Collaboration
Guidelines
Over the last five years of running my own business (and almost 10 years freelancing) I’ve learned a lot about the best way to work together so I can achieve the best possible work for you and be there to support your goals!
A lot of the things on this list might seem super obvious or silly to share but these are all things that have come up for me multiple times and I always think it’s best to be as clear as possible so that working together feels like an incredible relationship for both of us!
Hey there!
- Office Hours: My office hours and communication windows are Monday to Thursday from 10am to 3pm. You'll often catch me working other hours of the day too (especially super early in the morning) but to help focus and get as much done as possible I limit my communication to these windows of time. I do my best not to respond to messages on Fridays or in the evenings and I don’t expect you too either! If you ever get a message from me in the evening or on a weekend please don’t feel like you have to reply!
- I try to respond to all client related emails within 24 hours. I only check my email twice a day and batch reply during those times. If we’re connected on another app like Voxer, What’s App or Slack I have a similar process and check in a couple times a day to optimize my time. Instagram and Facebook are notorious for losing messages and I’m not always super active on social media so please try to send all project related things to my email directly at mara@marakucirek.com
- Whenever possible I prefer written communication over voice (i.e-emails over a meeting, texts instead of a voice note). I often work in coffee shops or co-working spaces and it can be difficult to listen to messages. Written messages also help me make sure I have detailed notes about your project.
- Turn around time: My usual turn around time for tasks is 2-3 business days. Larger projects may take longer. Please know that it’s usually pretty hard for me to meet same day requests and if there are files I need to complete a project (like videos, graphics or text) I’ll need them the day before so that I can hit the ground running the next day. The sooner I know about anything you need help the better so I can block it off on my calendar.
- After years of accidentally working on holidays, I’ve tightened up my calendar and no longer work on US holidays. I also take some extended time off around Christmas and New Year’s to be with family. The exact dates of this vary from year to year but it’s usually around December 20th to January 4th. I also decided a few years back that my birthday is a company holiday to in my business so you won’t catch me at my desk on May 4th.
2023 Time Off and Holidays:
- Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, January 16
- Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 20
- Mara's Birthday: Thursday, May 4
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 29
- Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4
- Labor Day: Monday, September 4
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 23 and November 24th
- Winter Break: December 20th to January 5th
