WORKING IN PYJAMAS

20 YEARS WITHOUT A PROPER JOB...

BY: JACKIE HARRIS
Jackie Harris. Working in Pyjamas Limited 2014. All Rights
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DISCLAIMERS & COPYRIGHTS
i
FOR MY FELLOW
FREELANCERS,
WHEREVER YOU
ARE...
I dedicate this little book to the brave and crazy
souls all over the world who have given up the
day job to take the plunge into self-employment.
Were self-motivated, determined and focused;
and we take risks every day.
Yet when someone utters the word
entrepreneur, our rst instinct is to think of
Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg. I say that
anyone who turns their back on convention and
creates a business, no matter how small, on their
own terms - is a true entrepreneur
WERE A COLLECTIVE FORCE TO
BE RECKONED WITH.
Many of us are not rich, powerful or inuential
which means our contributions are often
overlooked. But collectively were a serious force
to be reckoned with. In the UK alone there are
approximately 1.4 million freelancers. In the USA,
around 26% of the workforce is made up from
freelance operators. Due to challenges in the
economy, its predicted that this number will grow
to 50% by 2020.
20 YEARS OF FREELANCE LIFE
AND IM STILL HERE
I started my freelance marketing business
around 20 years ago. There have been some
highs, and lows along the way, but ultimately
nothing would ever convince me to get a job
again.
I pulled together some advice and suggestions
on all things I think every freelancer needs to
know. I hope you nd something of use for your
own solo business journey.
Best wishes
Jackie
September 2014
PREFACE
ii
I havent had what my parents would call a
proper job for over 20 years...
One day I was a sensible woman working in
corporate PR with a posh car, fat salary, power
suits with big shoulder pads (cringe) and a team of
people to delegate to. And the next day it was all
gone. Nobody red me, or made me redundant; it
was simply a moment of madness that made me
decide that I needed my life to be different.
1
A MOMENT OF
MADNESS...
CHANGE WAS THE CATALYST
The PR rm I was working for at the time was
acquired by a much bigger management
consultancy organisation. The truth was, I was
used to running my own division my way.
Suddenly there was a larger corporate entity
laying down new rules and I knew almost right
away that this was not the kind of working life I
wanted. I hated it and knew that corporate
soldiering was not for me. Fortunately at the
time I had a bit of money in the bank. Not a
fortune, but just about enough to buy me a
computer, printer, and fax machine (this was
early 90s remember).
I called in a favour from a graphic designer I had
given loads of work to in my PR agency days
and I got some letterhead, business cards,
compliment slips and some natty postcards to
use as an introductory mailshot.
Gordon Gekko mobile phones were all the rage
back then
I had to return my company car and bought
myself an old banger to run around in. A mobile
phone was also an important purchase. When I
say mobile phone, Im using the term loosely. In
those days Apple was still making beige boxes,
and mobile phones cost a Kings ransom. For
those of you who have seen the movie Wall
Street, you may remember the iconic scene
when the lead character Gordon Gekko is
walking on the beach at sunrise, speaking on his
mobile phone; which was in effect something the
size of a breeze block. My rst mobile phone
wasnt quite as large as that, but it was at least 5
times the size of an iPhone and had this
annoying rubber antenna which kept poking me
in the eye.
4
A LITTLE
PERSPECTIVE FOR
LIFE IN 1991
A desktop computer
cost around 2500
and it had less than a
10th of the memory
and functionality of a
2014 Dell laptop
costing 300.
There was no internet
(not for individuals)
and few people had
email.
No-one had a
website.
The economy moved
from boom to bust
and interest rates
soared, reaching
16%.
The first Gulf war was
in play.
If youre thinking to taking the plunge and going freelance, then start
your rainy day fund NOW!
I would strongly recommend that anyone considering a freelance life
should have a rainy day fund if possible; particularly nowadays when
clients take so long to pay their bills, cash ow can be dire.
So with my new ofce kitted out, I was ready to take my rst steps as a
freelance PR woman.
5
Freelancing was a bit of a dirty word...
When I first started out, being a
freelancer was not considered very
glamorous. It was a euphemism for cant
get a proper job.
2
MY FAMILY AND
FRIENDS THOUGHT
ID GONE
BARKING MAD
Id go further and say that someone whod quit their nice cushy position
to choose an independent path was viewed with some suspicion and
cynicism. Indeed my parents and many friends thought Id gone
barking mad.
PEOPLE KEPT TRYING TO PERSUADE ME TO
ACCEPT ANOTHER JOB
During my rst year one of the most bizarre and unexpected things to
happen was a constant barrage of calls from recruitment rms trying to
convince me to take another agency role. I had this idea that if I went to
a few appointments I might be able to persuade these PR companies
to use me for some freelance projects; maybe a few days a month
while I built my own client base. No one was interested in that at all; it
was 'join us and make a long-term commitment or forget it'.
Interestingly though, a few years later, most of the large PR rms in
London were using freelance people on a regular basis. Clearly I was
ahead of my time.
Youll be pleased do know that I have a business plan now...
If I had to do things again, I would certainly have a proper business
plan. That doesnt mean you have to write some boring, weighty tome
that will never be read. Im talking about sitting down and creating a
roadmap for your business so you know where youre headed.
I have a business plan template as part of my Working in Pyjamas
membership (www.workinginpjs.co.uk ). Its a good one too, if I say so
myself. However, you can get a good template from most high street
banks, your local Chamber of Commerce or organisations like the
Federation for Small Business.
I STARTED MY
BUSINESS
WITHOUT A
PROPER
BUSINESS
PLAN.
I CRINGE
NOW WHEN
I THINK
ABOUT IT - I
MEAN, WHO
IN THEIR
RIGHT MIND
WOULD DO
SUCH A
CRAZY
THING?
HOWEVER, I
DO THINK
YOU
SHOULD DO
ONE IF YOU
HAVENT
DONE SO
ALREADY.
7
1
2
3
4
5
CASH FLOW
SPREADSHEET (SOUNDS
DULL BUT IT WILL MAKE
SURE YOU SLEEP
SOUNDLY AT NIGHT)
I create a month-by-month spreadsheet that shows whats
coming in and whats going out. This also includes any big
purchases I need to make e.g. Advertising or promotional stuff,
or new equipment such as a new computer or printer.
SHOW ME THE
MONEY (AS JERRY
MCGUIRE SAID...)
At the beginning of each nancial year, I work out how much I
want to earn that year, and then work out what I need to do to
meet that target. This may mean introducing new services or
package deals - or junking ideas from the previous year that
didnt really work that well. In other words, get rid of the
stinkers.
MARKETING PLAN
I work out how to reach the people I want to target against how
much money I need to spend. I then create a tactical marketing
calendar so I know what things I need to do each month to
market my business.
HIT LIST (NOT A LIST OF
PEOPLE I WANT TO KILL,
BUT THEN AGAIN...)
This is a list of companies or individuals that Id like to work with.
Then I work out what I need to do to get a meeting with them.
For example, I attend a regular networking group. The facilitator
will happily broker an introduction with anyone Id like to meet
thats part of her network of contacts.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
I make sure I take stock each year on key changes in the
business world. Whats the current mood? Are people spending
money? What are the trends in marketing spending? What are
my potential customers worried about? This information makes
sure my sales and marketing messages are right on the money.
THE NUTS & BOLTS OF MY BUSINESS
PLAN...
This is the approach that works well for me in my business. Its an informal kit really rather than one
big formal plan.
However, if you are looking for business finance from a bank or youre applying for some kind of
grant funding, youll need something more formal.
IMAGINE NEVER HAVING TO
COMMUTE AGAIN.
I SPENT YEARS OF MY LIFE
TRAVELING ON THE LONDON
UNDERGROUND DURING RUSH
HOUR. BELIEVE ME, BEING
CRAMMED INTO A CROWDED
TRAIN WITH YOUR FACE SHOVED
INTO THE SWEATY ARMPIT OF A
TOTAL STRANGER IS NO FUN!
3
LIVING LIFE ON MY
OWN TERMS
So what were the attractions of going it alone? I was never a good
corporate soldier. I was rubbish at ofce politics and loathed the game
playing and manipulation. There are people who just instinctively know
how to work the system and make it work to their advantage. Im sure
youve all known someone where you work (or have worked) who just
breezes through the ranks and gets to the top. Well, I wasnt one of
them.
I was cursed with opinions and an uncontrollable urge to voice them
Early in my career, I was the press ofcer for a large American software
rm based in Windsor. The big cheese who ran the UK ofce liked a
certain pub that was close to the ofce. Almost every night after work,
he and his cronies went to the pub and discussed policies shared
ideas and made important decisions. If you werent there at least 4
nights a week, you were not considered to be a player. I dont know
about you, but I cant stand all that. In my view cronyism is dangerous
and counterproductive to the creation of a successful company. It
means that the wrong people get all the power, and those who are
clever and talented, but who choose to go home to their families at the
end of a long work day, often dont get the recognition they deserve.
Anyway, that whole vibe just wasnt for me and I needed to change
things.
Freelancing doesnt suit everyone
Of course freelance life doesnt suit everyone. You need to be self-
disciplined and motivated to get up and at your desk every morning.
Ive met numerous freelance people along the way who just cant cope
without the structure of an ofce and a boss. But you do need the
ability to create some kind of structure for yourself or you will never get
anything done.
There are also other realities that need to be faced. Theres no holiday
pay, sick pay, no guaranteed income or benets package. In theory
anyone freelancing would know this before they start. But youd be
amazed how many budding entrepreneurs dont think this through
properly and end up going back into full-time employment with their tail
between their legs.
IF IM
BRUTALLY
HONEST,
I HAVE
TO
WORK
FOR
MYSELF,
BECAUSE
NO-ONE
WOULD
EVER
HIRE ME
NOW...
10
For others its the loss of status they dont like. As a freelancer you dont
really have any. Let me explain what I mean. I went from having a top of
the range BMW as a company car to driving a rust-bucket ve-year-old
Citron AX. For many people this would be a total deal breaker. I realise
this sounds nuts; but remember I rst started in 1991 when material
acquisitions were more highly prized than they are in 2012.
Some of my old colleagues would look at me with pity in their eyes
when I turned up in my French roller skate as it became known. But I
didnt care. I gured that an old car that I could pay for in cash was
better than blowing all my savings on a status car or getting locked into
nance payments.
The freedom and exibility of working for myself far outweighed
anything else. I get to choose my working hours and state what I will
and wont do. Im not rich or powerful or inuential. But I live a clean
and honest life on my own terms.
FOR ME, THE
FREEDOM
AND
FLEXIBILITY
OF
WORKING
FOR MYSELF
FAR
OUTWEIGH
ANY OF THE
PITFALLS.
I LIVE A
CLEAN AND
HONEST LIFE
ON MY
OWN TERMS.
HOW MANY
PEOPLE CAN
REALLY SAY
THAT?
11
1
2
3
4
5
NO OFFICE
POLITICS
You get to do all the stuff you love doing and can
leave behind all the game playing and
manipulation.
YOU CALL THE
SHOTS
You can say no to anything you dont want to do.
If you decide not to work on Fridays - then
hurrah! Its your business, you can run it however
you want.
NO MORE
RUSH HOUR
I refer to my earlier comment about sweaty
armpits (and dont get me started on the
halitosis).
YOU DONT
HAVE TO
WEAR SUITS
TO WORK
Comfort aside, it was the dry cleaning bills that
killed me. Obviously I still have to pull out the
best bib & tucker for special meetings, but most
of the time its glorious comfort!
FLEXIBILITY
I love that I can work anywhere, anytime. A
freelance graphic designer friend of mine
spends her days with her children, and then
works while they are asleep in bed at night.
MY TOP FIVE BENEFITS OF BEING
A SOLO BUSINESS...
Seriously, dont be tempted to
wing it. You need to do some
background work before you
jump off that top diving board.
4
DO YOUR
HOMEWORK!
SO, WHAT KIND OF HOMEWORK
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
Obviously doing a proper business plan is important:and theres tons of advice and free
templates out there (e.g. Banks, your local Chamber of Commerce etc.)
Looking at things very simply, here are the main questions I think you should ask yourself
before you quit your job and put your life savings on the line.
1
2
3
4
5
6
WHAT ARE YOU
TRYING TO
ACHIEVE?
Is this a lifestyle choice?
Or do you want to build a business that could change the
world?
WHATS YOUR
MOTIVATION?
Do you want to create a company that you can sell?
Are you creating a legacy for future generations?
Do you just want to do your own thang?
Are you passionate about fullling a need in the
marketplace?
DOES ANYONE
WANT TO BUY
WHAT YOURE
SELLING?
This is not as stupid as it sounds. Ive met countless new
business owners who have invested thousands of pounds in
a venture just because they think its a good idea and all their
friends and family tell them its great.
WHY DO YOU
THINK YOUR
BUSINESS WILL
SUCCEED?
I know if I mention the phrase unique selling point youll
want to run screaming into the wilderness. But seriously, what
makes your business special?
HOW MUCH
MONEY DO YOU
NEED TO MAKE?
You need a good prot plan and a clear indication on how
youre going to earn a living from this venture.
WHO ARE YOUR
COMPETITORS?
Have you considered both direct and indirect competitors to
your venture? How crowded is the market youre planning to
enter? In short, is there any room for your offering?
More on the next page...
7
8
9
10
11
WHAT ARE YOUR
BARRIERS TO
SUCCESS?
Is it money or cash ow? Is it time or commitment? Or could it
be lack of support from family or friends? The point is that if
you know what your barriers are, you can work out a strategy
for coping or managing them.
MARKET
INTELLIGENCE
Are you happy that youve really gotten under the skin of your
market sector? What are the key issues and how does your
business/product/offering t into that? What plans do you
have in place to make sure you keep your offering current
and in tune with popular opinion?
UNDERSTAND
YOUR
CUSTOMERS
Please dont be tempted to gloss over this.The more you can
drill down into your target customer - their life, their work,
their needs - the easier it is to sell to them. All markets are
crowded these days - so you have to adapt your offering and
key messages to t you customer.
YOUR BRAND -
BUSINESS OR
PERSONAL?
As a freelance business, you need to carefully weigh up the
pros and cons of creating a personal brand i.e. Using your
name and reputation e.g. Joe Smith Photography. Or whether
you want to create a business brand e.g. Brightspark
Marketing. It all depends on how you think your customers
will engage with you. Its worth taking time to consider this
carefully.
ROUTES TO
MARKET
How are you going to get your product or service to your
target customers? In general terms (and obviously
depending on what kind of business youre running) typical
routes to market include:
Direct - from you direct to a customer.
Online - via an ecommerce website
Through a third party e.g. Retail outlet, distributors etc.
Via joint ventures and partnerships - e.g. If youre a
wedding photographer, you could chum up with say, a
wedding planner or caterer and offer package deals.
MAKE THE
TIME AND
DONT CUT
CORNERS
Theres a lot of work involved in this and I would
urge you to make the time to consider these
points carefully.
A CAUTIONARY TALE
I recently met a potential client who spent over
100,000 developing a product for the baby
market. He took almost four years developing,
testing and working out the manufacturing
process. He spent no time whatsoever
considering how he was going to get the product
to market. His only market research was among
24 mothers with babies. And of that group, 60%
reacted favourably to his product. The
assumption was that all he had to do was
contact buyers of the leading supermarket
chains and they would bite his hand off to get his
product onto their shelves.
THERE WAS NO PLAN B
Guess what? That didnt happen. The buyers
across all major retail outlets said: Were not
taking any more products in the baby market for
the next 24 months. Needless to say this came
as a considerable shock to the inventor. He had
no back-up plan. No website, no contacts with
distributors, and no budget to market and
promote the product. He had a further shock
when I told him hed need a minimum of around
100k to launch a brand new mainstream
consumer product onto the already crowded and
highly competitive mother and baby sector. I also
told him that the market leaders spent in excess
of 1m a year on marketing.
CONSIDER YOUR ROUTES TO
MARKET CAREFULLY
My key point here is to highlight that this
company owner should have considered his
route to market options long before he found
himself with a warehouse crammed full of
product he couldnt sell.
At the time of writing this, our inventor was
frantically trying to raise grant and investment
money to allow him to get his product launched. I
wish him well.
16
Last year I was doing a workshop for small business owners at
my local university business school. I asked the group how many
allocated time to keeping up with what their competitors were
doing. Not surprisingly, less than 10% said they felt it was
something they allocated planned time for. Then one woman
piped up from the back that she took it very seriously indeed. I
asked her if she would mind sharing with the group how she
went about her competitor analysis. She told us how she noticed
that one of her main competitors was looking for new staff. So
she decided to apply for a job there. The competitor company
was so impressed by her knowledge of the market sector and
her enthusiastic questions about their upcoming marketing plans
and product development, that they offered her the job on the
spot.
As you can imagine the entire class was howling with laughter
and completely aghast at her nerve. Its probably one of the most
extreme stories of competitor analysis Ive heard, and it was
clearly effective. Not sure if I would recommend going that far,
but I loved her spirit and the very idea of it.
AT WHAT POINT
DOES A KEEN
INTEREST IN
YOUR
COMPETITORS
BECOME
STALKING?
17
When it comes to business, the
people closest to you are not
always your best allies.
5
FAMILY AND
FRIENDS DONT
ALWAYS KNOW
BEST...
A LITTLE
OBJECTIVITY
GOES A
LONG WAY...
Ive met countless small business owners and
freelancers who tell me that they only
consulted family and friends when
developing their business idea.
In my case, many members of my family and friends all told me I was
insane to give up a well-paid job to go it alone, and offered almost no
support at all. This meant I had to rely on my own steely resolve to get
me going.
At the other end of the scale, many people starting businesses have
families and friends who tell them exactly what they want to hear; which
is just as bad. (Think of the X-Factor TV show where parents convince
their tuneless, tone-deaf offspring that they have what it takes to be the
next Adele.) You need some objectivity in your game plan, so make
sure you do some road-testing of your product or service with people
who can give you some realistic feedback.Theres lots of easy and low
cost ways to do this.
19
1. Attend some local business networking groups
Ask for volunteers to test and try your product or service. Networking
groups have boomed over the past few years and youll nd them all
over the UK and USA. They love having guests, so its fairly easy to get
yourself an invite.
2. Run a series of small focus groups
This can be done cheaply and the results can be very useful. Every
time Ive helped a client run one of these sessions they have been
amazed at how much useful feedback and information theyve
acquired. Ive put a guide on how to run cheap focus groups at the end
of this section.
3. Social media and technology tools
If youve got a Facebook page you can ask your followers to comment
or vote on any new ideas you have, designs you have created, or gain
feedback on your prices. Facebook and Linked-in groups can also
yield excellent results. Just pick a group thats made up from the kind of
people you want to target. Ive also had some great comments from
Twitter.
4. VOX POP surveys
This is where you prepare say, 10 questions and go out on the street to
canvass opinion. Ive used this technique to great effect at trade
shows. You can get some excellent sound bites from people when
asking open-ended questions, which is in essence qualitative data.
Plus you can get good quality data by asking multiple-choice or simple
yes or no questions.
5. SurveyMonkey
If you want something more scientic, I like www.surveymonkey.com -
its quick, cheap and easy to use. Plus it does all the analysis for you. I
remember when I was a junior account executive in an advertising
agency, all survey questionnaires had to be analysed manually. I spent
hours going through piles of papers, making tally marks and then
having to work out percentages. SurveyMonkey does it all for you.
There are of course other survey tools out there, this is just the one I
like.
YOU CAN
INCREASE
YOUR
CHANCES OF
BUSINESS
SUCCESS BY
TAKING
SOME TIME
TO ROAD
TEST YOUR
OFFERING
AND
MAKING
SURE YOU
GET SOME
OBJECTIVE
FEEDBACK.
20
THINGS TO
REMEMBER
LISTEN TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT MAKE
SURE YOU SEEK OTHER POINTS OF VIEW TOO.
DONT BE HURT OR UPSET IF YOU GET SOME
NEGATIVE COMMENTS. ALL FEEDBACK IS
VALUABLE - MAKE THAT YOUR NEW MANTRA.
DO TRY THE MINI FOCUS GROUP IDEA ON THE
NEXT DAY - IT REALLY WORKS A TREAT.
21
A focus group is where you pull together
a group of people that you believe could
be your target audience. The goal is to
let them touch, sniff, taste, experience,
discuss and query your offering.
Ask around for volunteers - invite people to
take part in a two-hour session at a nice local
caf, or borrow someones ofce board room (I
dont recommend doing it in your home). You
can do this by social media platforms, a small
advertisement in your local paper or posters in
shop windows. Parish magazines and
noticeboards can work well too.
Offer an incentive to come this could be a
goodie bag lled with locally made produce, or
20.00 voucher for a well-known retailer. In some
cases cash can work I once went to a focus
group run by a local radio station who gave
everyone who came a crisp 20.00 note as soon
as they arrived.
Offer some refreshments - Pizza and beer
works well. Tea and cakes also works well. The
more pleasant and relaxing you can make the
setting, the more likely people will be to open up
and be honest.
Prepare a list of questions in advance work
out what you want to know from people.
Let the conversation ow if people get chatty,
let it ow. Ive picked up some valuable
information by sitting back and listening.
Get people involved in the experience of your
product or service if they can touch, feel,
taste, see or hear the product/service then let
them experience it.
Record the session if youre a dab hand with
a video camera, then that always works.
Personally I always just do audio. If neither of
those options appeals, then co-opt a good friend
to take notes for you. Its important that you get
involved in leading the discussion.
Write a thank you note a card or letter to
everyone after the event.
This sounds a bit rough and ready and it is.
Large market research firms would laugh at it.
If you dont have around 100,000 to spend
with a big research firm, this can yield some
good results and can make a big contribution to
how to develop your offering.
Ive used this approach many times and it has
never disappointed. You could get some fantastic
feedback for under 100.00.
22
TOP TIPS FOR A CHEAP AND QUICK
FOCUS GROUP...
You need some serious resolve
to be a solo business owner.
You have to stay focused and
keep the faith that youre doing
the right thing and have
something fabulous to offer.
6
BELIEVE IN
YOURSELF
Have the courage of your
convictions
You need to believe in your project, venture or
business. If you dont, you cant reasonably
expect anyone else to either. In short if youre not
sure, dont jump off the cliff until you are. This is
where the bit about making a plan comes into
play. The clearer your vision, the more you can
believe in yourself.
My navety gave me the self-belief I needed to
get started
For me it was navety that gave me the
conviction it never occurred to me for a second
that it wouldnt succeed. Theres a lot to be said
for that kind of blind faith and the folly of youth.
Look at Mark Zukerberg and the whole
Facebook phenomenon. Whod have thought?
But older and wiser, I can see how important it is
to really have the courage of your convictions
and get behind your idea, concept or product.
Dont let the naysayers get you down.
Sadly Ive met many people on my freelance
journey who took the opportunity to crush my
ideas and give me all the reasons why I was
doing something ridiculous. The main one,
particularly during the 90s was who do you think
you are? Ive met several disgruntled employees
in marketing departments who resented my
presence as a freelance specialist working with
their team, and there have been a few instances
of sabotage and using me as the scapegoat. It
goes with the territory and you just have to shake
it off and move on.
As time has gone on, becoming a freelancer has
become more mainstream and its no longer a
barrier to working with some big rms. In fact if
you are a freelance electrician, plumber, IT
specialist, graphic designer or photographer,
you can offer great value for money by under
cutting larger rms. You can be a lot more
exible in your work and what you offer to the
client. (Apologies if you are reading this as the
owner of a large rm and nd yourself being
undercut by damn freelancers - but we all have
to play to our strengths.)
Anyway, my point here is this: Give yourself
permission to be condent about yourself, your
abilities and your experience. And tell the
prophets of doom around you to shut up and
get out the way and let you get on with it.
Sometimes, when going through a dark and
gloomy patch, I look at people in safe jobs and,
and for a eeting moment I think I need to get
out of this and get a job. Fortunately these
moments dont last long and I quickly get back in
the saddle.
Theres a couple of points Id like to make here.
Nowadays almost no job is safe. I think there
are a lot of nervous and vulnerable people out
there right now.
People who do work in nice safe jobs have no
idea how brave and courageous you have to
be to go it alone.
So...be brave and if youve not started yet have
a go, and if youre already going, dont give up.
24
THINGS TO
REMEMBER...
IF YOU DONT BELIEVE IN YOUR PROJECT, NO-
ONE ELSE WILL EITHER.
TELL THE NAYSAYERS AND PROPHETS OF DOOM
TO BUGGER-OFF AND LEAVE YOU TO GET ON
WITH IT.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH FIENDS AND
COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE.
25
Striving for perfection is great,
but sometimes you just need to
push the button.
7
JUST GET IT DONE!
ALL BUSINESSES ARE A
WORK IN PROGRESS
A long time ago I was at a marketing conference and one of the key
speakers said something that has stayed with me ever since; Making
the wrong decision on a Monday, is better than the right decision on the
Friday At the time, my initial response was probably a bit like yours;
what on earth are you talking about?
Think about it. The decision made on a Monday is a decision made. Its
action. Its getting something done. That rst decision will almost
certainly lead to further decisions along the way. So by the time Friday
comes, its irrelevant whether that rst decision was right or wrong.
When I was in my early twenties, I worked on the PR team of a large
market leading software company (yes that one). A product was due
for launch, but there were some bugs that just wouldnt be solved. So
the question was, should we postpone the launch? The CEO said: No,
F*** it. Ship it. Well do a free x later.
Im not saying its a good idea to launch a bad product, but sometimes
theres a strong case for pressing the button, or turning the sign on the
door to open. All businesses are a work in progress they will never
be nished. Theres nothing wrong with striving for perfection, but
sometimes youve just got to say: F*** it. Ship it, and get it done.
THE DIGITAL AGE
MEANS THINGS
CAN BE CHANGED
AND EDITED AT
ANY TIME.
PROCRASTINATION
IS THE THIEF OF
TIME (IVE NO IDEA
WHO SAID THAT).
27
They want your undivided
attention and dont want to
know that you have other
clients to deal with.
8
CLIENTS ARE LIKE
JEALOUS LOVERS
CLIENTS WANT TO FEEL THEY ARE
THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON
IN YOUR LIFE AT THEIR EXACT
MOMENT OF NEED
It doesnt matter if you are running a restaurant, a
shop or professional services business. Clients
know that you have other customers; they just
dont want to know about them. They want their
needs dealt with rst and they want to feel that
they are the most important person in your life at
that moment.
So I never say to a client, sorry, cant make that
appointment because Im busy with another
client that day I just point out that Im
unavailable, and suggest other dates when I can
see them. They know Ill be with another client.
And I know they know. But they just dont want to
have their nose rubbed in it.
Say youre at the hairdresser getting a haircut
and the stylist whos supposed to be cutting your
hair has abandoned you (hair dripping wet with
one of those nasty towel turbans on your head)
while they fawn over another client. How do you
feel? In that situation all the stylist has to say is
Im so sorry to keep you waiting. Ill be with you
as soon as I can. Showing a little love to your
clients, customers, patients (whatever you call
them), goes a long way.
If you can make every customer or client feel
important, loved and appreciated, theyll come
back time and time again.
Management gurus often talk about the
importance of building relationships with clients
and that nding new customers costs around 10
times more than continued selling to those you
already have. This is actually true. Once people
like what you offer theyll keep coming back.
Every customer is precious (except the horrible
ones obviously which are mercifully rare). Most
of my work comes via word of mouth and I think
thats probably the best any of us can hope for.
This is obvious right?
Well Id like to think so. Sadly however it simply
isnt true. It seems to me that the world is full of
rubbish service and establishments that dont
value my custom or recognise that I have
choices. Interestingly Ive noticed that its many
of the online brands that really seem to be
getting this right, while many traditional retail
outlets are getting worse and worse.
Customers vote with their feet and fingers.
Online reviews, sites like Trip Adviser and the
world of social media means that stories of bad
service can go viral in minutes. This means that
we all have to pull our socks up and make sure
we take nothing for granted.
29
SHOP ASSISTANTS ON THEIR MOBILE PHONE, CHATTING TO
THEIR FRIENDS WHILE IM WAITING.
PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS AND OTHER TRADESPEOPLE WHO
PROMISE TO COME ROUND AND DONT SHOW UP.
SUPERMARKETS WHO MAKE YOU USE A 1 COIN BEFORE
YOU CAN GET A TROLLEY (WHY NOT JUST PUT A SIGN UP
SAYING: WE THINK ALL OUR CUSTOMERS ARE LOW-LIFE,
THIEVING SCUM).
BRITISH AIRWAYS - DONT GET ME STARTED! HIGH PRICES
AND LOW SERVICE IS NOT A GREAT COMBINATION.
BANKS - WELL THEYRE JUST ALL BASTARDS.
AND FINALLY (DRUM ROLL PLEASE), THE RESTAURANT WHO
STARTED VACUUMING WHILE MY HUSBAND AND I WERE
STILL EATING (YES REALLY!).
MY LIST OF
CUSTOMER
SERVICE
HATES...
30
9
DONT ASSUME
THE LOVE YOU
GIVE YOUR
CUSTOMERS WILL
BE RETURNED...
CLIENTS CAN BE
FICKLE, SO DONT
ASSUME A HAPPY
EVER AFTER
ENDING
When you work with the same client regularly for
a long time, the relationship can often take on
some very rewarding dimensions. You can
become a condante, a trusted adviser, and a
sounding board for key decisions and new
ideas. This is a wonderful place to be and leads
to all sorts of possibilities for selling more
projects, services or products. Once you gain
the clients trust, its natural that they should
come to you when they need further assistance.
In addition, you may nd yourself invited to
social and business events run by your client. I
work for a business consulting rm who kindly
include me in all their events, corporate dinners
and seminars. Its very nice when a client treats
you as one of their guests.
Sometimes things change
and theres nothing you can
do about it
However, no matter how friendly and close that
working relationship becomes, never forget that
it can change within a blink of an eye. We are
just suppliers at the end of the day. There are
lines that should never be crossed (you know
what Im saying right?)
No matter how close your working relationship
with your customers, you need to bear in mind
that nothing remains the same forever.
Customers and clients can be ckle. They nd
alternative suppliers, or prefer the taste of a new
brand. The trick is to watch trends in purchasing
if youre selling products, or trends in behaviour
if youre selling services.
Heres a list of things that could signal change is
on the horizon;
A new senior manager or director - people
taking up new senior positions will often want
to bring in their own people. So if you are in
professional services, you could be usurped
through no fault of your own.
Disharmony among the clients directors -
this has happened to me a couple of times.
Medium sized businesses where two or more
of the directors have a massive difference of
opinion about the companys direction. If youre
not careful you can end up being expected to
take sides. You could become what I call
collateral damage.'
Mergers and acquisitions - this can go either
way. You get dramatically more business, or
you lose it all.
The client suddenly loses a major customer
- the knee-jerk reaction will always be to cut
costs right away. This could mean you.
A line is crossed - I refer to the infamous story
of the PR man who went to visit his clients
headquarters in Germany. He and the client
went out for dinner and then on to a nightclub.
Well, to cut a long story short, too much alcohol
32
was consumed and there were rumours of a
pair of missing trousers. Our PR man overslept
and missed the scheduled meeting. Shortly
afterwards, the agency was given notice. Its
OK to have a good time with your client, but no
matter how much you drink, or how much bad
behaviour goes on, you still need to make it to
the meeting and do your job without missing a
beat.
I guess what Im trying to say, is that as suppliers
we are disposable. Ive fallen down on this point
a few times - Ive felt I was on the inside track,
and then something happens and I discover I
dont even have a ticket to the stadium.
DONT TAKE THINGS FOR
GRANTED. WHOEVER SAID, NO-
ONE IS INDISPENSABLE WAS
RIGHT.
REMEMBER:
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A FRIENDLY
RELATIONSHIP AND
TREATING YOUR CLIENTS
AS FRIENDS.
WERE NOT ALWAYS AS
IMPORTANT TO OUR
CLIENTS AS WE THINK WE
ARE.
IF IT ALL GOES WRONG,
JUST SHRUG IT OFF AND
MOVE ON.
33
If you dont know what your
customers want, how can you
give it to them?
10
UNDERSTAND
WHAT MAKES
YOUR CUSTOMERS
TICK
How well do you really understand your
customers and their needs? Who are these
people? Where are they? What do they like, what
dont they like? What do they eat, drink, and
drive? How old are they? Where do they go on
holiday? What do they worry about?
Before you think Ive gone mad, the simple fact
is, the more detail you can have about your
target customer, the better chance you have of
selling to them. An exercise I often do with my
clients is to get an empty chair brought into the
meeting room and I ask them to imagine their
ideal customer sat in that chair. I ask them to
describe them in detail.
Create client characters that you can really get to
know...
When I worked for a large PR agency we used to
create composite characters for each clients
ideal customer. We gave them names, worked
out where they lived, how many children they
had, where they worked, how much money they
earned etc. From here we could work out
marketing messages and creative ideas that
were very effective. It helps you understand what
your potential customers want from you. In short
its a neat method for understanding your
customers problems and then working out how
you are going to solve them.
By the way, you dont have to have just one
character. You may have several to t different
products and services in your business.
The point here is simple. You are trying to work
out where things hurt. Wheres the pain? Wheres
the problem? When you can answer that, you
come in on your white steed and with the
solution to that problem.
My business sells marketing services. I rarely sell
directly to consumers, it's all B2B. I can prole
my target customers as follows:
Age: Between 35-55.
Gender: Normally male, sometimes female.
Personality: Driven, A-type personalities that
thrive on stress.
Business: Normally professional services, or a
manufacturer.
Sectors: IT, professional services (legal,
accountancy), engineering or renewable
energy.
Size: fewer than 20 employees.
Pain: Some game-changing technology or
legislative change is about to make a massive
impact on their business and they have no idea
how to leverage it.
Barriers: Lack of time, small budgets. Often
they have been ripped off or have been given
bad marketing advice in the past.
Need: They are looking for a way to get new
customers without having to sell their rstborn
child.
So when Im at a conference, network event or
other place where I meet business people, I
know exactly what Im looking for. This
knowledge and understanding gives me a high
conversation rate on any proposal I put forward.
If you dont take the time to understand your
customer, your marketing will be generic and
35
ineffective and youll attract the wrong kind of
people. For example a company with a luxury
product or service nds they are only attracting
people with no money.
In recent times services like Groupon have
started to appear. Special discount campaigns
used by say, 4-star hotels to keep bedrooms full
during the low-season often nd that the person
that books with the discount voucher almost
never converts to a full price customer during the
high season. The reason for this is simple; the
Groupon campaign will almost always target the
wrong kind of customer for your business.
The best advice I can give on this matter is as
follows:
Stop thinking like you and start thinking like
your ideal customer.
Speak their language not yours.
Focus on their needs and desires not yours.
When you know what people want from you
make sure you give it to them.
36
11
DONT TRY TO BE
ALL THINGS TO ALL
PEOPLE
The more specific you
can be, the more
money you can make.
I meet many small businesses who tell me: We can do large, but we
can also do small. We can sell worldwide but were also local... Does
that sound like you? For some reason many freelancers and micro
business owners believe that broadening out their offering is better.
They think the more all-encompassing they can be, the better.
Lets think about this for a minute. Manufacturers of FMCG products
(fast moving consumer goods) can get away with mass marketing one
key message to everyone. We are all potential customers for Heinz
Ketchup, or peanut butter, or chocolate. But, within those mass brands,
there will always be some degree of segmentation. Cereal companies
target kids. Persil targets mothers. Car brands target men - even
though we are all potential customers for cars, cereal and soap
powder.
It all boils down to targeted messaging.
The more specic your message, the better results you get. And if you
have a limited budget, it does help make it go further. It doesnt mean
you have to limit yourself to one particular niche, Im just saying tiny
businesses will struggle to get decent results from a small budget by
using an all things to all people approach.
38
Even now I do my best
to stay focused on
certain areas. For
example I know that
Im better suited to
Business-to-Business
(B2B) projects.
In my proper job I had experience of working with large corporate IT
rms. So when I went freelance, I chose to focus on the IT industry,
targeting smaller IT rms who could be interested in working with
someone who knew how the big players were doing their marketing.
Ive moved on to other sectors since, but focusing on a very specic
market at the beginning gave me leverage and allowed me to develop
a good client base and track record.
Even now I do my best to stay focused on certain areas. For example I
know that Im better suited to Business-to-Business (B2B) projects. I
live in an area where there are tons of hotels, guest houses and tourist
attractions. But I dont go near them. There are so many hospitality-
marketing specialists in the area so it doesnt make sense for me to go
after that market.
Instead, Ive set out my store as the B2B gal. Technology, engineering,
construction, commercial law - terric I love it. And that B2B focus is
what my reputation is based on. The other bonus is that all the
consumer-marketing folks are happy to pass any B2B leads to me, and
I do the same for them. Everyones a winner, happy days.
39
NO FREELANCER CAN BE AN ISLAND
12
DEVELOP A
NETWORK OF LIKE
MINDED PEOPLE
Starting out on your own can be a lonely
business. Even the most driven individuals have
days when its hard to keep going. So Id
recommend developing a network of like-minded
individuals that offer complementary products
and services. This is an approach that has
worked well for me.
I never had ambitions of setting up my own
marketing agency. I couldnt see the point of
trying to re-create a format that Id made the
decision to leave behind me. However, I am just
a one-person band, and there are situations
where I need to involve people with
complementary skills to add value to my clients.
The easiest thing to do is chum up with people
you like, and more importantly, know you can
work with as part of a virtual team. Its a question
of getting things organised when you are
supplying services to the client. Theres two main
ways of looking at this.
One point of contact for the client - sometimes, in
my experience, the client says I only want one
point of contact - its up to you how you get it
done. In this situation I will act as the lead. All
contractors bill me, and I bill the client. This can
be risky, all your small contractors will want
paying promptly, and if the client takes a long
time to pay (which is becoming more of a
problem these days), it can cause a great deal of
stress. I try to avoid this one. Even if I make a
mark up of say 20% on all the other services, its
often not worth it when you have to manage the
whole thing.
Multiple points of contact for the client - I tend to
favour this approach these days. I organise all
the suppliers - in my case it will be printers,
designers, web people, photographers etc., and
then get them all to bill the client direct. I then
charge a management fee to the client for
pulling it all together. It means I dont have the
risk involved in carrying large supplier bills, and
the client feels they are getting a good deal
because they see the supplier invoices directly
without any markups. In reality, I nd that the
management fee I agree with clients is often
more than I would make going down the mark-up
route. Its also clean, and offers the client total
transparency.
So what about when you act as the
subcontractor for someone else? This happens
to me when say, a designer or web company
asks me to provide copywriting services. I bill the
design or web agency, and they bill the client.
Just a word to the wise here. Unless I agree in
advance with the design agency (in writing) that
they pay me when the client pays them; my
contract is with the agency, not their client. So
even if the client doesnt pay them, the design
agency is still liable to pay me. Ive seen a few
freelancers get themselves into a mess over this
- which is why I always prefer direct billing where
possible.
Your network is also a great social base. In my
gang as well as referring work to each other, we
regularly meet up for a drink and chat to
exchange stories, commiserate, celebrate, and
sometimes just have a good bitch. It helps keep
you sane, and stops you feeling isolated. As a
solo operator you dont get an ofce Christmas
party - so its nice to have some like-minded folks
to pull a cracker with over a festive lunch.
41
IF YOU NEED A DUVET DAY, TAKE IT
13
GIVE YOURSELF
PERMISSION TO
HAVE OFF DAYS
Inevitably there will be days where you nd you
just cant motivate yourself to get going. There
are all kinds of tricks and tips people have to
stop procrastinating and get things done. Thats
not what Im talking about here. This is when you
just need some time to breathe, regroup and
recharge your batteries.
Youre the boss so its OK
If you want to spend an afternoon going to the
movies, then do it. If you need a long walk in the
sunshine, go for it. Remember, one of the perks
of working for yourself is that you set the rules.
I recall once in my rst year as a freelancer, a
friend called me one morning saying she had
some last minute tickets for Wimbledon that day
and would I go with her. I was too scared to go
out in case a client called and I wasnt there.
And of course, I just waited in, and no one
important called
A bit of time for yourself, guilt free, is liberating
and energising. So if you need it, do it.
43
LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER WHEN
YOU LIKE WHAT YOU DO.
14
DONT TAKE ON
JOBS THAT YOU
DONT REALLY
WANT TO DO.
I wish I had cottoned on to this one earlier. I like
what I do, but there are things across the gamut
of marketing and PR that I loathe. In the early
years of freelancing there was always the fear
that if I said no to a client, they would nd
someone else who would say yes.
Theres more than one way to skin a cat.
For example; I loathe exhibitions and events.
Wild horses couldnt get me to commit to getting
bums on seats for an event. Yet in those early
years, I would soldier on and run a competent
and good event. But my heart was never in it.
This is where your network of like-minded
professionals comes into play. These days, if
someone wants a kick-ass event doing, Id
recommend to the client that we work with a
colleague who loves events, and does a
fantastic job. This way, Im still in the driving seat,
the client gets what they want, and I get to focus
on the work I like.
I know this sounds obvious, but it took me a
while to gure this one out. In short, youve got to
like what you do. Theres a swathe of modern
business books out there at the moment who all
talk about this. Lets not forget that one of the
perks of working for yourself is that you can say
no. If you need the money and decide to do it
anyway, it was still your decision.
I was recently in this situation when I was I asked
to pitch for a piece of work that included helping
the client with a rebrand. I was a bit broke that
month, so I thought Id chum up with a good
graphic designer and between us we could offer
a pretty good package.
But there was a little niggle in the back of my
mind that told me this project would be a bit of a
nightmare, and branding is not an area of
specialism for me. So I wrote a polite email to the
client, thanking them for thinking of me but
declining the invitation to pitch. Instead I gave
some recommendations on who could do the job
better than me, and left it at that.
A few days later I got a note back thanking me
for my honesty and that they would love to work
with me in another capacity very soon. I got
brownie points for my honesty and a new client
who were keen to involve me in work I like doing,
and a local design agency got a job they werent
expecting. Good news all round.
45
A LITTLE MARKET INTELLIGENCE
GOES A LONG WAY.
15
KEEP UP WITH
TRENDS IN YOUR
MARKET SECTOR
This one is a no-brainer for me. How can you work in any sector of
business and not show an interest in keeping up with the latest trends
and developments? If you dont keep up, read, engage and nd out
about your own market, how can you continue to be competitive and
offer the best products or services to your customers?
The poster boy for keeping up with industry trends is my lovely
husband Darren. He has a sports injuries and Rolng practice and
permanently has a waiting list of people desperate to get an
appointment with him.
Whenever I meet his patients, they all say the same thing. No-one else
can explain whats going on in my body like Darren can. Hes so
knowledgeable. The reason for this is because he reads all the
journals, blogs and websites related to the bodywork world. When we
were on holiday in Colorado, he made email contact with Rolng gurus
in Boulder and drove to see them just to chat, share experiences and
learn more about how they ran their practices in the USA. He even went
to Brazil to study with a renowned teacher. It pays off. Even during the
recession, his appointment book was always full when other therapists
were very quiet.
As for me, If I hadnt made a conscious effort to keep up with my
industry and continually renew my own skills, my business would be in
the toilet.
That said, Im continually amazed at how many small business owners I
meet that dont read trade journals or blogs about their market sector. If
youre not keeping up-to-date you could miss something important that
could mean you lose customers overnight. If youre not doing it, your
competitors will be.
How can you work in
any sector of business
and not show an
interest in keeping up
with the latest trends
and developments? If
you dont keep up,
read, engage and find
out about your own
market, how can you
continue to be
competitive and offer
the best products or
services to your
customers?
47
EASY WAYS
TO KEEP UP
WITH YOUR
MARKET.
1. Visit the major trade shows, conferences or seminars at least a
couple of times a year.
2. Find the movers and shakers in the blog world: follow them and read
their stuff. Also subscribe to the main trade papers and magazines.
3. Follow key inuencers and thought leaders in your sector on Twitter.
Read, engage, and follow other people who are involved in the
conversation.
4. Network; attend networking events, talk to people.
5. Survey your customers; nd out what they want from you. Wheres
the pain? It will help you continually tweak and upgrade your
offering.
6. Talk to your own supplier network and your friends in the same
industry; you can pick up a lot from each other.
7. For a big picture view of your industry, I always nd that FT.com is a
great place to start, and it provides me with clues on where else I
need to look.
48
Lorem ipsum dolor sit
amet, consectetur
adipisicing elit, sed do
tempor incididunt ut
labore et dolore
magna aliqua.
49
THINK ABOUT HOW CUSTOMERS
PERCEIVE YOU. THERE ARE LOTS
OF WAYS TO SAVE MONEY WHEN
RUNNING A BUSINESS, BUT
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR
CUSTOMER FACING PERSONA,
DONT BE CHEAP.
16
DO THINGS RIGHT
Obviously being a marketing and PR business, Im slightly biased on
this point. But it does make a difference to how people perceive you.
Heres my list of the essentials:
1. Your own domain name. Im always suspicious of businesses using
yahoo or gmail as their business email address.
2. A website. I made mine using www.squarespace.com. It costs me
$18.00 per month. Anyone who can use a computer can create a
site.company name in a typeface and colour that you like, and use
it consistently throughout your marketing.
3. A simple logo. If you have an Apple computer, theres a great little
app called Logoist with which you can create a decent logo that
will tide you over until you can afford a graphic designer. If youre
not on Mac, then you can create something nice using Google
Fonts.
4. A business card. I get mine from www.moo.com Its low cost, much
better quality than VisaPrint (in my opinion), and you can get small
quantities.
To be honest, thats all you really need these days to get you started.
For my Brightspark Marketing business I have a website and some
good quality business cards. I also have one of those pop-up banners
and some postcards with a few simple messages. I get asked to do
some guest lectures from time to time; my pop-up banner and
postcards are a sort of instant kit that presents my business in a
professional light.
Little things like not
having a website or a
proper domain name
on your email sends a
message that youre a
small entity and not
professional.
I dont know about you,
but Im always a little
bit suspicious of
businesses that use
Gmail or Yahoo email
addresses.
51
LEARN TO READ A BALANCE
SHEET AND MANAGE CASH FLOW.
MONEY MATTERS, PARTICULARLY
WHEN THE TAX AND VAT MAN
COME CALLING.
17
SORT OUT YOUR
MONEY
Learn to manage cash ow and read a balance
sheet
You can quickly get yourself in a whole heap of
trouble if you dont get a grip on some good
basic accounting things. Im not saying you need
to be a qualied chartered accountant, I just
recommend that you make it a priority to
understand all the nances in your business.
I must confess that numbers are a real weakness
in my brain. I tried every accounting software
package there is, and put up with an accountant
who spoke gobbledegook for years. As time
went on it became clear that this situation was
not a good one. If you run your own business
youve got to get a handle on whats happening
and learn to understand a basic balance sheet.
These days the big one to deal with is cash ow.
I used to issue invoices at the end of every
month. But now I send them immediately the job
is complete. Also, when I start working with a
new client, I always introduce myself to the
person in charge of accounting. I ask what their
preferred method of receiving invoices is; some
like email, some prefer hard copies. I also ask if
there is a cutoff point to get into payment runs.
For example, for one client, I know I have to get
my month-end invoices in before the 5th of the
following month - then I get paid in 14 days. If
my invoice gets there on say, the 6th of the
month, Id have to wait 44 days for payment.
Little things like this make a difference.
TIPS FOR GETTING A GRIP
ON YOUR MONEY
1. If your accountant speaks gibberish, nd
one who can speak to you in plain English. I
went through three to get to one I like. Its
important you understand whats going on.
Its not against the law to change
accountant!
2. Find an accounts package you get on with. I
know many people use Quick Books. Even
that one was too much for my feeble brain. I
use www.freeagentcentral.com. It costs
around 18.00 per month and its a doddle
to use. Plus you get an up to date state-of-
play on everything to do with your money.
Plus it saves me tons of time.
3. Go on a training course. HMRC does
workshops around the UK. I went to one a
few years ago and it was actually very good.
Chambers of Commerce also run seminars
and workshops. You can also get some
useful information from the Federation of
Small Business. www.fsb.org.uk
53
YOURE NEVER TOO OLD OR TOO
CLEVER TO LEARN SOMETHING
NEW.
18
LEARN NEW SKILLS
It doesnt matter what market sector youre in,
theres always something new you can learn. It
could be learning to master a software package
by means of an online learning programme, or
updating your professional skills.
Its up to us to make these decisions and choose
what to learn.
Some business sectors have compulsory
continuing development schemes. For example:
physiotherapists, dentists, lawyers, accountants
etc. Knowing that your licence to practice can be
taken away from you if you dont keep your skills
up to date is a great motivator to keep on top of
your development. But for the rest of us, its up to
us to make these decisions and choose what to
learn.
Try to put some budget aside for your education.
I always try to set some budget aside for my own
education. It might be attendance at a
conference, some books. e-learning or a
subscription to an information service.
It keeps your brain fresh.
If you commit to something like this, it keeps your
brain fresh and chances are youll be informed
and up-to-date than most of your competitors.
Oh, and its tax deductible too! Just a thought.
TIPS FOR EDUCATION THAT
DONT BREAK THE BANK
1
2
3
4
5
ONLINE
COURSES
Theres some fabulous
online stuff for learning
new skills. Recently Ive
done some courses on
www.udemy.com
ADULT
EDUCATION
CENTRES
Most towns have some
adult education courses
available. They are
great, low cost ways to
learn things like Excel.
UNIVERSITY
SHORT
COURSES
Most universities have
short courses available -
many result in credits
which can be used
towards a degree.
CHAMBERS
OF
COMMERCE
There are Chambers all
over the UK who offer
courses - many are free.
Ive taught classes for
my local chamber - so I
know theyre good!
SKILLS
EXCHANGES
You can organise your
contact network and do
swapsies. For example,
you teach someone
HTML, and they can
teach you how to write
press releases.
55
WE ALL DESERVE TO MAKE A
LIVING WAGE FROM OUR
EFFORTS. IF YOU DONT VALUE
YOUR TIME, HOW CAN YOU
EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO?
19
VALUE YOUR TIME
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR
TIME?
When you run a business where you charge a daily or an hourly rate,
this is a bit more straightforward. But what if you run a caf, or make
cupcakes, or have an outline shop? Its easy to lose sight of your times
value.
Ages ago, I co-wrote a play with a small group of women. It was
commissioned and broadcast by the BBC. It was amazingly exciting to
be part of such a project and it gave all of us a fteen minutes of fame.
However, when we sat and worked out how many hours we spent
working on it in relation to the fee, we were working for about half the
minimum wage.
CREATIVE FULFILLMENT: 10/10. PROFIT: 0/10.
The creative fulllment was fantastic - but the reality is, if I had to earn
my living as a playwright, Id starve to death. I wouldnt have missed
the experience for the world, but looking at it in the cold light of day,
reality gave us all a hard bite on the bum.
The thing to do is create some kind of spreadsheet (pen and paper will
do) where you workout a basic forecast which looks at how much prot
you are likely to make, and how many hours you need to put in to make
it happen.
Another way to look at it is to consider how much revenue you need to
pay all your outgoings and pay yourself a living wage. Then work out
how many days/hours a year you can work (or indeed want to work).
That will give you a rate per hour. Is that achievable for your business
as it stands? If not, what do you need to change to get there?
If you could earn more an hour working at the local supermarket (not
that theres anything wrong with working at a supermarket), then maybe
you should reconsider your business - or at the very least, seriously
revisit your pricing. Running any kind of business is hard work, so we
all deserve to make a living wage from our efforts.
I know people have
different reasons for
starting their business.
Whether its a calling,
a passion or simply a
means to an end, we
still have to make some
money.
57
THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS TO
DECIDE WHAT SUCCESS REALLY
MEANS IS YOU.
20
DEFINE SUCCESS
ON YOUR OWN
TERMS.
This is a bit of a soapbox issue for me. So here goes. First, going it
alone is a brave and courageous thing to do. Dont let anyone tell you
otherwise. Second, theres only one person who gets to decide whether
your venture is a success or failure. And thats you.
It all boils to one simple question. What does success mean to you?
Success can be dened in so many different ways.
For some it will be money, wealth and everything that goes with
that. Creating nancial freedom or having something to leave your
children.
For others it will be about doing something important and
meaningful. I know someone who has started a natural green
household cleaning products company. She is motivated by the
idea of eliminating nasty chemicals from daily household products.
I know another very driven woman who runs a small charity. She
earns practically nothing, but her venture is an extraordinary
success.
There are artists who feel that freedom of artistic expression is the
most important factor in their success. Not having to compromise.
What about living life on your own terms? This is my thing. Ill never
be wealthy, but I have a freedom and exibility in my life that I dont
think I could ever put a price on.
DONT LET ANYONE ELSE BELITTLE YOU BECAUSE
YOUR RESULTS DONT FIT INTO THEIR OWN
IDEALS.
The important issue here is not to lose sight of what YOU think is
important. Dont let anyone else belittle you because your results dont
t into their own ideals. I normally nd its people in nice safe corporate
jobs who scoff at my little business. Occasionally, when one of the
scoffers has found themselves with a redundancy letter in their hands,
its my brain they want to pick on how to set themselves up as a
freelance consultant.
You wait and see. If you havent experienced this already, you probably
will.
WHAT DOES
SUCCESS
LOOK LIKE
TO YOU?
59
THE ONLY REAL FAILURE IN
BUSINESS IS NEVER TRYING
ANYTHING NEW.
21
SOME THINGS
YOU TRY WILL FAIL
- AND ITS OK.
Not everything you do in your business will be a
success. You will have some product or service
ideas that just turn out to be duffers.
Even world famous entrepreneurs make
mistakes. Who remembers Virgin Cola? Or Virgin
Personal Computers? Both sank without trace.
What about Lord Sugar? Whatever happened to
his horrible email phone contraption? Many of
the largest and most successful brands get it
horribly wrong. I bet every major company you
can name has a ling cabinet crammed full of
ideas that never got off the ground or products
that just pained tanked.
Not every idea you have will be a rip-roaring
success.
In 2004, I launched an e-commerce project
called Rhubarb & Custard. The idea was to sell
British Foods to expatriates living overseas. It got
going and we got orders - but I made several
mistakes based on some bum advice from
people I thought were experts. By 2006, it
became obvious that the business wasnt really
viable in the long term, and I felt that the best
course of action was to cut my losses and move
on.
At rst I was embarrassed and a little bit
ashamed, particularly as so many of my regular
clients had taken a keen interest in my progress.
But actually, the experience turned out to be
valuable. I could say to my clients venturing into
e-commerce: Dont make the same mistakes I
made. People were keen to hear my
experiences on this and I could prevent some of
my clients make costly errors. Every cloud has a
silver lining as they say.
In my view, the real failure is not trying new
things. If it all goes pear-shaped think of what
youve learned. Keep innovating. If it doesnt
work, move on and try something else.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
INNOVATION
Innovation is an important part of running any
business. One of the most basic marketing
concepts is understanding that every product or
service has a life cycle that will, at some point,
go into decline.
Short life-cycles
For technology rms for example, the life cycle is
often very short. At one point in my PR career, I
worked for a division of Sony that made CD ROM
drives. It was in the days when they werent
included in the build of a PC (how many of you
remember that?). Anyway, part of my job as an
account executive was to secure product
reviews in mainstream consumer technical
media. Editorial lead times for consumer
magazines can be up to 6 months - think
Christmas in July. This meant that wed pitch the
products for review in say the May, and the story
wouldnt appear in the press until around
November. By which time, the products were
often already obsolete.
Long life-cycles
Other products or services have a long life cycle
- think of Mars Bars. The important thing is to
know and understand your market, and what
your customer wants, then you can start to
predict the optimum length of you product/
service life cycle and introduce upgrades/new
avours/new service offerings.
61
LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO ALLOW
YOURSELF TO BE BADLY TREATED
BY A CLIENT.
22
SOMETIMES THE
ONLY OPTION IS
TO FIRE THE
CLIENT.
I like to think of myself as a fairly even-tempered
person. I normally nd a way to muddle through
difcult situations with good grace.
However, there have been a small handful of
situations over the years where I was pushed to
the edge and felt I had no option but to the sack
the client.
The rst was an odious character who was a
director of his familys rm. And quite honestly he
had to work for his father because no-one else
would employ him. He was a spoilt brat who
treated every supplier like dirt. I tolerated three
months of his nonsense before I could take no
more.
I could only wish that his work ethic extended to
the prompt payment of invoices.
The second was a fast paced entrepreneur type
who expected everyone around him to be on call
24/7. It wasnt unusual to be woken at 7am on a
Sunday morning or after midnight during the
week to discuss trivial matters. I could only wish
that his work ethic extended to the prompt
payment of invoices. He was taking longer and
longer to pay while his phone calls became more
intrusive. Enough is enough.
Sometimes youve just got to dump them and
move on.
The point is, lifes too short to work with bad
clients. Im sure you will have dumped a
boyfriend or girlfriend at some point because the
relationship just wasnt right. Well the same is
true of clients. Sometimes youve just got to
dump them and move on.
When its your business you are in the driving
seat ...
And then theres the whole thing about making
the most of the advantages of working for
yourself. A boss can insist that you take on a
task or a client that you loathe. When its your
business you are in the driving seat, so you get
to make the nal decision about who you will or
wont work with.
Learning to let it all go.
Ive had many lengthy conversations with
professional colleagues on this subject. The key
point that everyones stories had in common was
that once they let go they invariably found new
projects to replace lost revenue in a very short
time.
YOU KNOW ITS TIME TO FIRE
THE CLIENT WHEN...
1. You have to beg, plead or threaten to get
every invoice paid.
2. The client behaves in an offensive or
inappropriate way.
3. You feel your expertise or skills are not valued
or appreciated.
63
THE LIFE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER CAN BE A BIT OF A
ROLLER COASTER. SO HANG ON
TIGHT AND ENJOY THE RIDE.
23
THERES ALWAYS
LIGHT AT THE END
OF THE TUNNEL.
The most common issue we all have to deal with is the feast or famine
scenario. It always seems like were in either one of those states.
For those of you who have not quite taken the leap yet, Im talking
about a pendulum that swings alternatively between being so maxed
out with work that you can hardly eat, sleep or breath. Or, in the other
direction, having so little work you cant imagine ever working again
and start checking the job ads in your local paper.
They worked 20 hours a day and lived on coffee, corn chips and
chocolate biscuits.
My sister and brother-in-law used to run a small business where they
designed and formatted the foreign language documentation for a
large software company. Their work involved coordinating translators in
18 different countries and making sure the manuals were ready for the
launch date.
Once the job order landed on their desk, it was all hands to the pump
for about 8 weeks. They worked 20 hours a day and lived on coffee,
corn chips and chocolate biscuits. The only fresh air or daylight they
saw was when they walked the 200 yards from their house to the local
petrol station to replenish their store of high-fat snacks.
By the time the job nally shipped, they both had bags under their eyes
and their skin had that greyish-green hue of people who have been
locked in a dark basement for months. That my friend is the feast.
The famine would hit with a vengeance.
The famine would come when the job they expected in say the July
didnt materialise until the middle of October. Thats a lot of thumb
twiddling time.
Now this is an extreme example (but true). But its fairly typical of
freelance life. Weve all been there at some point or another. The
question is, how do you keep your sanity?
I dont have a foolproof formula for managing or indeed avoiding the
feast/famine pendulum swing. All I can do is offer a few things that I do
that might give you something to chew over.
Dealing with the feast
or famine is one of the
most commonly cited
reasons why many
small business owners
throw in the towel and
go back to getting a
job.
You have to try and
hang in there.
65
MANAGING THE
FREELANCE FEASTS AND
FAMINES
1
2
3
4
5
BE HONEST
ABOUT WHAT
YOU CAN AND
CANT DO.
Make it clear to your clients about when you can deliver their work.
Theres no point in saying Ill try if you know full well that its not going to
happen. Youre just setting everyone up for disappointment. If you are
maxed out and busy - be honest about it.
USE A PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM.
It could a bit of paper with a grid drawn on it, or a spreadsheet. You could
use one of the many great cloud tools such as Basecamp or Wrike.
Seeing everything in black and white really helps. I like the mind map
approach and love this little tool: www.mindjet.com
USE YOUR FREE
TIME TO
DEVELOP NEW
IDEAS.
I realise this is easier said than done - because you will be worried about
paying your bills next month. But, I had a lean patch around 18 months
ago, which is how Working in Pyjamas came about. So try to use your
down time well.
CALL ROUND
YOUR
NETWORK.
Dont be embarrassed to tell people that you have some spare capacity.
its easy to get caught up in the Im so busy charade. Youd be amazed
how many people lie about this. All you have to say is that Im just
coming to the end of a project, and have some capacity from XX
onwards. Ive used this many times and it works a treat.
DONT STOP
MARKETING.
When you are really busy, its tempting to stop marketing. And its what
people tend to do. Then when the feast is nished and you are moving
into famine, youll wish youd continued with your marketing strategy.
(P.S: DONT BE TEMPTED TO SPEND YOUR TAX OR VAT MONEY. JUST
SAYIN)
66
THATS ALL IVE GOT FOR YOU
RIGHT AT THE MOMENT. I HOPE
YOU FOUND SOME INTERESTING
THINGS HERE THAT RESONATE
WITH YOU.
24
THATS IT FOLKS!
Trust your own instincts
and enjoy the journey.
So thats my freelance journey. Yours will be different to mine, but I daresay
there will be some similarities along the way.
The world is full of experts, gurus, and people who want to give you a
plethora of get rich quick schemes that invariably never deliver. The truth is
there are no short cuts.
DO THINGS RIGHT, AND TRUST YOUR GUTS.
REMEMBER:
Enjoy working for yourself.
Live life on your terms.
Keep trying new things.
Dont let anyone put you down.
Learn to understand your finances.
Understand your customers.
Make sure youre getting the rewards you deserve.
Jackie Harris 2014: Working in Pyjamas | www.workinginpjs.co.uk
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Jackie Harris 2014, Working in Pyjamas Limited. All Rights
Reserved.
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