Hello all,
Sort of a general question for "old-timers". How do you manage your work backlog?
When you already have 6-12 months, or more, of work booked up with "larger" stuff, say projects that take 2-4 weeks or months to complete and then new things come in. Do you try to squeeze the smaller projects (1 day or less) in-between larger ones, or add to the end? What if semi-large job comes in that is urgent (seems to happen quite a lot)... Do you just decline that particular job, or try to do with double rate, or some other option?
I know that rising price willy-nilly to have less incoming jobs isn't that good, or at least should be done with caution. As it is later very hard to lower (and rise again etc), could cause a "PR problem". So I've been trying to keep same pricing as long as possible and rise not too often.
Also, if and how do you do marketing if there is already a year's worth of work booked up? I know many attend regularly shows etc. How do people react when you're at show promoting your work and when they find out that queue is 18 months (or whatever).
All comments and thoughts on this topic are welcome
Sort of a general question for "old-timers". How do you manage your work backlog?
When you already have 6-12 months, or more, of work booked up with "larger" stuff, say projects that take 2-4 weeks or months to complete and then new things come in. Do you try to squeeze the smaller projects (1 day or less) in-between larger ones, or add to the end? What if semi-large job comes in that is urgent (seems to happen quite a lot)... Do you just decline that particular job, or try to do with double rate, or some other option?
I know that rising price willy-nilly to have less incoming jobs isn't that good, or at least should be done with caution. As it is later very hard to lower (and rise again etc), could cause a "PR problem". So I've been trying to keep same pricing as long as possible and rise not too often.
Also, if and how do you do marketing if there is already a year's worth of work booked up? I know many attend regularly shows etc. How do people react when you're at show promoting your work and when they find out that queue is 18 months (or whatever).
All comments and thoughts on this topic are welcome