As web agency owners and freelancers, we are not immune to crisis. What if you become sick, a family member becomes sick, or you hit a hard financial time? Here are some suggestions on how to create a backup plan for a crisis.
1. In Case of Emergency Backup Help
Find an agency you trust and want to work with in the event you or they need to cover one another. You can find options in various business groups or inside our Facebook group. Look for someone local and solidify that relationship now. Work to create documentation now for what they would need to take over.
You can also use a white label care plan company temporarily, or hire temporarily from Upwork for key pieces of your process which you would normally bottleneck.
2. Create a “Hit By A Bus” Google Folder
My dear friend Jamie Hill of Beard Man Marketing labeled this folder a long time ago “Hit By a Bus.” The idea was if you are hit by a bus what steps does your family member need to take to make sure your business stays afloat during this time. My folder includes a document summarizing steps to outreach to a fellow web professional, a document on how to access key software (they have been given emergency LastPass access), and a document to all-important business contacts, contractors and professionals and the function they serve.
Fellow web pro, Noah Britton of Thrive Design adds – “In mid-March, we communicated our contingency plan: Thrive has a contingency plan if I hit the Powerball (or get hit by a bus) Adam, my 2nd in command, and Emily, my wife, possess everything needed to keep your website running and supported. I have to give credit to my wife for insisting using Powerball reference if I was going to also reference hit by the bus.” We agree with Noah 🙂
3. Get Organized
Move all your logins to something like LastPass that allows for you to categorize them, share with a team, and allow emergency access. Move all your client information into a CRM or organized spreadsheet-like Airtable that lists out their contact information, plan information and pricing. Move all your documents from designs, and assets to the cloud so someone else can remotely access them. Get them off your computer and organized online – I use Google Drive. Organizing today means you will be better equipped for someone to jump in and help you in times of crisis.