Biz Notes: Working On, Not Just In, Your Business

I really needed today’s post. It’s been a while since I’ve talked anything work or business with you guys, and I’m craving it. I’m also craving an iced coffee the size and my head and to go sit by the beach for a week (or a month), but that will have to wait. Right now I need this post to clear my head, pull me out of my day to day, and think more big picture. I’m way overdue for that kind of thinking.

Lately, I think I’ve fallen into the rhythm of just working in my business, and not as much on my business. I get so caught up in the day to day of current projects that it can be hard to pull myself out of that and think about “Wait, where am I headed? What direction do I want to be headed? Am I making a conscious effort towards that direction?”

The working “on” your business, I suppose, could be categorized as creating a business plan. But the thing no one tells you (or I didn’t really realize) when you start working for yourself, is that even if you have a set business in mind, things are going to shift. You’ll learn things about your clients you didn’t know until you started working with them, the things you want and don’t want to do within your business will become blindingly apparent, and all the while you have to be willing to adapt.  Seven months ago I wrote a business plan, but I feel as if I could write a completely brand new one now. The idea of writing a new one though doesn’t seem productive because that, too, will likely need a complete overhaul in another six months. A year long business plan, for me, feels like New Year’s resolutions, they’re too out of touch with everyday reality to actually be fulfilled.

Six months seems to be my magic number. It’s the right amount of time I can bite off when it comes to realistically planning and setting goals for my work. And I’m not only talking goals like “I will have x number of clients by such and such date,” but goals that capture the type of work I want to be doing, the things I need for my business, and the people I want to be working with. I’ve decided to break the goals into three areas: clients and projects, collaborations, and business needs. Here’s what that actually means:

Clients/ Projects:

• I’ve been lucky so far in that the clients I’ve worked with I’ve really enjoyed, and I believe, have really benefitted from my work . But I need to shift my attitude a bit and start thinking about what type of clients would best benefit from my services? Saying I plan corporate events or intimate weddings is too broad. I need to get really specific and then seek those people/ businesses out.
• I need to make it clear I do more than just event planning. It became very clear to me in the last two months that though I advertise myself as an event planner, my services and expertise go immensely beyond that, and people are hiring me for much more than just coordinating their event. That “other work” mainly falls into the category of marketing and event strategy, but I need to figure out how to clearly communicate that.

Collaborations:

• Grow Business Partnerships: The number of opportunities and connections that came out of my first business partnership (the Business in the City workshops) is literally invaluable. It not only exposed me to amazing people and resources, but created new business opportunities for me and made me acutely aware of my unique business strengths and skills. I also love collaborating with other business owners, it provides such  a good balance. I’d like to establish and truly get going two solid partnerships by the end of the year.

Business Needs:

• Get a new business website! Full disclosure guys, my current website ran me $20 to create. I was not ready to invest in a full blown customized website because I knew it would take some time actually working for myself to figure out the type of website I needed. Since the majority of my business was coming through word of mouth, my website wasn’t as much of a resource for potential clients- people just knew me and knew what I did. Now that’s changed. My services have evolved, the type of clients I’m taking on has expanded, and the type of work I do needs to be clearly stated! That all needs to come through on the website, in both text and images.
• A new website also means an actual logo ( not one I slapped together in Photoshop), new business cards, and branded contracts and invoices. It’s time to get even more legitimate. I’d like to give myself a four month rather than a six month deadline for these last two items!