Weekend Quick Tip: Clients and Time Zones
Are most of your freelance writing clients located in the same time zone as you? This is a question that you may never think about, but one that is very important. Personally, I have clients in my time zone as well as many on the other side of the world. This is not a big deal from a work standpoint, but as far as communication is concerned it can pose some problems.
For example, if you live on the east coast of the United States you are going to be several hours ahead of a client on the west coast. For this reason, you will not be able to get in touch with them early in the morning, your time. Is this a huge deal? Not really. But you should keep it in mind if you need to call a client, or if you are expecting a return email.
Most new clients that I pick up ask what time zone I am in. This helps them to plan for conference calls and much more. If your clients do not ask or you are not sure of where they are located, there is nothing wrong with inquiring. This is good information to have from day one.
