I’m Overbooked: Now What?
Getting work is one of the hardest parts of freelancing. But what happens when you end up with more clients and projects than you can handle? Suddenly, you’re overbooked: Now what?
This is a side of freelancing that’s not talked about enough. So many freelancers get in the pitching and closing hamster wheel that they don’t always know when to stop. It’s HARD to turn down work, especially if you’ve ever suffered from a dry spell.
Let’s be honest though: you have finite time, brainpower, and resources. Your customers deserve your time and attention, which means you can’t just rush through your work because you’re busy.
Here are my tried and true strategies for surviving an overbooked schedule – without saying no to business!
1. EXTEND YOUR TURNAROUND TIMES
The first and easiest thing you can do when you realize you’re overbooked is to delay your deliveries. I’m usually booked a week out, and my regular clients know this. But when my current clients and new clients all want to place an order at the same time, a week just isn’t enough.
The moment you see your schedule starting to fill up or spill over, let your clients know it might be a little longer. You don’t need to go into an in-depth explanation or make excuses. I simply tell them it’s going to be a little longer so I can give their work the attention it deserves. And leave it at that.
2. Temporarily Adjust Your Working Hours
Part of what makes freelancing so attractive is that you don’t have to stick to traditional banker hours. You can work pretty much anywhere and whenever you want. That said, an overbooked schedule could mean temporarily shifting your work day.
Depending on how far behind you are, you might work an extra hour each day or an extra day each week. Do what you can do without giving up sleep, rest, eating, and a little downtime for yourself. Those things are important and will keep you healthy, focused, and motivated to keep working.
Just remember that overbookings are temporary and you can hop back on your normal schedule once you catch up. It’s a small sacrifice to keep business going, plus it means not having to turn down paying customers.
3. Charge a Premium for Faster Delivery
Some clients are flexible about longer turnaround times. But some need their stuff yesterday. And if you don’t want to disappoint – and, in fact, look like a hero! – then you can push them to the front of a line for a fee.
I offer a premium 24-hour turnaround for an extra $50. Many of my clients take me up on this, and when they do, I know just how important a project is to them. It extends the deadlines for my other clients, however, but it’s not usually by much.
Plus, it’s a great opportunity to reinforce my relationships with clients who are willing to pay a little extra. It fosters loyalty and makes me appear more dependable, even if I feel like I’m drowning in work.
4. Find a Subcontractor (Before You Need One)
The secret weapon of every freelancer: a subcontractor you can rely on. Subs can take your overflow work so that you’re not spending every waking moment on work.
But don’t wait until you’re swamped before you start looking for help. Finding a sub you can trust and that can do the work as well as your clients expect takes time and lots of vetting.
Trust me, I know – I have a great subcontractor on my team. I handle all the projects where my clients expect to work directly with me. She helps me with one-off projects that I’d otherwise have to turn down. I take a small cut for managing the project, pay her an attractive rate, and make more customers happy. It’s a win for everyone!
5. Treat Yourself
Working more hours for a short period of time is just part of the job for freelancers. But doing it consistently will burn you out faster than a match. Make sure you’re also finding time for self-care, whether it’s taking a nap, eating two desserts, or buying yourself something with all that extra money you’re making. Rewards can be so motivating.
6. Stop Overbookings Before They Happen
This one comes from practice, plain and simple. The more you freelance, the more in tune you become with how long certain tasks or projects take. For example, I can bang out a 500-word blog post in about 30 minutes or so if it’s a topic I’m familiar with. So I take content length into account when creating my schedule each day.
That wasn’t the case when I started writing, though. I didn’t have the processes in place that I do now. Writing took longer. So make sure you’re paying attention to how efficient you become in your craft so you can better gauge how you spend your time.
Overbooking yourself as a freelancer is bound to happen. But it shouldn’t be a problem – for you or your customers. As long as you communicate your turnaround times upfront and dedicate enough time to spend on each project without getting sloppy, your customers won’t know the difference.