How do you take a day or weekend off? Share your story

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @eclients: Good points. I need to get better at taking hours off and not responding immediately on my phone. I like having a short response time, but I could probably relax a bit about it. And yes, it’s really bad for a proofreader/copyeditor when our smartphones auto-correct something and it’s a mistake! Ack!



And good point about being judicious about vacation time in case of emergency.

[toxictaz]

I take a day or two off whenever my orders dry up! It usually happens once a twice a month. However I never feel the need to take a break because of the flexibility and ease of working on Fiverr.

[turnkeyz]

I make sure i deliver all the orders in advance if i plan a day off the other day, so that the client gets his job done before delivery time and i would not have to worry about pending orders 🙂

[leecarso]

Reply to @chimicawriting: I understand what you are saying- the best gigs on fiver are the ones that either add value to your business by establishing meaningful connections with other members or gigs that make money efficiently in terms of time. If I spend 1 hour on my gig worth five dollars (which is really 4)- I have a better chance making a living as a grocery bagger. With that being said it must be done efficiently and I’m not talking only outsourcing because it doesn’t make sense in these terms. You can’t outsource 4 dollars a gig for someone who charges two ( you could but it’s ludicrous)- it’s like playing penny stocks vs big investors. We all outsource our time- for example: you tell your kids to do their dishes or clean up after themselves. If you can automate your income that is where you make a lot of the money.

[freelancepromw]

Hello!



When it gets to the point that your orders are coming in with frequent consistency, you must edit your gigs delivery time frames if you want any days off! At first I wanted to stand out from other gigs by delivering my work in 24-48 hours, but then I started to receive so much work that I found I had zero days off.



Here’s what I did… I extended the delivery time frame from my popular gig(s) from 24-48hrs to 3-5 days, and on the popular gig extras I made sure I added +1 day or +2 days… I battled in my head whether or not this would put orders to a halt, but it had no effect. Your clients will understand that your business is growing and still place an order with you. And since you are very popular now, they might even want to upgrade to a ‘premium customer’ and order it extra fast, which = more money for you!!



However, by adding a couple of extra days to my delivery time it allowed me to take in order even on my off day(s) without having pressure knowing I had work to be done on an off day. You just might have to work a little overtime on your ‘Friday’ to be sure your order queue is prepped for a nice day or two off 🙂



I hope this little strategy helps out. It gives me time off when I get busy and want to take a day or two.



-Mike

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @freelancepromw: Thanks, Mike! That does help! I totally understand the “battle in my head” part, too. 🙂 But I have done as you suggest and am finding just a nice amount of slowdown but no bad effects. I do think that once we’re a little bit established here, we can afford to make these changes.

[mrproofreading]

I rarely have any days off. Instead, I work super hard and then go on an extended 2-3 week holiday somewhere sunny. 🙂

[mystic_insight]

I work everyday lol. I don’t really take time off Fiverr unless I go on a trip.

[blackfolder1]

A day off? What’s that? lol I take Christmas Day and Thanksgiving off…

[writerlisaz]

You guys are all hard workers, for sure! I still have kids at home so I have to take the occasional day off for family obligations…like doctor’s appointments. But I am learning I don’t have to take a vacation day, I can just extend my deadlines. It’s getting used to not trying to clear my queue immediately that takes some work. I’m practicing!

[sm_marketer]

I 'm very new in fiverr, So I 'm trying to get job so, I have no time for day off.

[ozzieuk]

Enough said… 🙂

[Guest evpassino]

Reply to @writerlisaz: I feel your pain. I feel like I NEED to respond right away. And I will admit this strategy has brought me lots of business, but it can be exhausting.



A couple of weeks ago I got buried in orders and I was afraid I would start missing deadlines. Plus I just needed a breather, so I bumped all my delivery times out to 7 days (10 days on a few) and made my express delivery rate high. Even after that I was still getting more orders than I wanted, so I suspended my most active gig. I still have orders coming in from my happiest of customers and I do a lot more custom quotes.

[landongrace]

I worked really long hours when I started to establish my account and it paid off.



If you’ve been programmed to work 9a-5p, 40 hours a week, it takes some adjustment to change your mindset. You now get paid for what you accomplish, not how long you sit on the clock.



I respond to emails all of the time, 7am-10pm.

Now, I work several hours at a time and take big breaks in between.

This is actually more flexible for me than having to schedule days off. Trying to shut it all down is more involved than it is worth. I am flexible 7 days a week to tend to things that just happen in life. I enjoy cooking and usually cook 3 meals a day.



Knowing that you can pause gigs really helps it not get overwhelming. Each time I’ve unpaused my gig, it has only taken about a day for orders to start coming in again. I haven’t had any reindexing problems on Fiverr.



I have noticed that I fluctuate gigs to help with my enjoyment of the work. Even if I have paused a gig, I can still send custom quotes to regular buyers.



Try to love what you are doing. That really sells your work! If you get burned out, pause for a moment.

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @ozzieuk: Do you live here? I want to know more!

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @landongrace: Thanks, Landon. I, too, have been working the long hours and responding, basically, about the same hours you do–7 am to 10 pm (then the internet shuts off at our house, for the “kids’ sake”–ha! I’ve been a SAHM for 18 years so yes, I’m used to working this much. Kids and housework don’t tend to give you a break! In fact, I think that’s why I like this work, because freelancing is a lot like being a mom. You have ups and downs in your day but you know how to work hard and get it done. Still, I do need days off from fiverr so all the ideas are great.

[ozzieuk]

Reply to @writerlisaz: I do indeed live here, it’s probably one of the best places in the UK to live, well… I think so anyway 🙂

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @ozzieuk: Absolutely gorgeous! One day I will get to the UK–maybe with fiverr gig money! It’s a big dream. My ancestors came from Alton, among other places. 🙂

[landongrace]

Reply to @writerlisaz: Very Nice!

[landongrace]

Reply to @writerlisaz: Awesome!

[writerlisaz]

Reply to @evpassino: I’m doing similar things to you. I extended my deadline to 7 days so I could take a couple days “off” this weekend (in actuality I had to prepare for my tax appointment and take kids to doctor’s appointments so it was really just another kind of work), and I found that it’s really nice to have more days to complete things. My buyers seem to still keep coming, and yes, at a nicer pace than before. And the orders are bigger–yes! That’s the best thing–more money, less chaos.

[crystaldayton]

So I have a question. How long did it take for you to be so busy all the time. I work on fiverr and some clients through networking events. I want to grow thats why I am asking this. Thank you

[writerlisaz]

So I have a question. How long did it take for you to be so busy all the time. I work on fiverr and some clients through networking events. I want to grow thats why I am asking this. Thank you

Honestly, it took just a couple of months for me and I can’t exactly say why. I have had clients say they picked me because of my big smile in my photo, and I know for sure using my professional headshots and photos for my Fiverr gigs has been a great idea. But after that initial bump that was maybe a fluke or maybe because I presented myself well, I would say it’s definitely all about giving 100% and above service. Always being on time, responding to messages very fast as I’m able, offering services only in my area of expertise and delivering excellent service, using good customer relations skills and being professional and friendly in messages and all communications on Fiverr…and even overdelivering most of the time.

I started out really cheap and fast, and have been able to raise my prices and extend my deadlines as I’ve gotten busier and the 5-star, excellent reviews have stacked up.

I guess it all boils down to hard work and excellent, friendly, fast communication at all times. Good luck to you!

[crystaldayton]

Honestly, it took just a couple of months for me and I can’t exactly say why. I have had clients say they picked me because of my big smile in my photo, and I know for sure using my professional headshots and photos for my Fiverr gigs has been a great idea. But after that initial bump that was maybe a fluke or maybe because I presented myself well, I would say it’s definitely all about giving 100% and above service. Always being on time, responding to messages very fast as I’m able, offering services only in my area of expertise and delivering excellent service, using good customer relations skills and being professional and friendly in messages and all communications on Fiverr…and even overdelivering most of the time.

I started out really cheap and fast, and have been able to raise my prices and extend my deadlines as I’ve gotten busier and the 5-star, excellent reviews have stacked up.

I guess it all boils down to hard work and excellent, friendly, fast communication at all times. Good luck to you!

Thank for the insight I wish you all the best!