Life can get stressful if you need to figure out how to keep working in bad weather.
I’m currently considering whether I should be flattered that our current storm has been named after me. Whilst sitting in the comfort of my home, still working. There was a time when I’d dread the forecast for snow and ice. But since becoming a freelance marketing consultant working in bad weather is much less of a problem.
To drive or not to drive…
Inclement weather can easily cause complete chaos to our working week can’t it?
I recall a few times when I had to battle into work.
Once was back in 2007 when I had a 40 minute drive that involved getting out of my estate (nightmare, no-grit), negotiating A-roads and motorways (generally fine), followed by gingerly driving around the work car park (hit and miss).
At the time I had a lovely old diesel Skoda Octavia with winter tyres. Winter tyres truly are amazing things. If you don’t have any, I would seriously recommend using them during the colder months.
They gave me confidence that I would be able to meet my commitments and get to work.
Embrace the gift of digital communication
Even though my current car is a petrol Fiesta (that’s easily excited in the snow) I’m still confident I can continue working. Even when the snow and ice play havoc on the road.
One of the benefits of our always-connected digital age is that it’s easy to keep in contact with people. My working week generally revolves around;
– emailing project updates or meeting notes to clients
– sharing work via resources like Dropbox Paper and Google Drive
– discussing details over the phone
– sharing a virtual coffee over Skype or Google Hangouts.
As you and I know, it’s not always essential to sit in the same room a someone to progress a project. So a bit of bad weather doesn’t really affect my standard working week.
Flexible working: still a myth?
One of the key drivers for me to become a freelance marketing consultant was the lack of flexible working options at my last role.
I was already working part-time but my eldest daughter was due to start school. I was aware that holidays (especially summer) would become a childcare issue, so I proposed some alternative working arrangements based on the same hours. More during term time and less during school holidays. Sadly it was felt I would be absent from the office too much.
I decided to go it alone.
And it’s safe to say that I’m glad I chose this path. Marketing Hat’s third birthday will soon be approaching.
I get complete flexibility. My clients benefit from working with a marketing professional without the overheads of recruiting. The classic win-win situation.
If you’re considering whether using a freelancer would work for your business do get in touch. I’d be more than happy to talk about my experiences of working with businesses remotely and share some of the marketing projects I have been involved in.