’ll want to have a signed contract or signed written agreement spelling out the terms and expectations of both parties. It would also be worth addressing in writing what happens if the client does not use all of the hours they have purchased. Are they forfeited? Do they rollover?

Get Paid Faster By Accepting Payments On Large Invoices

This is probably not a strategy you want to implement on a regular basis, but there may be times when you may want to consider accepting payments on large invoices.

For example, I have a client I have been working with for almost five years. He consistently pays within 7 days of receiving my invoice. About a year or so ago, he was experiencing some cash flow issues. At the same time, he was ramping up his marketing and needed more help from me (about twice as many hours) than he typically needs in a month.

When he received my invoice, he contacted me, explained his cash flow situation and asked if he could pay the invoice in payments. I agreed.

It was a good solution for both of us. It gave him a little time to recover from his cash flow issue and I was at least getting something, instead of waiting for the entire amount later.

I would not have done this for just anyone. He and I have a well-established relationship and I felt like it was a good decision that I could live with.

Get Paid Faster By Cutting Off Repeat Offenders

If you have clients that are routinely slow at paying their invoices, you may want to think twice about working with them.

If your “slow-pays” are creating a hardship for you, they may not be worth the stress you experience while you are waiting for their payments to arrive. It takes time and energy to follow up on invoices and rework your budget when expected payments don’t arrive. You could be spending that time and energy doing work for clients that pay you on time.

At the very least, consider pressing the pause button on any new work until you’ve been paid for the past hours you have put in. Be sure to communicate why so they understand what your expectations are.

Follow Up To Get Paid Faster

The simplest thing you can do when invoices go unpaid is to follow up.

Don’t just sit idly by. Yes, it can be awkward, but if you’ve put in the work, you deserve to be paid.

Think about it this way. If you just walked out the door without paying for a cut and color at your hair salon, someone would follow up. It would be immediate, and possibly with shears in hand.

As a freelancer, you don’t usually benefit from getting paid at the time of service. But, when your invoice is due, it’s due.

Decide on your payment terms, clearly state them on your invoices, and follow up when payments are overdue. My invoices are due upon receipt. I typically start follow up after 30 days.

A friendly email reminder usually works. Sometimes invoices just get overlooked or stuck on someone’s desk.

Do you have any strategies to get paid faster that I haven’t covered? Tell us about them in the comments below.

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To the untrained eye, it may seem easy to achieve work life balance as a solopreneur. Your friends with “day jobs” may see the grass as being so much greener on our side. Sure, we often have the ability to set our own schedules. We don’t have to ask permission to leave the office to go to a dentist appointment. We can take time to go holiday shopping when the mall is less crowded.

There are a lot of perks to being self-employed, but those of us doing it also know it can be a juggling act that can lead to stress, anxiety, and frustration. Work life balance as a solopreneur can be difficult to achieve.

As a one-woman show, you are among the busiest of business owners. You are wearing most of, if not all of the hats. You are in charge of sales, marketing, inventory, bookkeeping…the list goes on and on. Plus, you are doing the work of providing the service that you offer or minding the store. And, that doesn’t take into account the family commitments and other obligations competing for your attention as you strive to be successful in every aspect of your life.

Achieving The Elusive Work Life Balance

I’m sorry to report that there is no magic formula to achieve work life balance. But here are some things you can do to help reduce your stress as you try to keep all of the balls in the air.

Keep Your Eye On The Prize.

Establish short-term and long-term SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals for your business. Having SMART goals in place will help you maintain your focus on what you ultimately want to accomplish. Having that focus will make it easier to eliminate or avoid obstacles and other distractions that pop up in your way.

Keep A Calendar.

That means one calendar with everything on it. Whether you choose an electronic format or a hard-copy planner, your business meetings or deadlines, personal appointments, and other commitments should all be in one place so you can avoid double-booking. It will also help you foresee potential log jams, so you can take action to mitigate the stress of a work-related pile-up.

Prioritize.

Make lists daily to help you maintain focus on what must be done that day. Setting priorities will help you stay on track and avoid diversions. Inevitably, you may veer off your plan from time to time, but a daily priority list can get you back on track when you do get distracted.

Delegate.

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything. If you can do nothing else to improve your work life balance, at least try to delegate. Ask family members to pitch in to help with household chores and errands. Consider outsourcing certain business tasks or projects that don’t necessarily need to be performed by you.

Learn To Say “No.”

If you are able (or appear to be able) to balance your business and personal commitments, chances are you are the “go-to” person for a lot of people in your life. Give yourself permission to say “no” to anything that adds more to your already full plate. Likewise, take a look at your current list of responsibilities to see if there is anything you can give up.

Make Time To Relax.

Your brain and your body need downtime. Relaxation relieves stress and can help improve your concentration when you return to your tasks. Schedule yourself time to recharge your battery, the energy you gain from relaxation will make you more productive later.

Building and growing a successful business requires a time commitment that cannot be compromised. But if you maintain your focus, stay organized, and give yourself a little downtime once in a while you will experience less stress and be better positioned to achieve your business goals.

What tips do you have to achieve better work life balance? Share them in the comments below!

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As a freelancer, cash flow is often a feast or famine situation, especially when you are first starting out. Employing strategies to level out those peaks and valleys is essential. Here are some lessons I have learned along the way and tips I’ve picked up from others to help you make more money as a freelancer.

Evaluate Your Hourly Rate

Are you charging enough for your time? Yeah, I’m talking to you. We women are hilarious. We are furious about pay inequality in the workplace, but as freelancers we are quite notorious for undervaluing our services. If you want to make more money as a freelancer, I have two words for you…stop it! You’re in charge, get paid for what your talent and experience are worth.

Your freelance hourly rate needs to be within the range of what others are doing in your industry and perhaps your locale, but remember that it is uniquely yours. Do a little research on freelance rates. Also, take your experience and talent into account. Then set your rate and start earning what you deserve.

Make More Money As A Freelancer By Giving Yourself A Raise

Maybe you’re happy with your hourly rate. Great! But are you bumping it up on an annual basis?

Generally speaking, when you are working for someone else and you are doing a good job, if the company is in good financial standing, you’re probably going to get a merit increase on annual basis. Why aren’t you treating yourself the same way? Consider giving yourself at least a cost of living (2%) increase on an annual basis.

Limit Face-To-Face Meetings

This was one of the best pieces of advice I received from a friend who is freelance website developer. If communication on a project can be done on the phone or through email, do it that way.

When you are juggling multiple clients and projects you need to be efficient with your time. Face-to-face meetings are sometimes a necessity, but they can also be a time-suck.

Even if you are being paid to be there (and you should be), meetings can interrupt your momentum and decrease your productivity for the day. Less productivity means fewer billable hours and less folding money for you.

Advertise

20 years ago, advertising for a freelance business would have been a luxury that few could afford. Social media has changed that. With social ads, you can cast a wide net to reach potential clients worldwide or hyper-target your message to a specific locale or industry. And, you can invest less money in the effort than you spent for that fajita bowl you had for lunch.

Diversify Your Services

Not everyone who needs your help can afford to hire you. But maybe there’s something you can offer to that audience that will be a win-win for you and them. If you want to make more money as a freelancer, you should give it some thought.

For a freelance website designer that might mean you offer some templates at a low price point. For a freelance writer or marketing consultant, you might offer an affordable webinar with blogging or social media tips.

One of my clients, a freelance HR consultant, offers an employee handbook as a base level service. Because it is template-based, she is able to quickly and easily customize it for her clients at an affordable rate. They get something they need. She gets paid. Everyone is happy.

Stay In Touch

Many of my clients are “one and done,” meaning they contract me for a single project, and they may never need my services again. But even when there is no plan for a future project, I stay in touch.

Staying in touch keeps you top of mind and makes them more likely to call you when another project comes up or refer you business when they encounter someone who could use your help.

Don’t be a pest, just check in once in a while with a friendly email or a call. Consider it light networking.

Just last month, I reached out to a client that I worked with last year, asking if I would see him at an upcoming industry conference. As it turned out, he was not attending the conference, but he called a week later with a small project for me. Cha-ching!

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