Tips and tricks for solopreneurs dealing with personal loss

When my mom passed away unexpectedly last year, it was devastating. One minute, she and my sister were having dinner, and in a span of just hours, my sister and I were faced with making impossible, heartwrenching decisions. With my sister and I thrust into the responsibility spotlight, we found we had a lot of work to do — and everything we did was complicated by the immense grief we felt.

Simply navigating day-to-day activities — eating, sleeping, “relaxing” — was tough. Finding the motivation and time to work added a whole new layer of challenges. My sister was able to take some time away from her 9-to-5 job and could tackle some tasks remotely. But as a solopreneur, I didn’t have the luxury of taking an extended period of time off. Even worse, this happened right as my busy season as a college admission essay coach was ramping up. I’d made a commitment to clients, and I needed to follow through at my usual high level.

So I was faced with a challenge: How do you balance serving the clients you’ve committed to with taking the necessary to take care of yourself during times of profound grief or loss?

When tragedy strikes, such as when a family member becomes seriously ill or passes away, it can feel overwhelming to balance these personal and professional obligations. 

I certainly don’t have all the answers. I had my fair share of missteps as I navigated this last year. But I’ve also learned a lot along the way. So here, I want to share a few of the tips, tricks, and strategies I employed during the last 12 months to give myself time to grieve while also managing my business effectively.

Prioritize Self-Care

It seems obvious that prioritizing self-care would be crucial during times of tragedy, but I bet many of us agree that it’s also one of the last things we think about — both as people and as business owners.

Honestly, I was just trying to make it through my days most of the time.

Still, I’d made commitments to my clients, and I knew they were counting on me. So how could I let them down? But I also knew that if I were going to deliver my best work, I needed to take time to grieve, heal, and process my emotions. And take some time for me.

What did that look like for me? Shorter workdays were one way, because they allowed me to step away from work when needed. In such a go, go, go world, it’s hard for many of us to remember that taking care of ourselves isn’t selfish. Quite the opposite: It’s essential for our overall well-being. It’s OK to take time to get a manicure, meditate, exercise, go to lunch with friends, or just do the things you enjoy. 

It’s hard to remember that the world still spins and everyone’s life is still going on, even when it feels like ours has stopped, but taking care of our physical and mental health is essential for maintaining resilience and navigating adversity effectively. This ever-important self-care can also help us keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Be Flexible and Adaptable

It’s OK to ask for flexibility in your work tasks to accommodate unexpected events or emergencies following a personal tragedy. This might involve adjusting deadlines, rescheduling meetings, or temporarily scaling back on nonessential tasks to focus on urgent priorities.

I temporarily halted taking on new clients, and I made sure I blocked off parts of my calendar for client meetings and kept much of my schedule open to take care of the unexpected details that came along with managing my mom’s estate. Meeting with students later in the day let me maximize my time, and using tools like Calendly made it easy to reschedule meetings when unexpected responsibilities came up.

Leverage Tools to Streamline Operations

If you’re not using productivity tools already in your business, consider adding them. I used a handful of tools that let me keep things appearing “business as usual” even though they were mostly hands-off. Not only did they help eliminate some of the brain drain that comes along with repetitive business tasks, but they actually made me more efficient.

Some of my favorites are:

• HoneyBook. I use HoneyBook as my customer relationship management tool, and it lets me automatically respond to inquiries, schedule emails, schedule client meetings, digitally send and sign contracts, and manage billing. Even if I didn’t feel organized, HoneyBook automatically organized contact information, tracked interactions, and automated tasks for me. I loved that it let me stay organized and maintain communication with clients even when I had limited availability. While I’m always grateful for HoneyBook, I loved it even more during this challenging time, knowing I could automate this part of my business and knowing that it was all taken care of. (Get a 7-day free trial and 50% off your first year using this link.)
• ConvertKit. Sending out weekly emails sounded easy enough, but it became one more thing that I just didn’t want to have to remember to do. ConvertKit made it simple to schedule out a month’s worth of emails with essentially the click of a button. Beyond scheduling out my weekly emails, ConvertKit also lets me create automated sequences to keep in touch with clients without having to manually send emails each time. Because I’d created sequences for different scenarios, like freebie downloads, I could maintain communication even when I was away from my desk.
• Zapier. Zapier was like my unseen virtual assistant, automatically making to-do lists in ClickUp for me and also creating Google folders for my clients. Again, this wouldn’t have been a time-consuming task on my part, but I was always grateful when I had one less thing on my plate.
• ClickUp. Having all my tasks and relevant deadlines mapped out for me in ClickUp, my project management tool, let me easily see what to-do items I had coming up — and which could be pushed back. 

Using these tools simplified managing client interactions, responding to leads, and automating communications. I could sleep a little easier knowing that even during this challenging time in my life when my business couldn’t always take priority, my client relationships remained intact and I never missed a deadline.

Outsource Support

Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) can provide much-needed support during difficult times. A VA can handle administrative tasks like responding to emails, scheduling and managing appointments, and even posting on social media. Delegating these responsibilities let me focus on the most critical aspects of my business while still maintaining a regular online presence.

I appreciated having a trusted social media VA who could create a month’s worth of content for me at a time based on a spreadsheet of ideas I had and who then scheduled them for me after I quickly reviewed and approved them.

If you have some bigger items on your to-do list, consider outsourcing options for tasks like accounting, graphic design for ebooks, website development, and content creation. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer access to a pool of talented freelancers who can support your business when you don’t have the time or mental energy to take care of it yourself.

I used a Fiverr designer to create Canva downloadables out of some Google Doc files I had created but wasn’t able to work on while we were trying to settle my mom’s estate. Then once I was ready to focus on my business’s growth, I had materials ready to go.

Rely on a Support Network

It’s definitely important to not go it alone. Grief and tragedy can often feel very isolating, so don’t hesitate to reach out to friends, family, and even fellow entrepreneurs who can offer emotional support and guidance during challenging times. 

Sometimes, a simple coffee break with another person or making plans to connect with friends for a walk in the park can help us feel more grounded and in community with others during a time in which we might feel really alone. You might be tempted to avoid social contact during these times, because you don’t want to feel like you’re burdening someone else or “bringing them down.” But I’ve found that others really want to help — they sometimes just don’t know how or are afraid to bring up sensitive subjects. But drawing on your support network can provide encouragement and advice, and it helps alleviate some of the stress associated with managing your business alone during times of crisis.

I found that meeting a friend for happy hour or walking around my mom’s neighborhood and chatting with neighbors helped ground me a little and gave me a reason to smile.

Practice Time Management

Obviously, managing your time effectively becomes even more critical during challenging times. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Break down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks, and set realistic deadlines for each one. Utilize time management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking to stay focused and productive.

Don’t be afraid to push back less important projects. Focus on the tasks that are essential for keeping your business running and your clients moving forward. Anything that’s focused on business growth can wait for calmer times.

Even though I had lots of things I had wanted to get done before my client season got busy, I knew that my mental and emotional wellness had to come first, and that meant pushing back those “nice to have” projects. In some cases, I’m just now circling back to them a year later. 

And you know what? That’s OK.

Communicate Transparently

Open and honest communication is crucial when tragedy strikes and impacts your ability to run your business smoothly. You may feel awkward and apologetic about asking for grace or extended time to complete projects. I know that I never want to let anyone down or feel like I’m missing a deadline.

Here’s the good news: Most clients are terribly understanding. I know mine were. After my mom’s death, I was very upfront with all of my clients, and not one of them was frustrated or upset. I made it clear that I was still there and ready to fulfill my responsibilities, but I needed a little grace as I navigated meetings, travel, and services.

You, too, should be transparent with your clients about the situation, explaining any delays or limitations you may experience. Most clients will be understanding and empathetic — especially if they’re kept informed about what’s happening. By simply maintaining open lines of communication and providing updates whenever possible, you’ll build trust with your clients and feel better about the work you need to do.

Maintain a Sense of Normalcy

For me, keeping some of my client meetings and doing work helped me feel better and take my mind off my sadness. But it definitely took several weeks for me to get anywhere close to managing my “full” workload.

Jumping back into work might be a challenge for some people, and it’s definitely not a strategy everyone will want to follow. But if you’re feeling lost in your days and sitting in your grief more than you’d like, consider getting back into your everyday routine — even if it’s in small pieces. You might find that finding a routine — even if it’s a new one — can help you get through your days.

Create a Contingency Plan

Trying to find passwords and account numbers after my mom’s passing made me realize how essential it is to have a contingency plan in place for unforeseen circumstances. What if something happened to me? Would my family know who to contact about my business?

On my to-do list is to create a document that outlines steps to follow if tragedy strikes. Obviously, this isn’t something to do while you’re in the midst of a family illness or death, but it’s something every business owner should have in mind.

Ideally, my plan would include details like where to find contact information for key clients, access to my billing/accounting system, passwords to key sites, the location of important documents, and instructions on how to handle ongoing projects in my absence. 

Having a plan like this in place will give you peace of mind knowing that your business can continue operating even if a situation arises in which you’re unable to manage the day-to-day operations of your business like you usually do.

Running a business as a solopreneur isn’t easy under the best of circumstances. You have the freedom to make your own decisions and pursue your passions, but you also bear the weight of your business’s success on your shoulders. This is made even more challenging when you’re faced with personal tragedies. However, with the right tools, tips, tricks, and strategies in place, it’s possible to navigate through these challenging times while still managing your business effectively — and successfully.