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Timing your work as a freelancer

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yellowmellow:
Hello everyone. I have a question for freelancers who create visualizations, products renders etc. I really like my job but there are often situations that I stay long hours at night doing some urgent project due to short deadlines.

Some of my clients are architectural offices and its really difficult to have a realistic deadlines with them. They are usually in the middle of the project, therefore their client is waiting so they need it to be done quickly. When they hear that they have to wait for a month they go away. Usually I need to deliver renders within one-two weeks from their first contact so it means that I should start right after receiving task from them. And when there's another new client, I could start his project in 2 weeks which is too late for him.
How do you organise your work in similar situations? Do you just tell them that you don't have time and don't do the project? Maybe you work only for bigger clients f ex housing estate, developers, with longer deadlines and avoid small companies? Or maybe staying long at night is just a part of this job? But than it is a bit sad, bacause I switched from architecture to 3d industry also to have more free time.

Please provide me some tips, Ive been doing full time freelance only since January so any advice would be helpful:)

dj_buckley:
1.  Do you just tell them you don't have the time and don't do the project .... Yes

2.  Maybe staying long at night is just part of the job ..... sometimes, but that's your choice, a good client wouldn't expect you to.

3.  They are usually in the middle of the project, therefore their client is waiting so they need it to be done quickly ... tough, that's not your problem, their client isn't your client.  If the architect hasn't organised CGI's early enough that's their problem to fix not yours.  You set expectations with your client, and they then set expectations with theirs.

4.  When they hear that they have to wait for a month they go away .... Good.  Or you accept the job, but also accept you've doubled your workload and so you're probably going have to find extra time ... late nights.

Not many jobs are 'ideal'.  Sometimes I work late, because I accepted a job with a tight deadline, that's on me.  Sometimes I work late because I choose too, again that's on me.  If a client expects me to work late then I'll either sack the client or never work with them again depending on the circumstances.  You're in control of your own business and when/how you work, so it's up to you, do you want to work on one project and work reasonable hours, or do you want to work on two and work longer hours?  If you accept another job when you're already at capacity, then you're not in a position to complain about long hours.  You chose that.  The alternative is growing.  In order to take on more work, you can either do it yourself and work longer hours, or get another employee/freelancer to help you.  One person can only do so much.  So the choice is yours, reject the job = normal working hours, less money, accept the job = longer working hours, more money, accept the job and hire someone = normal working hours, less money than doing it yourself but more money than not doing it at all.  If you can't afford 'help' then you're not charging enough which is a whole different conversation.

But .... the thing I find most interesting is you said you came from architecture, so must have known how a lot of architects operate, in which case, why are you now surprised that it's no different on the other side.  You're still working with the same people/industry.

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