What do other freelancer MNs do to protect their sanity / free time?

[thebetachimp]

I work freelance from home and I'd really appreciate some advice from other MMs who are in a similar position.

Most of my clients are lovely. However, there are a small minority who are unreasonably demanding and expect me to be available 24/7.

For example, one client emailed me on the Sunday of the Jubilee weekend and when I didn't respond immediately, he texted and left voicemails on my mobile until I did. I wouldn't have minded if it had been an emergency, but he just didn't want to wait until after the long weekend.

Another client emailed me today asking if he could pick up some papers tomorrow (Sunday) morning as the traffic would be better than during the week. I know it's not a big deal, but I find it very difficult to say no or to ignore someone trying to contact me. So I agreed, and now I resent it.

If I worked from a traditional office, people wouldn't expect to contact/see me out of office hours, so it does seem rather unfair for these particular clients to take advantage in this way.

I am trying to work out some strategies to make the boundaries of what is and is not acceptable clear.

So far I've added a weekend out-of-office response on my email acknowledging receipt and saying that I'd be pleased to respond during my usual office hours. That way I can decide whether to respond or not.

Has anyone else had a similar problem and, if so, what did you do about it? Any suggestions appreciated!

(BTW, I am expecting my first child (10wks) and I'm struggling with tiredness and morning sickness so I might just be being over-sensitive at the moment.)

I've been in that situation. Either pre-empt it, if you'll be passing by their office ask them if there's anything that needs picking up, or if you're approaching the weekend contact them on wed:thur so you head them off. What is it you do?

How quickly do you 'normally' respond to messages?
Train them (and you)
Email should be lunchtime and end of the day. No more often than that.
If the issue needs dealing with more urgently than that, they should deal with it themselves.

"I do not work on Sundays, I have a family"
"Thank you for your email, text and phone messages. I got them but I was eating a meal it being the weekend"
"You are welcome to call at antisocial times but I reserve the right to be drunk"

I work in the evenings. My clients know that they are welcome to phone / visit up to 9pm. After that they get growled at.
Weekend visits are PURELY by prior arrangement.
Sunday paper pickups are to and from the porch - I do not open the front door.

my mum used to run her business from home and had this problem all of the time as shes too kind for her own good!

in the end, she sent out a message to everyone on her client list stating "revised" office hours of (insert whenever your comfortable with) and that any issues out side of this time can be forwarded on happily to her email / voicemail, and they would be dealt with during office hours.

also, (this may already be the case?) have a different email account to your main, so you dont have to check it. and have a business phone (a cheapy one will do?) so you can turn it off and not think about it!!!

good luck! let us know what happens! as i am also thinking about setting up my own company and this sounds like a nightmare!

NB I switch my phone OFF when I'm not in work mode.
DH has his switched off most of the time.
We have an answerphone on the landline
We have found that it seems less professional to be "always on" rather than "working on current task / dealing with future tasks"

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate you posting. I'll answer the questions that you've asked.

Betty, I'm a solicitor. I'm generally on top of everything that I need to do, but it's a good idea to try to pre-empt so I'll put an extra reminder in my diary on a Thursday afternoon to do a quick review.

TalkinPeace, I get about 100 emails a day so, if I can respond in less than five minutes, I do so immediately as otherwise they build up.

If there's lots of related emails, I do batch those. Often, things will already be sorted out by the time I get to them.

I tried to do emails in two batches, but nearly all my work is email-related now, so it's easier to just work through it. I did turn off the pesky new message notifications though.

I did growl at a client once for calling me on a Sunday for no good reason. She hasn't done it since, but I did feel bad about it. I'm too soft.

I like the anti-social/drunk quip, but I think I'll hold off using it until after I've had the baby :)

I'm definitely not letting the client in tomorrow to pick up the papers - I'll take them down to the gates.

Bubbles, I do have a separate email for the business, but I find it difficult not to check it on the weekend. Part of the problem is that I have a little new message indicator on the top of my screen on my laptop. So, I'm going to turn that off.

That's better.

The landline is answered by a virtual receptionist. She's worth her weight in gold as she fields my calls and filters out any cold callers. She's also good at telling clients that call at 8am that I don't open until 10am, so that they learn not to call too early.

But, she doesn't work in the evenings and at weekends, which is why I give out my own mobile number in case of emergency. But, there's never actually an emergency, so I should probably stop doing that.

TalkinPeace, you're absolutely right that it's less professional to be "always on" rather than "working on current task / dealing with future tasks".

There's a balance between really good client care, and being a pushover. I just need to find it!

if I can respond in less than five minutes, I do so immediately
BAD MOVE
You are a freelancer, not their employee.
You are NOT at their beck and call - they are hiring your skills.
The ONLY emails I answer right away are for the office I go to once a week - but they know to email me at lunchtime when I get back from the gym.
Even if its "URGENT" on principle I wait an hour.
My time costs money, If I respond right away I look less busy.

'Check' the email - yup, do that first thing in the morning. Then compose my replies while having my morning swim, send them at lunch time. Long term clients KNOW not to call during yoga - that and I leave my phone in my locker!!

How are you going to deal with your business when you're on maternity leave? Be prepared for "baby brain" hitting early - i was going to work upto two weeks before.... I ended up finishing six weeks before (and i'm only a SE book-keeper!). X

I had a boss once who worked up to when her waters broke and then phoned from her hospital bed a couple of hours after the birth to make sure that the letters she had dictated in the morning had been typed and were in the post! She was also quite nice, ran marathons and made head of dept at 33, so she was a bit of a superwoman.

But, I don't think I'd be able to do that, so my plan is:

1. Continue to work from home for as long as I can do so productively, but to stop if I start making mistakes or get too stressed.

1. Find a business partner who's willing to crack on asap. I'm meeting a good candidate tomorrow for coffee.

1. Once baby is born, to hire a full-time mother's help for the first year. That way I can still be there for cuddles and feedings, but have some help with nappies, laundry, baby entertainment etc.

1. Once things are settled, to then work 3-4 hours a day from home.

I also forget that my husband is very supportive - although I hadn't realised quite how supportive until I caught him reading a 'Bounty' magazine from cover to cover last night. :o So it's isn't all down to me.

TalkinPeace. I'll try to be stricter with my email response time!

I'm impressed at how much exercise you get in every day. I wear a pedometer to help encourage me to do 10,000 steps a day (I usually only manage 7,000), but I don't manage to get to the pool or gym regularly.

Tell them when you'll do it, and stick to that. I have got a lot better at this. You should not be expected to work at weekends, or over bank holidays especially when it's to dig someone else out of a hole (which it usually is).

I would schedule maternity leave, frankly, for three to four months. That's what I did, both times round. After that I worked three then four set days a week (after DD2 I went straight back to four days a week) while the child(ren) was at the childminder. I was not available after those set times.

thebetachimp I'm really pleased I've come across this thread! I'm a solicitor (non practicing) - I'll DM you, but I'm knackered so I'll do it in the morning.... x

TalkinPeace you are soooo organised! You are always imparting such wisdom!

I worked through the night while in (early) labour - must admit i felt quite proud of myself for managing it but looking back it was a bit mad really. Just didn't want to be doing it when i got from hospital and was my last bit before maternity leave....

Tee Hee!
My latest trick is actually unplugging the router for a couple of hours to make me knuckle down with boring stuff.
And my kids are much older - I've been developing my routines for many years.
I've done the screaming toddler while on the phone to HMRC and breastfeeding while marking.
Now mine cook the supper (spag bol from raw veg type cooking) if DH and I both have to work late.
It helps that I'm a night owl so I work instead of watching TV when DH is away.
And my gym habit is cos otherwise I'd have to give up red wine!

Client came round this evening while I was cooking supper.
He helped lay the table as we discussed his landlord, then left ! Its all in the training ....

Beta, I'm also a solicitor who works from home. I have a two and a half year old and a 7 month old.

Your plan sounds solid for when the new baby comes. I did the same and it worked fine, despite having to see a nurse every day for 3 months post birth. I basically worked with the baby in my office but had a nanny 2 days a week so I could go to meetings on those days.

As for switching off to clients, use the out of office when you can and don't reply to emails at the weekend. I work long hours but never the weekend. Clients know that.

Are you with a virtual firm?

Also, I don't agree with waiting to respond to emails on principle. Some things need immediate attention.

Zoelda
some do - but those are probably best handled with a phone call.
The vast, vast, vast majority do not suffer for being thought about for an hour before responding.
I'm waiting for one of my company lawyers to get back to me on a really urgent matter. But I know that he is checking things for me so that he sends one good message rather than several incomplete ones.
I deal with HMRC. Their deadlines are locked. Up against them I deal right away, but I try to leave leeway.

that is true

it is also true that sitting on things definitely gives you time to get the best response out. you just mukll it over a bit even if doing other stuff

I worked up to two days before my c-section (breech baby) and am back to work on Monday (!) after 5 and a bit months off. However, I did offer to do v.important one off support for my two biggest/nicest clients after 3 months if they needed me and if they gave me enough notice to get my partner to look after our baby. I've ended up doing about 20 hrs in the end. My partner is taking additional paternity leave for 6 months to look after our baby and I'll aim to work 22 to 27 hrs a week

I was ill/exhausted during most of my pregnancy so working from bed, in PJs by email at random hours was great. I use separate emails for my marketing and teaching work, have the email notification off, and manually send/receive. I use my mobile for work but always let it go to voicemail and it's mainly on silent. I give advance notice of when I'm on holiday and when I'll be available. Also training clients/adult students is definitely important.