5 Freelancer Questions on Christmas (and some Answers)

1. FREELANCER TIPS 5 Freelancer Questions on Christmas (and some Answers) © kaboompics_Pixabay You can find more freelancer tips on www.freelancermap.com/freelancer-tips

2. The winter holidays are right around the corner. Full-time employees are taking time off, because their work places are mostly closed anyway. But as a freelancer, you decide. Depending on your situation and client variety, Christmas might be just an extended weekend for you. Freelancers get paid when they work. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a vacation, though. So what is it going to be? To help you decide how to plan out the last weeks of December, we’ve summarized 5 questions that freelancers ask themselves around that time of year. info@freelancermap.com

3. 1. Should I work? That’s the big one. You have the freedom to decide what to do on your holidays, unlike the majority of employees. This questions can be broken down into three aspects: “do you want to work?”, “can you afford not working?” and “is there work for you to do?”. I personally find a healthy balance to be perfect. You work just enough to not get too rusty and set aside enough time to enjoy the holidays with friends and family. info@freelancermap.com

4. 2. How much work can I really do? Now even if you want to work, you shouldn’t overestimate how much you will actually be able to achieve. First and foremost, your clients might not be working. Do you have a project that requires a lot of back and forth communication? Are you constantly looking for smaller tasks? Such activities will be less likely in the holiday period. Make sure you plan ahead according to your decisions. Secondly, don’t go overboard with your estimations no matter how motivated you are. Festivities and a warm fireplace have a way of sneaking up on you around the holidays. info@freelancermap.com

5. 3. Do I make holiday promotions? Moving on to a different subject, Christmas & Co. are often described as the time for giving. Does that mean you should offer some extras for your clients, too? You can, for example, take 5% of your freelance fee for December or do some free maintenance on a site you built. There’s nothing wrong about it, but you should only do it if it’s going to have a positive impact on your business. Promotions aren’t about working for cheap, they’re about nurturing customer relationships. So maybe only do it for long-term clients. Or be like Santa and only give to those who were good throughout the year. info@freelancermap.com

6. 4. Is contacting all clients worth it? Similarly, contacting clients is a good idea in itself, but overdoing it is probably not worth it. A simple greeting is enough. Just remind them that you exist and you care about them. Some articles recommend telling them about how your business has changed or offering to do further work for them, but I disagree. They are going to get hundreds of emails and virtual holiday cards and will most likely forget or not have time to consider any offer you send them. Do that in mid to end January when businesses start picking up again. info@freelancermap.com

7. 5. What do I want to do next year? The winter holidays are also a time where everybody looks back at the year they had, for better or worse. As a freelancer, you should think about your business year and start planning ahead. Did you meet your goals for 2015? What do you want to achieve in the next twelve months? info@freelancermap.com

8. Further freelancer tips available on http://www.freelancermap.com/freelancer-tips Contact freelancermap.com Contact person: Doreen Schollmeier - International Affairs Mail: info@freelancermap.com Skype: doreen.schollmeier Phone: +49-911-37750286 facebook: www.facebook.com/freelancermapInternational Twitter: freelancer_INT © freelancermap.com