All posts tagged business

On coping and surviving.

by admin on March 8, 2010 in Married Life, the googletubes with No comments

I have had a shit week. In fact, I have had a pretty shit 2 years which really all just came to a big lump of big fat fruition this week.

I’ve had some bad luck, made some poor decisions, met some people whose only interest in me is what I can do for them… you know… lots of little things that have culminated in a week where I felt like I was in freefall.

Freefall in my marriage. Freefall in my business. Freefall with my health… you know… just… an unending feeling of complete lack of control.

There have been lots of times when this has happened in my life… and I mean lots. The kind of individual life stresses that happen to normal people, ruin their lives by happening once, have happened to me pretty much consistently since birth. In fact, if you can name a [first world...] trauma, I’ve lived it.

I am not what you would call a “lucky” person, if pressed to answer in such dichotomies.

But you know, in many ways, I am. Because part of this is also means I am equipped with tremendous emotional strength. I am a good fixer. After I initially fall in a heap, process information round and round and round again, I eventually come out the other end with a set of solutions to fix it and continue to survive until the next crisis. I am also compassionate, and empathetic, and all of those things that come with going through grief.

For better or worse, social media, and my over-use of it in those times, makes it hard to explain, in the moment, that I am moving through a process. My updates have quite a distinct pattern if you look hard enough… that usually after a day of melancholy, grief, depression, processing… I emerge with solutions to my problems.

And, most importantly, I ACT on those solutions.

The problems of the last few years, 95% of which have been completely out of my control, have put tremendous strain on our marriage. And, despite having a successful business, the personal financial implications of workplace injuries, worker’s compensation, medical bills, new babies, extremely poor financial advice etc… are threatening to take the business with it.

Yesterday, it felt like both my marriage and my business were over. Today, after a day of reflection, problem solving, I am sure that I can dig the business out of the hole. Maybe. The marriage, well, that is going to require lots of work… but you know… this is the warts & all of social media, my friends. Yeah, my marriage is in trouble and neither of us know what the decision is just yet. But you know… that’s life.

Social media, like nothing else, is a warts & all accounts of moments in time. Our innermost thoughts and impulses are public… and reading back on it sometimes leads to embarrassment… or accusations of “overshare” or whatever. But you know what? It’s my network and I really don’t care if people have this view.

I often post updates on social media networks to try an reach out to friends for some advice, reflection or support. Some of you help, some of you don’t. And that’s ok, because over time, I start to get a sense of who is truly there for me and who isn’t. Mostly in the “isn’t” pile, but hey, that’s ok too.

I have lots of acquaintances, well wishers, superficial friendships where, on my good days, it can distract me from the fact that I have no 100%, no-pretence, no-conditions, warts-and-all friendships, except for my marriage. I don’t have a mother, or anyone else I can rely on when the only true friendship that I ever had starts to fall apart around me.

So I turn to Twitter, I turn to Facebook… because you know, some token friendship and advice is better than none.

I am lonely and I admit it. I am human and I admit that too. And sometimes, I exercise poor judgement… I admit that. But you know, I get to connect with people I wouldn’t ordinarily connect with, and sometimes I feel just a little bit less like a brainy outer space alien that can’t connect on a meaningful level with any other person… and a little more like I have friends.

Even if they aren’t real.

Survive the Recession – Update your website!

by admin on January 20, 2009 in Uncategorized with No comments

We are all worried. Businesses bigger than ours are going under, people are losing their jobs, banks are foreclosing on mortgages, and the government is trying to rescue the economy wherever it can. And of course, we are all trying to reel in our spending, pay off debt, and cut costs where we can. It’s hard not to feel like doomsday is upon us, quite frankly.

Yeah yeah, I know, I can hear the cries of skepticism coming now. Of course a web design company wants you to update your website. Of course we want to get you to think about your online strategy, because then we make money! Well, let’s put that little conflict of interest aside for just one moment, and let me give you a few reasons why now is the best time to start thinking about your online presence.

1. You need to work harder to attract customers.

In boom time, you don’t really need anything other than to simply be available and have the right price. Heck, you don’t even need to be very good! A little bit of cheap marketing is all you ever needed – you can get away with a standard template or a cheaply designed site – and, because of the nature of the economy, business is still good.

In luxury areas such as portrait photography or novelty/entertainment products in particular, in boom time, it is good enough to just grab a template that looks the same as everyone elses, have the date free, and still get the work.

You simply don’t need to try because the work comes to you.

In a downturn, it’s not as easy as it was. People are less likely to invest in the business that doesn’t market well. They aren’t simply going to go with the “guy that’s available”, because there will be 10, 20, 30 guys available that can do the job. There is simply less work to go around and the reality is that you now have to compete and find a point of difference in which to promote your business. This can mean investing in SEO services, it can mean a redesign of your site to attract customers, it can be to hire a User Interaction expert to assess why you aren’t getting the sales you need from your website. You will need to work harder to get the same amount of customers. Which means, you need to invest more in your marketing.

2. You need to do this in the most cost effective way possible.

How much does it cost for a display ad in the Yellow Pages? How much does it cost for radio advertising? How much does it cost to advertise in the paper? Do you see these as necessary investments in your business? How much do you spend on your camera & computers? How much do you spend on conferences & networking events? How much do you spend on pens & coffee mugs with your logo on it?

My bet? Lots.

So why is your web presence, a 24/7, international shopfront & advertisement for your business, such a low priority? Why is a custom, high quality website such a low priority? Why is it not a fixed expense, like all the other essentials to running a business? A great website will still cost you a fraction of all of the other marketing expenses and the payoffs can be substantial. If you take your store online, you can automate certain aspects and increase your sales.

There are many markets in which you can’t find a decent website for a single business. Particularly in trades and retail, it really wouldn’t take much to have the best website in your industry, or be #1 on Google for it. These are low-cost, high result investments.

So while other businesses are nickel-and-diming and focusing on this week’s Community News ad (that noone reads anymore), you could be getting serious about the web and being #1 in your industry on Google.

3. You need to make it easier for people to find you and buy from you.

When the sales are coming in, there is no time to think about the number of people that might leave your site without making a purchase, or those that have been looking on search engines and haven’t found you. But, when the sales stop or slow down, you need to consider getting the services of professionals that can assess your site and make it better.

That means reviewing your content (perhaps with a professional Copywriter), reviewing your Search Engine Rankings (with an SEO Expert, reviewing your design (with a professional web designer)… all of these services have measurable results – in fact most of these things can make a dramatic difference to your online presence.

4. You need to be more tech-savvy (or perceived to be) than your competitors.

So many people, including business owners, are intimidated by computers and the web. If you can find a partner that will help you figure it all out and get it right – even if you don’t quite understand yourself – you are on your way to being a leader in your industry at best, and at worst, a head above your competitors.

5. Websites are no longer a luxury or an afterthought.

The businesses that embrace the internet and prioritise their internet marketing will, without a doubt, be more equipped to survive a recession than a business that doesn’t. This does not simply mean putting up a web page that was designed by your well-intentioned but unskilled nephew – but getting serious about attracting customers and working with a team of people who know how to work on the internet.

Spending 3, or 5, or 10 thousand dollars is no small ask – I get that. But in business, there are certain fixed costs that need to be paid, regardless of how you feel about them. To spend $10-15k on a Yellow Pages print ad, for limited space for a limited time, is becoming less and less beneficial in the majority of industries. Why not cut the ad to half a page, build a better website and refer to the site on your ad? This is how it will work – where the print advertising refers to the online presence, and not the other way around.

Far too many businesses view their websites as an afterthought – and I personally go out of my way to hire those companies that appear to value their web presence, because I like to have as much information as I can without having to call during business hours. More and more people are like me, and in a recession, prioritising your web presence can make a difference.

So, with all that said, if you’d like a quote on a new website, contact us and we’ll customise a quote for your particular circumstances.

5 things I wish I'd known about the web design business.

by admin on August 14, 2008 in The Internet with No comments

3 years ago this week, I left my government job. I didn’t leave willingly – I was 7 months pregnant with my son and had developed complications that meant I had to resign. I was terrified of the prospect of ruining my career in Policy, and wanted nothing more than to get back to it as soon as Mr J was old enough.

It turns out that it was the best thing that could have happened to me, because it freed up enough time to take on some small graphic design projects, which became more small projects, which tuned into some larger projects, until all of a sudden, here I sit 3 years later, running a business that was literally formed from the ground up with nothing, with no formal training in graphic design or programming, that is growing more every week.

I have learned so much in a small amount of time, that to look back on my old bad habits of business make me cringe. In fact, the list became 10, but I will spread it over 2 posts :). So, here are the FIRST 5 Things I have learned, that I wish I knew 3 years ago:

1. Do NOT negotiate on prices (unless there is a substantial benefit. And yes, I mean substantial.)

Many of the freelancing and career sites will be very cut and dry in their advice about setting rates and sticking to them. In my case, having a degree of flexibility, and seizing opportunities for exposure, actually allowed me to build credibility in an industry where I was a hobbyist, with lots to learn, and I had no idea what my hourly rate was or should be. I had a fair amount of ability and unrefined skill (it’s still not fully there!), but not a whole lot of formal training. So, I offered to do work that other designers would snort at, eg $400 websites, just to get my portfolio up and improve my skills. It was awesome just to make some cash with a small baby at home, doing what I love!

It worked. Really well in fact.

But working for cheap for a good reason is not what I am talking about here. I had already made a conscious decision to do a certain number of cheap projects for the exposure, and I had already built that in to my strategy. Some of those lower priced websites still bring me new clients. That is just plain smart, because for my discounted work, I was getting, and continue to get, something in return.

But, there will come a point where someone contacts you and demands that you lower your rates, but will offer absolutely nothing in return. This is a mistake I had to make at least 3 times before realising that you do not want those people as clients. I was afraid that there would be “no more work” and that any client was better than none. Neither of those fears are grounded.

In hindsight, I still felt that I was winging it, and it affected my ability to stand my ground when people tried to set the price based on what they could afford. So I accepted those projects. And, guess what? They went nowhere. I will tell you that just about every single time I was pressured into discounting, the relationship went sour down the track. I don’t do it anymore.

When it comes down to it, if I have a slow month (which I haven’t had in a year and a half), ultimately, I would rather be spending time with my kids, or learning something new, or developing my own projects, than working for less than minimum wage for someone who doesn’t respect you. There are any number of jobs where you can do that!

2. Use contracts and clear specifications

If there is one thing that I will tell you to repeat, over and over and over again, it is touse contracts and have clear specifications. Use contracts and have clear specifications. Use contracts and have clear specifications.

Spec creep and chasing money are two of the biggest minefields in this business. I once had a 1 month project drag on for 9 months because I did not enforce the original spec and kept allowing changes to be made (and revision after revision) without reviewing the contract and the spec, or charging the client for my time. It was a complete disaster from start to finish, and needless to say, it was the catalyst for me not only upping my rates, but setting limits on what I will and won’t do as part of the payment.

There are lots of people out there who don’t understand the difference between a Flash site and a non-Flash site, and the substantial differences in costs between them. Never, ever assume that clients understand what they are getting for their money. Put it in writing.

And don’t be afraid to say “we are wandering off quote here” as soon as it starts to happen.

3. Be open and honest, but not too open or too honest

When I first started in this business, I was on a high. Everyone was my buddy, everyone was on the same page as me, and I didn’t care what people thought. I said what I wanted, when I wanted, and I made no apologies. I brought people into the fold, befriended them, confided in them, and occasionally even complained about clients on IM. People asked my opinion, and I told them honestly. I made small talk, I had even deeper conversations.

Oh, how naive I was!

Being an open book is great if you are the right kind of open book. If you use honesty and transparency well, it can benefit your business tremendously. But, there are limits.

Here are some things you don’t talk to clients about:

  • Other clients
  • Your Health
  • Your children, beyond the basics
  • Your marital problems
  • Your financial situation
  • Anything that can be used against you later on.

Try to keep some distance between your personal life and your work life, and definitely do not complain about other clients, no matter how tempting it is, and ESPECIALLY if they are in the same industry.

4. Be (emotionally) prepared for the hard times

There was a turning point for me where this business stopped being just “extra” cash, and started being, well, an actual business. There came a point in 2007 where I was being offered policy jobs, and was thinking of going back to the public service, when I suddenly realised that I was actually not that person anymore. I was a designer with my own little business. That was a massive shift in focus for me, and then I started thinking about it like a business.

When this mind shift occured, naturally, I started to wonder about the work, where the next job was coming from, and living invoice to invoice (something which I am still not entirely great at!). It is pretty common knowledge in all business literature that the first 2-5 years are very hard financially. The business books offer up a lot of advice on how to deal with ebbs and flows, and how to deal with cashflow (my single biggest problem and a common one for self employed folks), and how to avoid failing in those formative first few years.

What I wasn’t prepared for, however, is the massive emotional strain that business can put on you. I always knew it would be hard financially, but the emotional rollercoaster came as a huge shock to me. When the sale of a website was not just about keeping the business afloat financially, but it also determined my worth as a designer and a human being. That every success was met with extreme happiness, but every rejection being hurtful.

I used to let the mood of my day be dictated by the moods of my clients. I don’t do that anymore – well, at least I try not to. I have learned to distance “myself” the business-person and “me” the human being in a way that my mental and emotional well-being is not so entreched in the success or failure, or ups and downs, of the business. That takes practice, and I am still learning, but, be prepared for a wild ride!

5. Know when to end it

It’s easy to sell a website. I have skills that not many people can do (or at least, do well!), and eventually, even the people that suck at web design get some clients.

It is not so easy, however, to end a client relationship. I have been going through a process in the past 6 months of assessing clients that cost me the most time for the least pay, or don’t fit my future goals with the business and have been trying to gradually move away. The vast bulk of these have been US clients, who for varying reasons, can’t (or won’t) pay competitive rates with local people and even the UK. I have been taking on less and less US clients, who seem to want far too much for far too little.

It was a very hard decision to make, but it has been the right one. Knowing when to get out is as important a skill as knowing how to sell to a client in the first place. Some of the reasons I may choose to end a relationship:

Clients that:

  • refuse to pay market rates
  • want work-for-hire, or otherwise try to set the agenda or micromanage
  • don’t respect that your time = money
  • view you as replaceable
  • constantly pay late
  • often ask for free “5 minute” jobs, or expect anything for free.
  • threaten to use their cousin’s friend’s brother, or refer to said cousin’s friend’s brother who can do it “cheaper”, or threaten to go to India or find some other impressionable young guy…

……are NOT worth your time.

How you actually end it is up to you, but being able to look at your situation and realise that there are always better clients than that out there, is the single biggest leap I have made in the past year.

I enjoyed writing this list, and I actually thought of 5 more things whilst I was writing, so I might write a sequel to this! I am starting to see things growing, and getting better, and it DOES get better. But knowing some of these little things can maybe make it easier.

At least I'm honest…

by admin on December 13, 2006 in Motherhood Rules! with No comments

Someone: “OK, so, you have your own business, 2 children, a job and uni. How do you manage to fit it all in?”

Me: “Well, to be fair, I am a shit mother, so that doesn’t count.”