It’s coming up to the holiday season. Your friends and family members will likely be taking time off work, but what about you?
As a freelancer, it is often a scary prospect. I personally take the time off. This year, I definitely am because I’m currently 8 months pregnant and looking to scale back the amount I’m doing because I’ve overworked lately. But that doesn’t mean you have to.
In previous years, I’ve really only taken a couple of days off over Christmas.
Should you write over the holiday season? Here are the pros and cons to help you decide.
Family Expect to Spend Time With You
It can be tricky because your family may expect to spend some time with you. Well, it’s only normal for them to want to spend time with you.Some family members will travel to see you, and it’s only fair that you spend some time during the holiday season doing things that they’d like.
If you want to work, you’ll need to find a balance. It’s also important to make them aware of your plans. This can help you arrange a schedule around them.
Four years ago, my husband and I travelled to see my parents over Christmas. I just happened to take my laptop—not intending to work! We ended up staying a week longer, so I made it clear that I would work during the extra time, since I hadn’t budgeted for the time off, but made sure I finished at a certain time to still spend time with everyone.
Earn Money Over the Holiday Season
As a freelancer, you don’t have the benefit of getting holiday pay. That means you need to either plan ahead well or make money over the holiday season.
There are a couple of ways you can manage this. This year, I planned ahead and have saved some extra money. I also have residual income coming from various places.
The benefit of working means you don’t need to worry about doing this. When people complain about you working, you can tell them about your predicament as a freelancer and that you will be bringing in some money.
Client Projects Don’t Stop
Just because people take time off over Christmas, doesn’t mean client projects do. There are some people who don’t celebrate the holiday season, so will be looking to hire freelancers.
You can always charge a higher rate during this time period, so you’re not overworking. It shows that you’re flexible, but you want to be paid fairly if you write over the holiday season.
This will also set you up in good stead later in the year. Clients are more likely to come back to someone who is willing to sacrifice time off for their projects, even if it is at a higher rate.
It’s up to you whether you take time off or work over the holiday season. There are definitely pros and cons to both. Just make sure you manage it well, and you will be sailing either way.
Are you planning on taking time off this year? Maybe you’ve taken it off in the past and plan to work this year. Feel free to share your choices in the comments section below.
