Good morning. I'm blogging today to share (and vent heh!) some of the lessons I've learned in my first six months of self-employment.
1st and foremost - Say no and mean it. There is a lot of truth in the old saying "give them an inch they'll take a mile." I'm naturally a very nice person. Not a push-over, but my first inclination is to try to accommodate a customer... to the nth degree. But in real life this doesn't always work. The customer is NOT always right. And people take advantage. In business the goal is to earn money... not give away the store. I'm defenitely working on being reasonable with my pricing, and with the services offered... but some people can get ridiculous with their demands. Seriously. I'm not unwilling to negotiate with a client - but there is definitely a bottom line to what I'll do and how much I'll charge to do it. If we can work it out, cool. If not - take your business elsewhere. You'll be back hahahaha!
2nd - Contracts are a gift from god. I've started writing up projects and having clients sign off on them prior to getting starting. A small business person especially has to cover their own backside. The client's not going to do it (well some people are ethical like that but in the real world most aren't) and this ties into my 1st point. Learning to say no is the difference between sinking and swimming.
3rd - You have to have standards and have respect for your own time and talents. I've had Grandmas come to me like "I'm a senior citizen on a fixed income, can you work miracles on this dress from 1960 and charge me $10.00?" HUH? This is a real situation. I told Grandma I'd work with her... because she deserves to look good too, and have her clothes fit well. Her body is shrinking so she probably has lots of work for me... but Grandma's stuff comes LAST... I'll give Grandma the love shot, but Grandma can't expect the rapid turn around of clients that are paying normal prices.
4th - When you work from home friends and family get the notion that you just have time to piss away. NOPE! I work harder now than ever before. Don't call me in the middle of the day to have a 3 hour convo about your husband's babymom (lmao). I love you and will hit you later - but I'm WORKING - don't tell me I need to take a break. Me taking a break on the phone with you is NOT going to pay my bills. Other people who are not walking in your shoes can NOT tell you how to operate. Don't listen to them. Trust yourself. I'm not saying that other people's perspectives can't be valid... but if they've never done what you're doing - how would they know what you need to do? Don' t tell me to put on my bluetooth - if i'm cackling with you and cut a hole the size of a fifty-cent piece in this person's shirt I'm effed - not you. And if that happens, all you can offer me is some conversation. Cut them folks OFF.
This post is winding down. I think i just needed to vent... but here are a few additional lessons i've learned: Innovate everyday, make a schedule and try to stick to it, organize organize organize, advertising is half of business and if you don't have a lot of money, there are definitely resources - Craigslist, post flyers in business districts, on windshields, hand out flyers at churches, malls, where ever... it works. Networking is key - business really is about building relationships and being good at what you do. Sometimes you have to give to receive - but don't give away too much without some return on your investment. If you are going to make deliveries to customers, add a traveling fee into your agreement. If you are going to offer gifts or services for customer referrals, don't give away those gifts until your new customer has ACTUALLY PLACED AN ORDER. Cover your own behind.
C U in another 6months... bigger, better, and wiser. Be prosperous :)
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