Great Ideas for your Small Business: Beat Your Deadlines
Janice gay, a freelance desktop publisher in Florida, shared this great idea during a brainstorming session a few years ago. It’s simple but smart. “I move my deadline up a few days earlier than the date I quoted the client,” she said. “Then I meet my personal deadline. The client is surprised and pleased that I turned out a quality product ahead of schedule, and I always get return business.” This is a great idea because it sets you apart from the rest of the business world, which is thick with folks who beg for deadline extensions. Better yet, it exceeds your clients’ expectations and costs you absolutely nothing.
I like to set internal and external deadlines for projects. With so many different projects under way at one time, it helps to stagger the deadlines so things are not all due at the same time. Setting earlier deadlines also helps avert last- minute disasters.
Moving the deadline up a few days gives you peace of mind. If a computer crashes, the printer freaks, or someone calls in sick, you won’t fall behind. Making a promise and keeping it sounds so simple, but too often, it’s the exception and not the rule.