Freelancers need time off just like any other person who works regularly. Unlike someone who was considered an employee, freelancers need to take special care to arrange their time off. Here are some of the ways freelancers can arrange vacation time without a negative impact on their clients.

Plan ahead and set the dates

Probably the most important thing that you need to do is to plan ahead and actually schedule your vacation. Many of us know that we need time off and we say that we’ll take some when things slow down and when it’s more convenient, but then it never happens. If you have a date that is scheduled ahead of time you will be able to take care of the necessary preparations and you’ll actually get the time away that you need. Without scheduling it, you’re likely to realize six months down the road that you still haven’t taken that vacation.

Complete work in advance

If you have deadlines shortly after your vacation ends, don’t count on completing them right after you return. Instead, complete those tasks way in advance — yes, before your vacation starts.

Let your clients know when you will be away and when you will be available for work again

It is a freelancer’s sole responsibility to inform his clients about his availability times. A simple email detailing when you’ll be gone and when you’ll be back is enough, plus your clients will appreciate the heads up.

Save money

Depending on how long you are planning to leave town, this vacation is going to cost you. As a freelancer, every day that you are gone is a day’s pay that is lost. This is okay though, you can plan for this. If you have plenty of jobs to choose from, only take jobs that have a high pay rate. Or you can try taking on more work for a few weeks to pay for your vacation. Either way, use your time wisely when saving for your time off.

Avoid thinking about your workload

It’s counter productive and will ruin your vacation. When starting to think about work, write it down instead. You will get a relaxed feeling, why not barbecue a steak while you’re at it.

Contact

If you are going on vacation for a week (or possibly more) always have a way for a client to contact someone that you trust to help while you are gone. If you are certain that your clients will not take advantage, you can also leave contact information for yourself. Try to avoid this if possible, as it will take away from your vacation time.