The past few days have been pretty crazy around my house, with both boys getting the flu and then passing it on to me. I had deadlines to meet and was struggling to hit them, but ended up having to ask for an extension of one day when I found myself unable to crawl out of bed yesterday.

Which made me think . . . do you have a backup plan for when you`re sick? There`s nothing worse than lying there, feeling awful and stressing about an order you need to finish up! A few ideas on how to handle sick days:

• Get a babysitter. The best way to get healthy again is to rest and we all know that isn`t much of a possibility with children in the house! Having someone else watch them will let you crash for a few hours at least and hopefully heal faster.
• Pass the work to someone else. If you can`t manage the work, you might want to have someone who is also capable. For example, my sister writes very well and there have been a couple of times when I`ve asked her to take on an assignment to make life a bit easier.
• Ask for an extension. This should definitely only be used in rare cases and only if you know you can do it this one. Let your client know exactly what is going on and how much extra time you need. Most people will be fine with one day.
• Build up stock. If you have a physical product, it can help to build up stock and have it handy in case something happens. You`ll still be able to fill your orders and with a minimum of effort.

Having a backup plan makes for a smoother running business that won`t be interrupted for those little bumps life throws at you. It`s a good idea to figure out a backup plan or two BEFORE you get sick.

Random Posts

• From Work to Home: Choosing a Business Idea
• Backing Up: The Smart Business Choice
• Tune Out the Noise
• Group Project Summary
• Knowing When to Halt Your Growth