What’s The Rush? Five Tips for Making the Deadline

The flurry of preparations and activities for Easter are behind us now. We can breathe easy…but just for a few minutes! There will be another event coming soon and a job board filled with projects to get accomplished. There is always more for you to do!

So how do you get ahead of the game? What can help keep you from last minute sprints to the finish line hoping that you’ll make it?

Plan backwards. Start with the day you will need your printed or web media finished (not the day of the event) and work your timeline backwards from that. If Easter is April 8th, you should strive for having your printed pieces in hand a week early, say March 29th. Concepts, design, and printing can take a total of four to six weeks to complete. This means you would need to start in the middle of February to be ready for Easter.

Lay out your calendar in advance. If at all possible try and flesh out what you will be doing for the year. Easter and Christmas are always a given. What else do you know will take place this year? Plan for them in advance. If your team can come up with sermon themes, titles, events and the marketing materials you need for them at the beginning of each quarter or year, it will help you to avoid last minute stress and give you time to be really creative.

Assemble a team. There are times where you have to set aside the Lone Ranger syndrome and get some help. Designers and creative people are notorious for trying to keep our hands on all the details because it’s our nature. There is a time that you have to let go. If you are the only person who can create the design or images then assemble a few people to help with other tasks such as getting printing quotes, working with the mailing company, writing the text, etc. It will be a blessing for you and others who are looking to serve.

Don’t do last minute stuff. When a project has to go from concepts to printing press in three days (and I just did this for a church!) it opens up the opportunity for grammatical and spelling errors, digital file flaws, or a product that just stinks. Sometimes you are better off going without. Plus, last minute work can really cost you! Designers and print companies usually charge a rush fee that is 50% to 100% than their normal rate. There is a saying, “a lack of your planning doesn’t constitute an emergency on my behalf”. Don’t expect miracles every time – especially without paying a hefty price.

Hire a professional. I know a lot of church planters or small churches that try and do everything themselves. They have a friend who “knows” Publisher or InDesign and give them the chance to do their thing. This is understandable and not necessarily bad if you get what you were looking for but many times the situation ends up with a horrible outcome. While hiring a designer is an investment – if you add up all the hours it takes to correct mistakes, files, or oversee the project with a volunteer – it will definitely be cheaper to do it right the first time!

There are some “rush junkies” who thrive on doing projects last minute and under pressure but eventually it will catch up with them – or you! Take some time to think through the logistics and consider these few ideas to keep you from losing sleep and increasing your blood pressure.

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James Dalman is the owner/chief brand genius at the Branding Shed, a church planter, and a contributing editor to Church Communications Pro.