This is boring, but it’s the best business advice I have
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Hello Reader, Thanks to good ol' Facebook, I was reminded that this week is the 18th anniversary of my accidental entrepreneurship. If you don't know, I started "freelancing" in 2008 during the Great Recession, having experienced the joy of a layoff from a comfy government communications job with great health insurance (this was pre-ACA, folks—it really sucked). The economy was horrific, and to tide us over, I started freelancing. Ironically, my first client was my former employer who—whoops!—didn't realize all the projects that were on my plate. Eventually, despite a horrific job market (not much different than what people are experiencing now, I realize), I did land a part time role—but I still needed to fill in the gaps with additional income, as living on a no-benefits, part time hourly job was not in any way, shape, or form feasible. So, I made myself a website and started telling everyone I knew that I was available for "communications consulting" (you're right, no one knew what this was). Despite my fuzzy brand positioning, I started getting little gigs. I helped several businesses in a niche I knew deeply set up blogs, developed messaging for a few local folks (I know of one that's still using that, all these years later), did some freelance writing, and got a gig teaching online marketing and website design at a local college. Over the years, my work has had so many evolutions, and because of that, when people who are new to the whole "oh %&^$ I have a business" thing ask me for advice, aside from the practicalities—e.g. keep your operating costs as lean as you can, don't listen to advice from people who can afford to not make any money, build a solid brand that people will remember—the thing I always say is, "Be nimble." Like much of my advice, this is pretty boring! But it's also the truest thing I can say. Over the years, I've had multiple business models, worked with varying audiences, and tried more offer or service types than I can even come close to counting. One of the most common reasons I see folks decide that business isn't for them is that "I tried and it didn't work" thing. I've tried SO MANY things that didn't work, but I got lucky because of my educational and professional background and understand that that experience was great data! Sure, it's disheartening, but it's also information. And information is invaluable. Maybe it wasn't the right time. Maybe it wasn't the right audience. Maybe the idea wasn't fully baked. These are all things we can investigate. It also means that I have become quite unafraid of quitting doing things that no longer work, even if they did at one time. Again, being nimble is such an incredibly useful skill. Notice I said skill? One of the most pernicious myths in business is that of innate talent—all the most important tools are quite literally skills that can be learned and developed. I didn't emerge in 2008 knowing how to be nimble. Sure, I had a background that made it more natural, but I honed that skill over time, getting better at noting little ripples in the market so I could adjust more quickly and stay ahead of problems. It’s been quite a journey, and I’m so grateful to still be here, learning and evolving alongside all of you. Onward & upward, Sarah P.S. I recently watched a great video from an art educator I really like all about the ups and downs of her business and I felt so seen—I thought you might enjoy it too. |