{"id":274,"date":"2022-11-25T09:44:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T09:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freelancingintotheunknown.com\/?p=274"},"modified":"2023-06-09T10:12:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T09:12:18","slug":"when-your-safety-net-sets-on-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freelancingintotheunknown.com\/?p=274","title":{"rendered":"When Your Safety Net Sets on Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Heading for the end of October, I realised my new year was looking dry, or more accurate desert-like. Both my current client contracts are due to end mid-December, which is great for my Christmas break, but less good for my bank balance\/sanity come January. So, I\u2019d started a more concerted effort to find another work to fill the looming new-year gap. And I accidentally took on more than I had time for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of all the things I\u2019d seen come up, one short little line on a freelance network I\u2019m part of had me intrigued \u2013 a contact of theirs was new in post and, while they recruited, they were looking for support. It was around social value measurement and policy work, areas that I\u2019d had some experience in, but they were looking for full-time or at a push a couple of part-time. I clocked it, saved it, but given my workload at the moment decided not to contact then initially. But a week or so later with nothing else coming to fruition, something about it niggled, so I dropped them an email. Despite being clear I could only offer a maximum a day a week this side of Christmas, they was keen. In our initial call I got a great first impression \u2013 we got on well as people, and they had some great ambitions in their new role and wanted support bringing them to life. They was enthusiastic after hearing some of my experience, I was flattered and before I knew it, I had taken on a new client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So suddenly by mid-November my safety net was secured. I had an extra financial buffer being built this side of Christmas and the possibility of more work with them in the new year. I was feeling good. It was going to be a squeeze it fit in in but worth it, I rationalised. The week I signed their contract, both my current clients sowed the seeds of extensions. Typical. But as hard as it was, without a guaranteed contract, I knew I couldn\u2019t rely on possibilities, so I said the right things, and waited to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fire Begins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new client work has now begun and there\u2019s a few hard lessons to be learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. First up is that, while the number of hours adds up on paper, reality is quite different. I’m starting to get better at keeping more rigidly to my hours but this has highlighted how quickly things can escalate if you\u2019re not careful \u2013 go over by 2 hours with one client, and you are now officially stuck.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. It doesn\u2019t leave any time for the extras \u2013 before I had time available for the other bits of running a business, my CPD, invoicing, reading up on topics, marketing, this. Having all my available hours to work taken up with paid work doesn\u2019t work. Which I did know when I originally worked out my day rate, but again the reality of feeling it is very different. And I\u2019m really feeling it.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Finally, this is deep-thinking work, more than some of the more transactional stuff I\u2019m doing at other charities, also in a less familiar space \u2013 a new charity to me and focused on an area I haven\u2019t worked in before, as well as new people, culture, organisational size etc. The brain-time needed to develop and produce some of the work is much higher, and that\u2019s proved stressful as you always feel the clock ticking on what time you have available. Another personal lesson in being careful to be clear what\u2019s possible in the timeframes available.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The Fire Spreads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This week both existing clients have confirmed they\u2019d like to extend my contract into the new year, potentially both until the end of March. On top of that the new client has confirmed they\u2019re keen on doing more work in the new year, and even having more days from me if possible. I simply don\u2019t have the days, which feels really worrying. However, if you flip it on its head, I\u2019m potentially about to be booked, if not overbooked until April 2023. Which is absolutely incredible. There\u2019s just a huge irony in the fact that I took on the new client as a safety net against lack of opportunities in the new year, and now I have too many. So next on my list is working out whether I drop one, reduce one, or somehow clone myself, and quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Heading for the end of October, I realised my new year was looking dry, or more accurate desert-like. Both my current client contracts are due to end mid-December, which is great for my Christmas break, but less good for my bank balance\/sanity come January. So, I\u2019d started a more concerted effort to find…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[34],"tags":[13,11,12,21,25,10],"class_list":["post-274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-contracts","tag-charity","tag-consultant","tag-freelance","tag-non-profit","tag-self-employment","tag-start-up-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t