When your clients are always late

“What advice do you have when your clients habitually deliver things late which then completely messes up your planning and diary?

For context, I’m a social media manager. I have three big clients — all contracted for minimum three month periods — and two of my three clients do this! Usually, these clients are good — we have a good relationship, they pay on time (ish), pay a rate I’m happy with... BUT the constant lateness is making things really tricky for me.

My diary gets booked up well in advance (especially at the moment with no childcare!) and their lateness means I have to cram work into already scarce time. I can’t just move the work until when my diary clears, because then the campaigns I’m working on for them become irrelevant as often they are attached to a particular calendar event.

I build in ‘wiggle room’, send reminders and prompts but.... NOPE, still late. I don’t know what to do!!!

Do I charge more if work has to be completed post-deadline? Like, the equivalent of ‘overtime’? How do I protect myself from this situation in my contract?

It means that next week, for example, I have to build three advertising campaigns (when my planning says I was supposed to only be working on one) and write two campaign analysis reports, alongside my day to day duties with another client... oh and homeschooling my two kids aged 6 and 8 because — PANDEMIC.

Basically, I’M FUCKED AND I WANT TO CRY. End.”