Holidays for the self-employed
20/02/06 10:12 Coffee machine moments
Good morning, I'm back at my desk and oh boy does
that not feel like a change after last week. If
you're considering freelancing, here are a few tips
you'll need on going on holiday:
* Do not under any circumstances take on corporate work during the month before you go away. Something urgent will crop up and you'll end up delaying your departure by a day (for some reason, corporate clients are keener on a precisely-worded brief than independent mags and papers).
* This in turn will knacker the article you were supposed to be writing comfortably just before leaving. You will no longer be writing it comfortably but you'll be cramming it in between other stuff - it'll look fine to you on Friday at 5.30 when you file it but when you come back to it in your 'holiday' because the editor is complaining you'll realise he's quite right, it looks rushed and insubstantial. You will then be involved in re-researching and writing the thing again when you were supposed to be chasing your five-year-old around the living room or something.
* Do not arrange to review items that need to be with you, say, the Wednesday before you go away. At least one will turn up late and you'll have to take it, and the laptop, with you and do several hours work on your Sunday 'off'.
* In fact, plan to wind down a few days before you're due to go away. Then you might, just might, get everything done before you leave and actually have a break, which I haven't.
And don't even talk to me about the domestic stuff like leaking ceilings that's cropped up over the last few days. It's almost a relief to be back at the keyboard - at least I'm supposed to be here now!
* Do not under any circumstances take on corporate work during the month before you go away. Something urgent will crop up and you'll end up delaying your departure by a day (for some reason, corporate clients are keener on a precisely-worded brief than independent mags and papers).
* This in turn will knacker the article you were supposed to be writing comfortably just before leaving. You will no longer be writing it comfortably but you'll be cramming it in between other stuff - it'll look fine to you on Friday at 5.30 when you file it but when you come back to it in your 'holiday' because the editor is complaining you'll realise he's quite right, it looks rushed and insubstantial. You will then be involved in re-researching and writing the thing again when you were supposed to be chasing your five-year-old around the living room or something.
* Do not arrange to review items that need to be with you, say, the Wednesday before you go away. At least one will turn up late and you'll have to take it, and the laptop, with you and do several hours work on your Sunday 'off'.
* In fact, plan to wind down a few days before you're due to go away. Then you might, just might, get everything done before you leave and actually have a break, which I haven't.
And don't even talk to me about the domestic stuff like leaking ceilings that's cropped up over the last few days. It's almost a relief to be back at the keyboard - at least I'm supposed to be here now!
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