Very small businesses don't need to hire a designer

From Seth Godin's blog:

"...should local micro-businesses just ignore the web? Or should they become experts in the art of building and maintaining a website?

"We're talking about people who don't like to tweak. About local businesses that are struggling to be found by people a block or a mile or five miles away. Entrepreneurs who can't be bothered to understand typography or HTML. Why does my dog's vet have such a lame website? Why do basement waterproofing sites sit moribund? Do they all have to become experts and spend the money--or sit it out and lose out?

"I think there's a third way, one that gets them just about everything they need, takes an hour or two a month and costs about $60 a year. Here goes:"

Should I stay or should I go (it alone)?

Many people who set up their own small firm - either as an independent or in partnership with others - often leave a secure permanent job to do so. I left a full-time position more than three years ago and never looked back.

Going it alone can be a scary and stressful period for your fledgling business, but finding those initial projects to get you out of the starting blocks needn't be as daunting as it first appears.

Rather than go out with all guns blazing, it's important that you maintain an excellent relationship with your ex-boss. The company I used to work for is small and I took the managing director to one side and asked him, "If I were to leave the firm, would you still be able to use me as a freelancer?". He was a bit taken aback at first, and his first question was, "Is this about money, because I can address that?". I assured him that it was just because I felt the time was right for me to branch out on my own, but I would (genuinely) love to be able to continue working with him. It wasn't until the next day that I formalised things by handing in my written resignation; it was important to me to discuss this on a one-to-one basis with him first. To this day, my former employer has become a good - and supportive - friend, as well as one of my bigger clients.

For the first few weeks on my own, I didn't get any work from the firm because they were trying to find a permanent replacement for me. They tried a couple of people, but neither of them worked out. It wasn't a matter of the quality of their work, but the fact they didn't work in the same way as I do. That can be a key selling point when it comes time to talk to your boss; you are a proven asset, whereas finding a permanent replacement can be a frustrating process of trial and error.

Three important pieces of advice:

First, don't rely too heavily on just a couple of big clients. If work dries up from them, then so does your entire revenue stream. Try to build up as many diverse clients as you can. I'm a Web designer and I've found it lucrative getting in with several programming firms. They don't have in-house creatives, so when they have a new project they get me involved before they do the technical stuff. Make yourself a vital part of their team and you're almost guaranteed a regular stream of work.

Second, being self-employed isn't as risky as many people think. If it doesn't work out you can always go back to being a wage-slave for someone else's firm, so remember that when you ask yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?".

Third, if you have a good mix of clients then your income is more secure than if you work for someone else. As an employee, if my employer goes bust I lose my entire revenue stream. As an independent professional, I would have to lose half my client list before I start to sweat!

Treat your customers better than your prospects

I recently saw a UK press advertisement for the phone company I use, Vonage. I subscribe to Vonage because it offers cheap calls between the UK and Canada, where I do most of my business. Also, I have a Canadian and UK-based phone number so that people can call me at local rates no matter which country they're calling me from.

Anyway, the ad is targeted at new customers and offers them free calls from the UK to Canada. Visiting www.vonage.ca, I see that a similar deal is being offered to new Canadian customers, too (free calls between the UK and Canada).

In other words, my loyal service is subsidising special offers to new customers. I called Vonage's customer service to ask if it was possible for me to get the same deal as I am a customer of several months' standing. I was advised that the only way to do this would be for me to cancel my account, then sign up for a new one. This is a non-starter because it would mean losing both my Canadian and British phone numbers, as well as paying another connection fee. An email to the head of UK operations illicited similar advice.

Vonage is willing to risk me closing my account and not subscribing again, rather than offer me a comparable deal that rewards me for sticking with the company in an increasingly competitive market. Instead of creating all of this friction and ill-feeling, how hard would it be for Vonage to ensure an existing customer remains satisfied with its service?

Happy customers are likely to generate positive word of mouth, which will help to recruit more subscribers. In the long run, this is much more cost-effective, easier to target and more likely to succeed than expensive national advertising campaigns.

Read about Fast Company's Customers First awards.

Don't sell the process

More video. A presentation by New York designer Paula Scher about selling results, not the process that gets you there.

Branding your small businesses

The American Express Open Web site - for small businesses - has an excellent online video discussion about how successful small firms have built their brands. You can view it here. If you want to find out how to build a name for yourself, this is a good start.

On the subject of online video broadcasts, here's one by marketing guru Seth Godin about "broken" services.

How to get work when you set up on your own

When you're setting up on your own, it can be daunting and downright scary trying to find your first projects that will get you established. Many people - including me - decided to quit their full-time job to set up on their own. Gone is the secure, regular salary, so now you have to fend for yourself.

Turn employers into clients
The clue to finding your first gig is right there; why not tap previous employers for work as an independent consultant?

I started my own one-man Web design consultancy over three years ago when I handed in my notice at a small multi-discipline design firm. At that company, I did some of the print projects and all of the Web-based ones. Even though I have a background in print design, it was the Web that I wanted to focus on, and the only way to do that was to work for myself. I made sure that I left on good terms because I didn't want to burn any bridges. This proved to be a wise decision because rather than try to replace me, my previous employer outsourced all of his Web site designs to me. The company is now one of my most lucrative clients.

Get yourself a Web site
I don't care what line of work you're in, if you don't have a business Web site, then you're a dinosaur. Most of my clients approach me because they've read about me on my site. Some of these find me via search engines or through listings on business-related online directory, such as the Kitchener Waterloo Design Hub. Building up traffic to your site will take time, so make sure you get yourself an online presence as soon as possible.

Network, network, network
Don't be a hermit: get out there and meet new people. I'm not just talking about formal networking events, but even at informal gatherings you should make people aware what you do for a living.

It can take time, so don't expect instant results. Work won't immediately come flooding in, but when someone you know speaks to another person who wants what you supply, who do you think they'll recommend?

Seth Godin's "How to live happily with a great designer"

Marketing guru Seth Godin's advice on how to work with a professional designer. Of course, this applies to working with any professional service provider. My favourite advice from Seth:

"You don't know a lot about accounting so you don't backseat drive your accountant. You hired a great designer, please don't backseat drive here, either.

"If you want to be part of the process, please go to school. Read design magazines or take a course from Milton Glaser or get a subscription to Before & After."

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Update:
How prescient was this post? I just received an email from a client, telling me: "I am in the process of acquiring Adobe Creative Suite and will complete the work myself. Please render your final invoice and we will call it quits."

Good to luck to her if she thinks the software will do the work for her! Guess my three years of studying for a B.A. (Hons) in graphic design and 18 years' professional experience were wasted! :-)