Getting Started
It was the 1980s, and I had just graduated from a design school. Jobs were scarce, due to an economic downturn, and I decided to take my destiny into my own hands. I started freelancing.
I had a fortuitous beginning, because I had won an art competition at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver while in school, and my illustration was chosen for the cover of one of their menus. When I was ready to start freelancing I called on them to ask for assignments.
I met with the manager in charge of restaurants. He showed me several menu designs and asked me for my opinion. I thought they all looked hideous but didn’t want to tell him that, in case I offended him, so I tried to evade the answer.
He insisted I give my opinion, so I took a deep breath and told him the truth. He smiled at me, and the tension disappeared. I had passed my first test as a freelancer. My honesty demonstrated I could be trusted, and for the next four years I was the exclusive designer of marketing communications for the hotel.
This was the start of building my own brand as a design consultant and winning other contracts in the hospitality, real estate, and forestry industries. Along the way I learned how to run a freelance business.
Commit To Your Vision And Values
When I first started consulting for the Four Seasons, I was enamoured by their culture of luxury, beauty and the standards of excellence that permeate every aspect of running the hotel. The Four Seasons ethos inspired and challenged me to elevate my work with every project, and as a result I won the loyalty of the managers even when I erred. I also won numerous industry awards for my work.
As a designer, my vision is to provide outstanding art and design services for the best of the best, and to work with people who appreciate what I have to offer. I find it much easier to work with organizations that value excellence, than ones who think mediocrity is good enough.
Make sure your vision for your business has merit. Is there a market for your service? If so, committing yourself to your vision and values, will help you cultivate the optimism you’ll need in the face of setbacks.
One of your first tasks is to decide on the structure of your business: choices range from sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, to forming a corporation. Find out from a lawyer or accountant what the best choice is when it comes to paying taxes or personal liability.
Build A Support Network
Joining business and industry associations, and volunteering on committees has given me the opportunity to meet amazing people, learn new leadership skills in a supportive environment, build my network and find mentors. Social media sites such as linked.com, brazencareer.com, facebook and twitter make it easy to build your network.
It’s easy to get swallowed up by volunteer work, so before accepting any requests, ask yourself if this project will help you achieve your vision, mission or career goals. If not, wait until you retire, and have more time to volunteer.
Mentoring
When you are starting out it is crucial to have mentors to help you learn and develop. I have never asked anyone to specifically be my mentor, but I have asked people, including clients for advice based on their expertise; such as how to deal with a difficult situation with a client, or how to formulate a proposal. Always follow up with a report to your mentor on what happened, and thank them. Expressions of thanks can take the form of a card, a small gift or an invitation to lunch.
Business Experience
If you do not have any business experience, take courses on finance, sales &marketing, project management, and managing clients. Programs range from elite business education courses at universities, to night school programs at community colleges, and free government-funded programs for people starting a new business. Check to see if your industry association offers courses and mentorship programs as well.
Organising Your Time
Your energy needs to be focused and directed on achieving your goals. Managing your time involves planning, tracking and prioritizing. Tracking the time you spend on everything you do in a day /week/month, will give you insights on how to plan ahead, accurately budget for a contract, and to what extent you fritter away your time on email and the internet.
Henry Ford said, “The more you think, the more time you have.” I plan my day so I reserve my optimal brainpower time for tasks that require creativity and intelligence. I save the more mindless tasks for the end of the day. I also plan projects according to seasons of the year and business cycles.
To avoid burnout, make sure you schedule one full day every week for recreation. Recreation means re-create. So unplug, take a rest, spend quality time with people you care about, and replenish.
Doing What You Love
Is it really worth your time to spend hours or even days, on bookkeeping, taxes, making business travel arrangements, or figuring out code for your website? Once you have the cash flow, outsource everything that is not one of your strengths. You cannot do everything as a freelancer, and it is better to devote your time and energy to working on billable hours, doing what you love, and growing your business.
When you have a vision and create a plan to achieve your goals, and when have well-organized structures in place to support your wellbeing and that of your business, you are laying the foundations for sustainable success.
Resources:
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, by Michael Gerber,
Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, by Peter Block.
Sandor Ferenczi, has written a terrific article on bringing back the Sabbath in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/02/magazine/bring-back-the-sabbath.html
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