“I can't get sick right now!” – This thought is known to everyone who is self-employed. Those who work as a trainer, coach, or speaker face significant problems if they are not present and fit. What to do? Cancel and possibly upset clients – or work despite being sick? We present you with a third option!
Getting sick is human
Self-employment is a professional fulfillment for many: passing on your own expertise as a trainer, coach, or speaker, building a happy client base that relies on you and for whom you are a reliable contact.
Self-employed consists of “self” and “continuously” for a reason: you take care of your planning and your clients yourself, and you are constantly in preparation or on the go. However, this dream also has a downside: What happens if you suddenly get sick? Without a “Plan B,” this thought quickly becomes a nightmare.
Whether it’s the flu or a broken leg: getting sick is human and can happen to anyone! There are various reasons why you should rest at home instead of working at full throttle. The situation is particularly serious when there are fixed appointments: seminars, trainings, or personal coaching sessions must be canceled. Income drops, projects are left behind, and in the worst case, your reputation suffers.
So what can you do if you are too sick to work?
3 options in case of illness
How you deal with illness depends on various factors, such as the type and severity of the illness. In principle, you have the following options:
1. Solution in case of illness: Presenteeism
Over 70% of all employees go to work despite being ill. This has led to the term “presenteeism.” Being present is the highest priority for many in the job – especially as a self-employed person. After all, everything depends solely on you. “I will push through!” is a fundamentally good attitude, as it demonstrates willpower and reliability, even when things get tough.
The downside: Those who are sick are not fully capable of performance. Imagine you are giving an important presentation, but your voice is hoarse. Or you are conducting an intense coaching session, but you can hardly concentrate. Your clients and participants notice that you cannot deliver the performance you are being paid for. Therefore, this is not always the best solution. Here, you have to weigh carefully whether your performance meets your own standards.
Moreover, your body often knows exactly when it needs a break and recovery. Not recovering from fever and other illnesses often only worsens your condition and may even risk chronic illnesses.
A constant requirement for presence thus not only temporarily harms your performance. Both body and mind can suffer long-term damage if you do not take the time to rest: presenteeism and chronic stress are common causes of burnout.
2. Solution in case of illness: Cancellations
If being present is simply not possible or your performance would suffer too much, you can certainly cancel your appointments and plans and first take care of your recovery, to give 100% at a new appointment. As mentioned: getting sick is human!
The downside: Even if a cancellation or postponement is sometimes wiser or the only solution, it can be quite burdensome. It’s not just that illness can quickly cost you part of your income. With fixed appointments, it can often be difficult to find a replacement date that suits all parties involved. With in-person events, it’s also sometimes hard to notify all participants in time without appearing unreliable – especially in the case of a sudden illness.
A cancellation is particularly difficult if you have planned a training with several sessions that build on each other: if the time between learning units or exercises is too long, it ultimately affects the learning progress of your participants or disrupts a client's timeline. Again, you need to weigh carefully whether a cancellation is the best approach in this situation.
3. Solution in case of illness: Plan B
Having a plan in the background gives you the security of being prepared for emergencies. Imagine you had the option to
quickly and directly reach your participants,
easily send a personal message to everyone,
and continue your training by providing your participants with small learning units or tasks directly in preparation for the next session.
And all of this, even though you cannot be present yourself. Many trainers and coaches already succeed in doing just that with E-learning. Create content in advance in an online course and let the platform work for you – it won’t get sick! If you need to postpone an appointment, you can conveniently leave a short video message for your participants from home. This way, you inform everyone quickly, and you remain close and friendly. And: Your participants can do additional tasks online if you are not personally on the spot.
By combining E-learning with in-person events, you create blended learning: As described above, in this case, you offer both (possibly fewer) seminars or live coaching sessions – as well as online support. And you can prepare this for emergencies!
Advantages of blended learning in case of illness
In case of illness, blended learning unfolds a unique potential and offers you and your participants some unique solutions to the problems that cancellations bring:
When you accompany your training online, you have already gathered all participants on your platform. This way, you can reach all participants directly and personally, even from home. And such a short video message feels friendlier and evokes more understanding than a text-based email.
Even in the case that you only have to inform a client of your cancellation who passes on the information, a direct address to the participants is simply more personal and gives the reassuring feeling that you care about each individual.
Blended learning also offers you entirely new opportunities to use media. A short personal video of you can be filmed and uploaded in just a few minutes from home using your smartphone. This way, you show presence and can explain to your participants what is going on. With a bit of humor, for example, a video with a broken leg or a runny nose can also create understanding and a good atmosphere – despite the cancellation!
Moreover, by combining in-person and online learning, you have the opportunity to supplement your training with online impulses. So use the opportunity that you cannot be there yourself to provide your participants with online impulses or exercises that you ideally have already prepared for an illness. A small exercise, an exciting video on the training topic, or a PDF with in-depth information keeps your participants engaged and serves as good preparation for the next seminar.
Tip: Film a few simple videos in advance with content that you would convey in in-person appointments. Think about what content from your seminar or coaching is suitable, and record it with your smartphone. Short talks, introductory words on a specific topic, or everyday situations are very suitable for this. This way, you are well prepared in an emergency!
Are you worried that the quality of self-filmed videos won’t be good enough? You can find out why you don’t have to worry about that in this article: High video quality and easy production? Yes, it’s possible!
The perfect online Plan B
Getting sick is always inconvenient. Being prepared for such a scenario is a must for the self-employed, and it’s easy with blended learning. Therefore, it is essential to make timely arrangements and have a plan in place before it becomes urgent. Gather impulses, exercises, and perhaps a video or two for your online support that you can provide quickly in case of illness.
A prepared online Plan B not only protects your client relationships but also your economic stability. If your content is partially available online, you reduce the risk of complete revenue losses from sudden rescheduling.
If you offer online accompaniment, blended learning is not only a flexible method to digitally supplement your training but also your perfect plan B in an emergency.
Preparation is everything! Take a few minutes to jot down notes for your next training: What content could you offer online? What would be suitable for a short video? Our guide for trainers will help you!
Conclusion
A digital Plan B is not a makeshift solution, but a strategic component for sustainable training success and economic security.
As a self-employed trainer, you are your most important asset. When illness or other absences occur, your preparation determines whether your business falters or remains stable. Blended learning allows you to flexibly provide content, actively engage participants, and communicate professionally – even from home.
Those who build digital support offerings early on not only protect their reputation but also make their business model more resilient and future-proof.
Updated on 02.03.2026
