Unfortunately one of the down sides to being an entrepreneur is that when you get sick you have three very different choices on how to handle your business while you’re out for the count:
- You Stick It Out – this is what most of us end up doing when we end up sick, although it may not be the best choice. Keep in mind that if you’re really sick and you still manage to force yourself to work, you’ll probably take longer to get better and you’ll feel extra crappy in the meantime. And remember that your work will most likely not be top-notch while you’re in poor form. Try to stick with doing only those tasks that are absolultely necessary, and delegate as much as possible if you’re not a solo-preneur.
- You Get Someone To Fill In For You – if you’re lucky enough to have employees or have used a subcontractor of some kind in the past, now is the time to utilize them. Your employees don’t want to get what you have anyways, so do everyone a favour and stay in bed! If you’ve used a subcontractor in the past that already knows your business, get in contact with them as soon as possible.
- Everything Temporarily Stops – this one is probably the most stressful, but necessary choice at times. If you are a solo-preneur with no employees and no familiar subcontractor, you’re probably going to have to shut things down for a short while. Try to send off a quick email to whomever requires it, and then hunker down and start recovering. In the end you’ll probably get better faster, and then you can start to add in the most urgent bits and pieces in a few days when you feel up to it. You’d be surprised how understanding your clients can be when you’re sick, so if you must use this option, don’t add to your grief by worrying about everything while you’re down! Don’t worry, the world won’t come crashing down while you’re sick in bed.
So, I would suggest that regardless of whether you have employees or not you should be making sure that you have all of your procedures laid out and ready to go so that someone can fill in for you if need be. And, if you’re a solo-preneur you should try to make some connections with folks who could possibly help you out in the event that you do get sick.
The more you plan ahead for these types of things, the less stressfull they will be when they pop up.