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