In Part One, I was happily living the creative dream life with a full time business of my own. Being my own boss, I could and did make my own hours. Work came to me so no more chomping at the bit waiting for the phone to ring. I didn’t have to market every day, because, by golly, I had work coming in! I’m figuring this is a piece of cake. I felt like I was on the top of the world with the perfect business … a dream business … all mine.

After launching, I joined the local chamber. Soon, I found myself accepted my nomination to the Board of Directors. Shortly there after, I started developing the chamber Website. I was flying high and business could not have been better.

That all started to change in late September when my workload started drying up. By early October, my front door no longer resembled a revolving door. It was more like a steel gate locking people out. Or so, I thought.

Remember my statement, “I didn’t have to market every day, because, by golly, I had work coming in!“? Well, the truth is I didn’t market AT ALL during the slow times or the busy times. No seasoned professional at BoDo, or anywhere for that matter, will tell you that’s a good idea. 

Calling for help, I found myself leaning on business associates and those aforementioned pros. Pros who knew how to work the system and keep gigs coming in.

Thinking that my business was going to collapse in just a few short months of opening full-time, I truly began to panic. I doubted my abilities and my business experience (which was nil to none, by the way). Losing confidence in my abilities, I even thought that maybe people just didn’t like me (crazy, yes?).

Slowly, towards the end of October business started to pick back up. In November we launched the Churubusco Chamber’s website at www.churubuscochamber.org.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt that it was just one of those down times every business experiences and that we were going to be just fine. But, I also knew that not getting “out there” was something I needed to avoid. The trick, it seemed, was crafting a plan and then actually implementing it.

Around this time, I entered my business’ logo into an internationally recognized design competition called The Summit Creative Awards. I shelled out the money for the entry fee and then took my time getting around sending in the entry. So much so, the organization started emailing me asking where my entry was. In a stellar moment of blatant self doubt, I thought, “Oh yeah, that thing. The thing I won’t win because I’m not a super designer. The thing I won’t win because I’m just a dinky little store front copy shop that gets a few gigs here and there.” I finally mustarded up the courage, printed the logo on some high quality photo paper and sent it in.

That logo entry and my business networking was going to start a tidal wave of good things for me at the beginning and end of 2007.

Up next: What it’s like to win awards and feel successful. Then yet again, have business fall flat.

Chris Tomlinson | Designer / Printer
Gonink: Design & Print | Gonink: Blog

Every business goes through its ups and downs. The graphic design business is no different. The best way to survive down times and live life to the fullest is to plan ahead. But, even the best laid plans can get disrupted by unforeseen events. That’s where contingency planning comes into play. They can save your business

In the next five posts I’ll walk you through a real life business situation. Mine. Hopefully you gain insight as to how running your business can be fun, frustrating, scary and enjoyable … all rolled into one.

So, in the immortal words of Glinda, the Good Witch, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.”

In the Spring of 2005, a good friend bought a substantial piece of property which included a large building. The plan was to develop the area into a small shopping complex. You know the type; offices, fast food, etc. For whatever reason that particular project fell through.

He then came to me to see if I would move my graphic design business to his building. My “business” at that time was a haphazard attempt at becoming a full time freelancer, working from home. It’s the way most of us start out. 

Any creative reading this knows the dream of making your own hours, watching the tv while designing this or that, sitting at home amongst all of your amenities and living the “good” life. Some of you might also know that it’s not that easy. A few others might know this kind of “loosy goosy” approach to business is one reason some clients perceive us as unprofessional. It’s also pretty much a sure-fire route to reading the want ads.

After  loads of soul searching, I decided to give it a whirl on a part time basis. As luck would have it, I was sitting pretty. My full time job allowed me to work partial daytime hours. So, in late November 2005, I officially opened Gonink: Design & Print and prepared for an onslaught of work. With a waiting list of work in hand, even before my doors opened, I had lofty hopes of this being a success.

After eight months of almost 18 hour days, seven days a week, I knew something had to give. My body was taking a physical and mental beating from the lack of sleep and increased stress. So, yet again, I was faced with another tough decision – either close down the business, or quit my full time job and go full time with gonink.

To make this daring leap into the business world, I had to dig even deeper to believe in myself and my business. I planned everything out for both general business and marketing. I made sure I had enough money to cover me. I worked out contingency plans if things didn’t go they way I thought. Finally, on June 6, 2006, I made the switch. Later on I joked about how I picked an opening date of 666. But, thankfully, the next 18 months proved that number wrong.

Lessons learned: 

1. Believe in yourself and your abilities
2. Plan your work and work your plan
3. Keep focused

Before you make the leap, be sure you have enough money to cover your business and personal expenses for at least three months. Six is better. A year’s worth is great.

Up next: What it’s like to feel successful and win awards. As well as the gut wrenching anxiety of a business slowdown.

Chris Tomlinson | Designer / Printer
Gonink: Design & Print | Gonink: Blog

So, I think I’ve mentioned this before: I don’t like pink books for “girls”. They bother me. For one, I don’t like pink. Second, I’m not twelve. But I will forgive the Girl’s Guide chicks their magenta book cover both because it’s relatively tasteful in its design, and because the information inside it is so good.

The Girl’s Guide to Kicking Your Career Into Gear by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio is an excellent collection of interviews, advice, and the authors’ personal experiences. The third book in their “Girl’s Guide” series focuses on your career as a whole, whereas the first two were about starting your own business and being a boss (respectively). They start out with a simple, but important, point: “If you’re not looking out for your career, then no one is.”

Chapters cover where you are now (“You Are Here”) and where you want to be, the “new girl’s network,” change and challenges, and “thinking big.” The section that I found the most helpful, however, was the one on fear. Aside from the usual advice about confronting difficult coworkers, Friedman and Yorio make the observation that owning your success is scary:

“To say the sentence ‘I am successful’ out loud is uncomfortable for most of us. There are several reasons why this is the case. As women, we have been raised never to boast, and downplaying our successes has become a comfortable way to connect with other people. … The key is for all of us is to define our own success.”

They go on to talk about their own experiences in writing their books, and how their decision to think positively and take control really changed their outlook, and attracted more good things to them. It sounds cheesy, but they explain it well, and it really makes sense. As they put it, “When you believe that you are surrounded by idiots and your boss just doesn’t understand how hard you work and that you should work somewhere else but can’t afford to leave your job — then you have accepted that your career is not under your control.” They also talk about gender stereotypes and how to work with them (and break some of them), and handling challenges at work and at home.

The book ends with Part Four, entitled “Think Big”. Part Four discusses the overall picture: what do you want? Is it the corner office? Flex time? A raise? It also talks about getting what you deserve by, oddly enough, asking for it. The section finishes up with a chapter on leadership and delegating (something that many women have a hard time doing). Susan Heathfield, a management consultant, shares her “12 C’s for Effective Team-Building,” and the Guide girls provide “Fifteen Things We Learned From Girls Taking Charge.” Since this book came out fairly recently (January 2008), the ladies are still off on their book tour, but they’ve got some good information on their website, www.girlsguidetobusiness.com, along with a (slightly neglected) blog and calendar.

Though there’s some useful stuff in this book for everyone, women are more likely to enjoy it (for obvious reasons). What I’m finding, though, is that the Girl’s Guides aren’t the stereotypical “grrl power!” pink books, and for that, I give them a lot of credit. It’s hard to strike a balance between good business advice and the specific difficulties women face, but these ladies do an admirable job.

Erin Harris | Visual Communication Designer
erinmharris.com | BoDo Author | Erin Reviews

Terri Stone (Editor in Chief of CreativePro) is doing a great job of making sure you’re covered when it comes to Improving Your Bottom Line.

If you owed the government a lot of money on April 15, the past week had you either burying your head in the sand of denial, or determined to put your business in order. And if you didn’t owe money, I’ll bet you wouldn’t turn down ways to make a bigger profit in 2008. No matter where you fall in this continuum, we’ve collected a boat-load of resources to help you overcome business-related challenges.

And a boatload it is.

• Creating Your Future, One Month at a Time
• Avoiding the Heartbreak of Collections
• Negotiating with Vendors For Fun and Profit
• Six Ways to Drum Up Business, in Good Times or Bad
• Negotiating in a Soft Market
• Winning Back Lost Clients
• Don’t Get Creamed Before the Recovery
• Nine Simple Rules for Sustaining Success
• Pump Up The Volume of Your Proposals
• What to Do When a Prospective Client Doesn’t Respond to Your Proposal
• Low-Budget Self-Promotion
• Online Marketing Tools for Creative Pros
• Marketing Smart
• Why Cold Calling is Not So Bad (Really)
• Getting Pricing Right
• Negotiating Fees
• Setting Your Rates
• Setting Rates for Your Small Design Firm
• Seven Strategies for Better Customer Service
• A Little Help from Your Friends

Need more? Then slide over to CreativePro and put your suggestions and questions to Terri. And while you are there, be sure to check out their new design. Nice.

Catherine (cat) Morley | Project Manager
Creative Latitude | NO!SPEC | BoDo team

If I were a less-than-diligent book reviewer, I would leave you with the following statement and call it a night:

If you are a 20-to-30-something female who dissatisfied with their job, go out and get this book NOW, NOW, NOW. Seriously. Stop looking at me like that. GO!

But since I’m a far more benevolent book reviewer than that, I shall elaborate.

Michelle Goodman has written a fantastically useful, friendly career advice specifically aimed at young women that does not involve ‘grrl power!’ references or feature a luridly pink cover. And as a member of her age demographic, I must say: It’s about time. Once you’ve left college, the romanticized stories about the new grads who took decidedly unglamorous jobs and then magically get promoted and their life is happy and wonderful (a la The Devil Wears Prada) are a bit tired. We know it CAN happen, but what we want now is to know HOW to make it happen.

Going from entry-level jobs to ones that we find rewarding, or simply ones that allow us time for our hobbies and outside interests, is a big deal, and something all cubicle monkeys dream of at some point during their dreary sentence. Unfortunately, most of the books written about ‘assessing your skills’ and ‘discovering your perfect career path’ are aimed either at people with significant experience and at a higher level on the corporate ladder or are filled with vague exercises. There are only so many times I can list all the things I’d love to do with my free time before I want to scream. It’s great that I have all these other passions and interests, but how can I start DOING that stuff instead of just dreaming about it, when my day job leaves me drained more often than not?

Goodman splits her book into two parts: how to make your move, and then how to ‘flee the cube’. The first section covers figuring out what you REALLY want to do, how to break into the industry you’ve been drooling over, and how to find time to do all those things you’d do ‘if only you had the time’. The second section discusses your options once you’ve figured out the first section: how to get a flexible work schedule, working from home (and still being productive), being your own boss, helping others, finding work that lets you travel, and acquiring jobs that will never have you tethered to a desk again.

Starting with the hard truth that having your finances in line will make your cube escape possible, Goodman takes it from the top, sharing her own experiences in a realistic conversational manner. She references additional readings throughout, includes Anti 9-to-5 Tips, and each chapter ends with an Anti 9-to-5 Action Plan. The Action Plans break down the chapter into manageable steps, allowing you to plot your departure from the cube farm and see your progress. She also includes a comprehensive list of further resources at the end of the book, covering books and websites about money management, business strategy, and legal aid.

This book is well worth the 2 or 3 lattes you’d have to give up to buy it. Get a copy, sit down with a paper and pen, and start hatching your battle plan!

You can also get tips and keep up with Michelle’s cubicle-free existence on her blog, The Anti 9-to-5 Guide.

until the next
Erin Reviews

Erin Harris | Designer
BoDo Author | Erin Reviews

Dave Carlson

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. I think as designers we love the challenge of using our creative talents to solve business problems. So about 11 years ago, I wanted the challenge of running an agency vs. just freelancing. I freelanced for about 4 years before I started my agency and hired my first employee. Then it became serious, because now I am not only responsible for my own salary, I had to find enough business to cover my employee too, which I did and took on that challenge whole-heartedly. So much so, that two years later, I began hiring my third and fourth, fifth, six, etc employees. Then I entered a whole new ball game and for a creative guy who never went to college (design or business school) this just became my entry into the school of Hard Knocks.

So before you jump right in with exciting dreams of building a big, famous, kick butt design agency, maybe you should ask yourself these soul searching questions:

Your personality

1. Are you patient with people you rely on?
2. Are you able to work through emotions (yours and your potential staffs’)?
3. Can you stay focused on your long-term agency goals?
4. Are you ok not designing as much or not at all?
5. Do you enjoy the challenge of finding and closing new business?

Your finances

1. Are you good at managing your money today?
2. Do you have someone more qualified to manage the accounting of your agency?
3. Do you have enough current business or cash reserves to weather the slow months?
4. What would your initial business start-up needs be? Then what would your costs be for each?
5. Would you enjoy managing the business and expenses to make a profit every month?

Your location

1. Are you in a good location where you could acquire more business than you currently have today?
2. Are there networks, groups or organizations that you can attend to introduce your new agency to.
3. Are you working from home or do you need to lease an office?
4. Are you looking for space to grow in? Then assume 250 sq ft per employee+recepetion+conference room.
5. Where do you want to be located one year from now?

Your target client

1. Do you know what type of work you want your agency to do or focus on?
2. What projects or industries are you most passionate about?
3. Will your passion for working certain projects or in specific industries bring enough business to match your personality, financial needs, and location?
4. Do you know where to find the right clients?
5. Do you know where to find talent with similar passions?

Dave Carlson | The Agency Route
The Vyant Group | DegreesInc | Team Author

What an exciting way to slide into a Monday! Dedicated Debbie Millman’s informative Design Matters is standing at number 15 out of 290 nominees for a People’s Choice Award.

What is good design? Is it form? Is it function? You tell us!

» Browse and vote for your favorite nominees.

There’s a short time frame (October 16 at 6:00 p.m. EST), so if you are planning on a vote, please do so asap.

Debbie, you’ve got my vote!

Catherine (cat) Morley | Project Manager
Creative Latitude | NO!SPEC | BoDo team

“The conventional interpretation is that the amateur pursues his calling out of love, while the pro does it for money. … In my view, the amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would not pursue it as a sideline, distinct from his “real” vocation. The professional loves it so much he dedicates his life to it.”–Steven Pressfield, screenwriter

Howard J. Blumenthal’s book, The Creative Professional: A Survival Guide for the Business World, is a must-read for anyone in any creative professional. Blumenthal starts off with the basics: what defines a “creative” professional, the rules of behavior in the marketplace, and the valuable assets of a creative professional. He also addresses the myths surrounding creatives, such as “creatives are disorganized”, “creatives are crazy”, and “you can’t learn creativity from a book”. He discusses personality traits and how they translate into the workplace, with specific references to the Myers-Briggs personality test, and how to use those traits to your advantage.

Blumenthal then goes on to talk about work styles, and includes a number of helpful exercises to help you determine how you work best. He talks about being a leader vs. being a specialist, and the difference between working for an employer and for clients. Blumenthal details the hiring process, including why you might not get hired full-time, and the positives and negatives of working for different size and types of companies.

The inherent distrust of creatives is discussed at length: business people don’t trust creatives; “creatives only care about creative work”; “creatives don’t follow business logic”. Blumenthal includes an excellent chart on traditional business thought vs. the creatives’ view.

From there, Blumenthal talks about managing your resources: time management, the creative process, getting past obstacles, how creatives think, and legal issues. He also discusses a creative’s career path: alternate paths, how to make changes when things aren’t going well, why the traditional job market doesn’t work for creatives, how to grow your career, determining what you really want to accomplish, and knowing when to move on. At the end, Blumenthal includes The Creative Bookshelf, a list of excellent resources.

The book is packed full of information and exercises, and needs at least a second read to begin to process all the fantastic information in it. Any creative, newbie to veteran, should have a copy of this book, and refer to it often.

until the next
Erin Reviews

Erin Harris | Designer
BoDo Author | Erin Reviews