Week 17

I’ve begun week 17 of freelancing, week 2 of being a business owner.

Still chipping away at my to-do list, but as Dana Malstaff puts it in her book Climb Your Own Ladder: Become the CEO of Your Own Business, I’m just an intern in my own company. I’m starting at the bottom, and I have a long way to go.

The next several weeks to months are going to be spent learning, developing, and understanding what it means to own and run a business. I’ve been reading some entrepreneur and marketing books, getting some basics in place and planning how I’m going to execute building my client portfolio.

One saying I’m reminded a lot of is “Don’t let perfection impede progress.” So if this is where you’re at, get out of that hole. Right now, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You are going to learn, grow and optimize as you bring on clients and move up the ladder.

Some things I focused on this week include:

• Hiring a graphic designer to develop a company logo.
• Launching and sharing a business Facebook page; developing and scheduling posts through February.
• Developing Rate Tier sheets (to use as a tool to share rates and what each tier of service includes).
• Writing a booklet Taking Care of Your Customers: Tips for Exceptional Digital Customer Service on Social Media Platforms (I’ll include this in my pitch package as a freebie to prospective clients).
• Developing a time tracking sheet, both for my own use and for clients. (It’s very basic – just an Excel sheet with columns for the Date, Time Started, Time Stopped, and Working On. This will help me track how long each step in the tiers takes so I can adjust my pricing in the future if necessary.)
• Developing a “Kick Off Meeting Sheet.” (I’ll use this in a first meeting with a client to learn about them, their goals, and how I’ll be able to help.) Questions on the sheet include:
  • What are your business goals?
  • What are the primary services/products you offer?
  • What are your competitive advantages you have over your competition?
  • What are your marketing goals?
  • What challenges are you facing?
  • Where are there gaps in your business?
  • Hat are market/business trends you see or you could face in the future?
  • What are the things going right?
  • How are you hoping I’ll help you get to your business/marketing goals?
  • What are your budget restrictions?
  • Are you looking for ongoing support? Or just initial strategy/training/support?
  • What are timeline goals/needs?

In addition to Dana’s book, I read The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, and Stand Out From the Crowd by Allan Dib. Neither of these books are highly technical, but they serve as good reminders of focuses and tasks, as well as encouragement for this stage in this new business that I’m in.

Exciting enough, I do have my first official client under Callahan Communication LLC!

I’ll be developing and implementing a social media strategy for a family member who just started her own personal training business. Even though I’m doing the work pro bono, I’m going to walk through all of the steps as I would with a paying client so I can practice and see where I need to adjust and improve.

I’ve also begun gathering my list of prospective clients. I have an Excel document with names and contact information of local businesses who I think could use support on social media, and noting where there could be a content marketing cross-sell.

This week I’ll develop an email template for an original pitch, and put together a pitch package for when I pitch in person.

I’m still learning and developing, so I’m not rushing pitching to new clients yet. With my full-time job and my Upwork contracts, I’m already working 55+ hours a week, so I need to make sure I’m balancing work for additional clients with time to actually build the processes and procedures of the business.

All of this while having a regular life with my family, exercising, eating healthy, reading and journaling, and working on my other goals for 2019.

I will say – I’m being intentional in everything I’m doing. I’ve developed a good system to schedule my time, prioritize tasks, and focus. And I have endless support from those around me. And I’m still excited! It is overwhelming the number of things to learn and do, but I feel confident when I get these initial things checked off and my first client on the ground I’ll feel more confident.

My advice would be DON’T RUSH. Don’t hurry to get your first client until you are completely ready. That client is taking a risk taking you on as a new business – don’t burn them! It’s tempting to run out and start pitching, but you need to remain credible through the process. Make sure you have your stuff together (or at least enough stuff) that you feel confident in being able to produce quality work, on time.

My other advice is read as much as possible. Follow industry leaders, join groups on LinkedIn, download or buy books about starting your own business, building a brand and marketing yourself. Read and learn as much as you can from those who have done this before you! Avoid their mistakes, emulate their successes, and take note of the important things to remember!