A friend and former coworker of mine is venturing into business for himself: a “have IA – will travel” enterprise, if you will. He’s enjoyed my past entries about freelance and has mentioned (more than once) that we should talk more over drinks sometime – code for “I want to pick your brain” – as he ventures into sole proprietorship. Since my upkeep in this blog has been less than exemplary, I thought his search for knowledge would be as good a time as any to post what (and what not) to do in business.
I should preface this entry by stating a) I’ve learned these lessons first-hand and b) you shouldn’t take what I say as gospel truth. Obviously, mileage will vary depending on how you choose to work. Without further adieu!
Have a business plan for your company.
When I told people I was going into business for myself, I was met with “Do you have a business plan?” It’s not that people didn’t believe in my ability to succeed, they were simply looking out for my best interests by making sure I had a solid blueprint for success. Did I know how to measure success in 6 months? 12 months? 5 years? What was my mission statement? What were my projected operating costs? A solid business plan will answer these questions and keep you from floating like an object in space.
Don’t form partnerships unless you’ve all written the business plan together.
I strongly suggest forming a business partnership after you’ve collectively written the business plan. And by strongly, I mean do not even think about starting a business with anyone unless you know damn well what everyone wants and expects from the partnership. Otherwise you’ll find yourself living under a bridge drinking warm Mountain Dew and singing silently to keep yourself sane. IT CAN HAPPEN.
Review your business plan on an annual basis. Keep your business goals flexible and challenge your core philosophy like you would question your faith.
You describe your business as “IA” but your target market use “IA” and “UX/UI”. Align your business to your audience. Is the economy not correcting itself as quickly as you hoped? That’s okay; simply adjust your results to what is more feasible in an economic downturn. Have you discovered new values for your company as you work in the industry? Revisit what you’ve written and reflect upon your mission values now that you’re a little wiser. Do you still believe in why you started your company? How has that belief changed (if at all)? Make sure you know why you’re still doing this.
Be ready to talk about yourself. A lot.
Are you a shy person? I hope not ‘cos you will need to shake that feeling tout de suite. Clients will not come to you. You must get out there and talk with people! Shake hands! Kiss babies! Host an event and make everyone your BFF! Unless you want to hide behind your fear of public speaking, then by all means get yourself fitted for a chicken suit and Mexican wrestling mask so you can catch people’s attention as they drive past the flooring & tile store. That’s where you’re gonna end up, y’know. Breaking your mother’s heart. For shame.
Be prepared to wear several hats until/unless you are able to hire additional people.
Sure, you enjoy working in IA. But now that you’re flying solo, you’ll need to carve out time for accounting, project management, account management, and marketing yourself to prospective clients. Suddenly, your world became rather complicated. Remember that business plan you wrote? Leverage that information as you scout for tools to effectively help you manage your business until you’re able to hire people. (And, yes, those tools do exist.)
Your role is to provide a service for your client.
Keep that statement in your line of sight at all times. If your clients are calling, pick up the phone. If they are sending you an email, respond in a timely manner. You are being paid for solutions, not problems.
Accept client work only if you can understand, enhance, and support your clients’ vision.
You will meet a whole mess of crazy as you market your services. Hand to God, I once met a guy that was looking for venture capital to fund his idea: a mouse duct-taped to a keyboard where your thumbs activate the mouse buttons. That’s when you quietly sip your cocktail and recognize someone you know across the room. If you care to venture into the startup market, don’t be afraid to turn down a project if you don’t feel 100% comfortable about the final product. Trust your instinct. If you don’t have a reliable instinct, ask for a copy of the prospective client’s business plan.
Smug is never a good look on anyone.
Your client will pepper conversation with buzzwords or use phrases that would make for better humor were they malapropisms. One approach to your clients’ fumbles is to assume they are, in fact, idiots or send snippets of your conversations to Clients From Hell. The truth is your clients are about as idiotic as you are explaining to a mechanic the sounds you hear your car make. You are not expected to know everything and neither is your client. Remember that you are providing a service so patiently assist your clients.
You’re too old to be a slacker
I won’t begrudge you an occasional bong hit every now and then – personally I could never get past two hits off a joint without falling asleep but this is not about me – but you need to be fully present and conscious of your day-to-day actions with clients. It’s better to communicate too much than not enough. Relationships can wither if you don’t nurture them; keep your presence active and alive with clients. When you have an office full of people working for you, then you can reach for an afternoon bong hit.
Did I forget anything? Probably, but that’s what comments are for.