Bob Bly Direct Response Copywriter Official Banner

The Perils of Freelancing

March 19th, 2007 by Bob Bly

One of the dangers of being — as well as using — a freelancer is that if something happens to the freelancer, the work doesn’t get done.

Case in point: within the last week, my 75-year-old mother was rushed to the hospital emergency room, diagnosed as having had several small strokes, lost vision in her left eye (possibly permanently), and had surgery to remove a benign tumor — believed to be the cause of the stroke — behind her heart.

You can imagine how stressful — and disruptive — all this is to my life and my work.

But like any freelancer, I have multiple projects under contract — projects clients are counting on me to deliver, at a high level of quality and on time.

What would you do if you were me? How would you handle this emergency situation?

Am I bound to let clients know about it? I did. Was that wise or foolish?

Do you think businesspeople understand and allow for “Acts of God” in their dealings with their vendors?

Or is a catastrophic illness or other similar event simply not the client’s problem or concern — a circumstance that should in no way effect what they are buying from you?

Share

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2007 at 2:42 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

38 responses about “The Perils of Freelancing”

  1. Dan Kubb said:

    I think a business person should be understanding of this situation when it comes to their vendors. As a vendor I try to form a good relationship with the people I work with, and if the same situation happened with me I would be surprised if anyone had a problem with it. I would not continue working with them if they did. I want my clients to succeed in thier business, but if they stop treating me with a reasonable level of respect and understanding, then I know I wouldn’t (either consciously or subconsciously) perform at the same level as before, so I’d stop working with them immediately.

    If I continued to work with a jerk I’d feel I was “selling out”. I think situations like this are a good way to separate the good clients from the bad.

    Now it’s a different story if the vendor is regularly having problems, but I think its reasonable to for business people to understand when a vendor (who previously produced high quality work) has something outside of their control happen that pushes back a project a bit.

  2. Michael A. Stelzner said:

    Hey Bob;

    I had my entire family get struck with a very serious and contagious illness at the same time.

    Took me out for at least a week.

    I think it is best to inform your clients.

    You did amazingly well on our teleclass.

    Thanks!

    Mike

  3. Mordechai (Morty) Schiller said:

    Bob–Any client who doesn’t understand that is a client you don’t want!

  4. Chris Lake said:

    I think most people will be accommodating to freelancers in dire straights–once. The distinction between a freelancer and a small business is important. An ad agency had better be struck by lightning and burn down if they can’t make a deadline; a freelancer can ask for a little slack in an emergency.

    I try to go above and beyond not to let my personal life interfere with work but the world has its own ideas now and then…!

  5. Suzanne Ryan said:

    I am glad you brought this up because I really have no idea how self employed people manage personal crisis, or what the reaction is.

    Bob, I think you did the right thing in being straightfoward with your clients. Here is why:

    I was recently involved in a reverse situation. The marketing consultant/graphic designer team (a married couple) whom I brought in on a project became inaccessible for a number of weeks. No explanations.

    It turned out they are splitting up. They apparently explained this to the client who is as flaky as they had been, so he was ok with the long delay.

    I was more forgiving once I found out the reason, but until that point I was livid. I can’t afford that kind of delay, for both professional and financial reasons.

    This marketing/design team does great work but their lack of communication turned me off.

  6. Kim Isaacs said:

    Bob – I’m sorry to hear about your mother and I hope she’s doing okay. You did the right thing by letting your clients know about your emergency. I do think businesspeople should understand that “Acts of God” can happen to vendors, too. One of the benefits of hiring a freelancer is knowing the quality you will get. I would rather get quality services delivered late (as long as I was informed about the emergency) than have my project passed to a less-experienced, less-skilled worker.

  7. Jodi Kaplan said:

    Bob, you did the right thing. Any client who doesn’t understand that you are a person as well as a professional is a client you don’t want.

  8. Bob Bly said:

    Kim, that quality is what I believe we sell. If the clients wants more customer service, an ad agency has the staff to cater to them 24/7. But their copy will be assigned to a $25K a year communications major right out of college who hasn’t sold squat in her life — or someone just as bad.

  9. Ted Demopoulos said:

    This happens to me about once a decade, most recently 2 1/2 weeks ago.
    I ended up in the cardiac ward for a few days (mock heart attack — I’m fine).
    Two clients had slight inconveniences, and were understanding. If they were not understanding, I’d fire them!
    Things happen, we deal with them. People who can’t deal with reality make poor clients!

  10. Bob Bly said:

    Ted, I didn’t know, and am so glad you are OK! Feel good!

  11. Richard Pelletier said:

    Bob,
    You did the right thing. Last year when my mother was dying from pancreatic cancer, I was in the middle of a great project with a new startup. My clients could easily be described as nearly “perfect.” But I told them. And they moved on. We completed the piece we were working on and that was the end. They were nice guys and sympathetic but didn’t want to imperil their project. It really made me think long and hard about whether I would tell again. Thanks for this blog.

  12. disney channel games baby vote said:

    i just thought that queen latifah is one of the best comedians out there, she is really funny’

  13. why organic gardening said:

    This is some great info and was well worth the read. I hope to read more stuff from you in the future that is as well written as this post

  14. freelancer, micro job, make money online said:

    You really make it seem so easy along with your presentation however I to find this matter to be actually one thing which I feel I might by no means understand. It seems too complicated and very wide for me. I’m having a look forward for your next publish, I will try to get the hang of it!

  15. Noble Loft said:

    I appreciate listening to Fox Information Radio when I operate. I’ve to state a single matter I hate is hearing the interviews with celebrities above and around all over again. I feel I’ve observed exactly the same interviews within the last number of weeks 30 or 40 time. For being honest I do not treatment what most if these celebrities need to say. Make sure you obtain some new information to consider the put on the interviews, or at least enjoy some new ones. I will even now still listen to Fox Information Radio but I will change it down when necessary.

  16. Eye Hospitals said:

    It was an Interesting read. Thanks for posting the blog. Keep the updating.
    Cost Of Lasik Surgery in Hyderabad

  17. recycling company in uae said:

    Freelancing has its own advantages and disadvantages. I think whatever you did was right. Thanks for sharing.
    battery recycling in UAE

  18. Corwin said:

    puppies for sale,pug puppies for sale in oregon,pug puppies for sale in az,pug puppies for sale in va,pug puppies near mepugs for sale,pug puppies for sale,pugs for sale near me,cheap pugs for sale,pug puppies for sale near me teacup pug [ We breed with exception. We are engaged in the breeding of Pug puppy for sale, which is the most desired bulky puppy. During many years of work we could breed Pug puppies, with the most unique and exceptional colors you will dream of having. At the moment our cattery is one of the biggest in the USA who produced these valuable Pug puppies. All our Pug puppy for sale are transferred according to the law with documentation and all our Pug puppy and puppies are with registration AKC. As a family, we have loved, cared, breed, and lived with different kinds of puppies for over 10 years, quite an experience. We do not consider ourselves making our Pug puppies completely at ease with other pets.pugs for sale,pugs for sale near me,cheap pugs for sale,pug puppies for sale,pug puppies for sale near me.
    https://pugslandbreeder.company.com

  19. robert said:

    https://savannahbengal.company.com/

  20. forbesdull116 said:

    It was founded on August 28, 1907, by James E. Casey as The American Messenger Company. UPSers Headquarters located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S. https://upserscom.website/

  21. Jane Chadwick said:

    You probably will not regret reading this Paperslead review. I have long wanted to order papers online, and now I know everything I need. It’s very informative.

  22. jiho uni said:

    Play klondike solitaire – a classic, attractive and engaging card game

  23. Jazmin said:

    Jazmin constantly offers amazing sales on their brand of women’s clothing, including their ready to wear dresses. Grab these stylish and trendy sale on brands dresses online. Jazmin.pk offers the best sale of any women’s clothing brands all the time. Buy from their sale and keep your wallet happy.

  24. Ndure Shoes said:

    Style a chic look in best quality women flats online in Pakistan At Ndure, we have fashion for every one of You.
    Shop best quality women casual shoes online in Pakistan from Ndure. Shop from a wide range of colours and styles, available exclusively at Ndure. Ndure Casual Shoes and Sneakers for women are made from best quality materials, with soft sole. Style a chic look in Ndure Shoes At Ndure, we have fashion for every one of You.

  25. geometry dash said:

    Great information, thanks for sharing!

  26. canseo said:

    best article thank you my friend

  27. chimohtava said:

    i like your post thank you

  28. mp829784 said:

    Thank you for this awesome comment for learning more about WSOP Redeem Codes

  29. Byrd Franklin said:

    I am very enjoyed this blog. It’s an informative topic. It helps me very much to solve some problems. gorilla tag

  30. Liam said:

    play wordle helps you connect more with people, because in the game there is a share button to help you play with everyone, or share your results or create a premise for conversations.

  31. BabyBoxShop said:

    Baby gifts are tokens of love and joy to welcome the newest addition to a family. Explore a delightful array of baby gift options that cater to both boys and girls. From soft toys to practical essentials, find the perfect present to celebrate this precious moment.

  32. Johnsons arb said:

    There are challenges in managing the freelance landscape. Using personal experience as a guide, I show the challenges and successes. My affordable dissertation writing service, which promotes stability, and guarantees quality without going over budget. Together, let’s overcome confusion and create a successful, reasonably priced journey to success.

  33. Tiptop-einrichtung said:

    friseurstühle are the chairs available for clients in a hair salon. They are designed to be comfortable and allow the hairdresser easy access to the client’s hair.

  34. We Buy Dead Stocks... said:

    We Buy Dead Stocks is synonymous with trust and reliability for scrap buyers Abu Dhabi. We have a deep understanding of the local market and the expertise to offer competitive prices for your surplus items. Experience a seamless selling process that prioritizes your convenience and ensures you get the best value.

  35. Pro Branding Solutions said:

    If you’re looking for a distinctive brand identity in the realm of digital marketing, you need someone who gives you best digital branding solutions with game-changing strategies and original concepts that can help you get a speedy, high-quality reaction from the market. With expertise and a seasoned staff, branding solution is well-known in the digital media industry. We assist you in realizing your dreams.

  36. Pink Salt said:

    Himalayan pink salt is a valued supplement to a healthy lifestyle because of its remarkable mineral composition and numerous uses. Using this organic salt in cooking and as a health supplement has many advantages that improve health in general.

  37. sale said:

    Wenn Sie gerne Sexfilme sehen, sind Sie auf unserer Seite herzlich willkommen. deutscheporno

  38. Ramadan Packages said:

    Typically, the best price Ramadan packages include a mix of staples such as rice, flour, lentils, cooking oil, dates, and other necessary items. Additionally, they might feature special treats, adding a touch of delight to the recipient’s Ramadan experience.

Leave a Reply