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  Claire Brown August 11, 2010 at 9:38pm

  as a sufferer of migraine's I do occasionally wake up and think oh no.., - I can't work at all when I have one, but I still have to make sure that my son is got to school, and that the client knows I won't be there.
  Having good relationships and keeping them that way is the way to get around it, - I know that I have friends I can rely on to take my son, because I would take their kids if they were ill, or the car broke down. - My clients know that if I say i'm ill, I really am, and that i'll make up the time as soon as possible. My husband knows that if I can't work then i'll have to catch up at the weekend. I've never had loss of income through illness, - but plenty of loss of spare time!
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  Mark August 11, 2010 at 11:45pm

  I've had a couple of days off due to my back and call a couple off for bad weather, I don't mind working in the rain but look forward to the recovery it allows me when the weather is crap.
  
  Touch wood never really had too much time off sick, but If I did it would probably put me out of business !
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  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd August 12, 2010 at 7:30am

  Save as much as possible. It is good business practice to have 6 months of wages banked (yours and employees) if you (and possibly the business) suffer due to illness.
  
  -Nick
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  Gary RK August 12, 2010 at 10:45am

  We've got some basic income protection policies from the FSB that kick in after a pre-determined number of days, that way at least main living expenses can get paid if it's something other than a short term sickie (ie illness, injury) happens. Good low cost employee benefit. Costs around £15-£20 per person per month.
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  Gary RK August 12, 2010 at 2:45pm

  These policies are specifically aimed at sef employed/small business thru fsb. As I said they are not designed for sickies but illness or injury. They are not phi policies. They give piece of mind for guys that work in a physical industry. Like all financial products you shouldn't buy them if u don't understand them or their limitations & time restraints....
  
  
  A & J Owen Garden Services said:

  Savings put by is the key. For someone who used to work in Financial Services I can speak from experience that PHI policies are usually not worth it especially dependent on occupation it can be up to 13 weeks before you get a penny! Also, insurers do try to avoid paying if they can.
  
  For sniffles and the like we just carry on working simple as that and weather wise it has to be truly horrendous for us to pack it in and if it dries up later we get back out there! Have taken only our second day off of the year (other than Sundays) due to the fact that we are both so knackered we can't function any more!
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  Richard Boyd August 12, 2010 at 4:30pm

  A lot of Brandy mixed with the appropriate flu or cold remedies...an early night and I'm cured. Can't remember the last time I had a day off through illness.
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  Andrew Goss August 12, 2010 at 7:18pm

  Hope you 're feeling better now Phil.
  Something else to consider when working out hourly rate - allowing for this contingency - and the necessity to have savings to cover etc.
  I guess before anyone decides to go self employed they have to consider their general health and how they will cope with down time thro unavoidable illness that inevitably comes along.
  I tried to soldier on recently with what I am convinced was bird , swine or some other 'animal' flu but realised afterwards how foolish I had been using petrol hedge trimmers , chain saws and the like when feeling so roughI.......could have finished up being off for a lot longer and probably permanently ........