What I learned in my first year of business
What I Learned in my First Year of Business
It’s been just over a year since I launched Mindfully Made. I initially started my brand as a side hustle whilst working for a design agency in London. After networking and gaining enough clients to get me off the ground, I took the leap and haven’t looked back since. I now work as an independent brand and web designer, working with lifestyle brands in the wellness industry.
It had always been a dream to eventually run my own business, but it stayed in my mind as something I’d do along the line once I had more figured out. As all designers do, I had negative thoughts about all the ways it could go wrong. I told myself that I didn’t have enough experience, that I’m not a good enough designer to go out on my own and that people wouldn’t take me seriously because I’m so young. But, after my first industry job left me burnt out and creatively stunted, I finally had the fire in my belly to just go for it.
I’ve learned a lot over this past year and had so many great experiences. It’s been incredibly tough starting from scratch, as it would be in any circumstance, but with the pandemic on top of everything I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve grown a lot and gained wisdom from this year that I’ll carry with me throughout my career. As with most wisdom, it comes from messing up and learning from our mistakes. Every designer has their own approach to working and managing their clients, but hopefully, you can learn from some of my mistakes without having to make them yourself.
Create A Squeaky Clean Contract
One of the first steps when it comes to working with clients is to get yourself a squeaky clean contract. This will make you feel so much more secure within your business and make sure that any transactions are agreed in writing. It’s so important to protect yourself and your business from anyone who doesn’t have your best interests in mind. A good contract also sets a professional tone for your work partnerships and gives all involved an expectation for what’s to come during your contracted time together.
Avoid Oversharing
When it comes to communicating with clients, some may want to take a back seat and let you control the project. Others may want to be heavily involved in the process - which has been the case for me in the past with a few clients! It’s important that you establish yourself as the expert. After all, they’ve paid you for your expertise. You may need to subtly remind them of that sometimes throughout the project. Avoid oversharing your work during the creative process. They should be encouraged to trust you and the design decisions you make along the way. You are there to guide your client through the process, without them having to get heavily involved. I’ve learned that organisation is key to building trust. So, establish a timeline with your client at the beginning of a project, letting them know when they can expect to hear from you with updates and presentations.
Make Time For Setbacks
Setting out in business and expecting it to be a smooth ride is going to leave you incredibly stressed out. It's important to know that there will always be setbacks in one area or another - no matter how many years you’ve been in business. But, there are ways to gain control. For example, over-predicting how long something might take you allows for a bit of a bumper and if it’s completed sooner then it’s a nice surprise for the client. I’ve found that sending out my invoice for deposit at least two weeks before the project start date allows for time on either side of the project for delays and preparation. This ensures I keep to project timelines and am not rushing the client last minute. Not everyone you work with will be as organised as you, and that’s okay. You only have to focus on keeping yourself in control and the client will get the message and follow suit.
Protect Your Finances
When quoting a client for a project, I’ve found that adding a little extra cushion to the final quote will prevent you from stressing if the project overruns or you encounter delays. If the quote has some room to move, then you are giving yourself more freedom to run with the creative process. If the project overruns or something takes you longer than you expect for whatever reason, you’ll likely be covered for that extra time. As a suggestion, add what an additional couple of days of extra work would cost you.
Every Designer Shares The Same Struggles
I’ve recently realised that no matter how much success you perceive someone having, all designers share the same struggles. We all have to work with challenging clients, go through quiet work periods and end up questioning our validity as creatives. It shows that growing into a successful business isn’t about becoming all-knowing but instead shifting your perception of struggles within the industry. You should never question yourself when going through a challenging spell, but instead remember that it’s a struggle shared by all, that you too will get through. The best part is that you’ll come out the other side with more wisdom and knowledge to share.
Change Your Perception Of Success
My own perception of success has shifted hugely over this year. I now see success as an everyday achievement. It no longer looms in the unreachable distance but is something I can easily reach every day by celebrating my small/big achievements. Success is making a new connection, learning a skill or overcoming an obstacle that once held you back. It’s encouraging someone in your community, sharing knowledge and spreading light to people who believe in you so they too can feel that support. I’ve learned that once you change your meaning of success, the pressure comes off, and designing becomes enjoyable again.
Don’t Be Afraid To Invest
When starting out on a business journey, it's often a bit of a financial struggle as it is. It can be difficult to think of spending out before any real money has come in, but investing in something that will increase your earnings is key to levelling up your business. You don’t have to spend lots of money to still invest in your business. Here are some examples of what you could invest in: education, software, templates, books, courses and software. Showing you are prepared to invest instantly gives your business a sense of professionalism and will add value to your services. If you invest in templates or even outsource an assistant for certain tasks, you are ultimately saving yourself time that can be spent on creating the real work that you are passionate about. No one wants to waste hours a week sifting through emails and admin tasks - so don’t. Be smart with your money and always outsource where you need to.
Establish Boundaries
Establishing boundaries with clients is incredibly important. You have to remind yourself of your status within the contract. You have been sought after for your skills, so now the client must trust the process and leave you to do the work. As the designer, it’s our job to put our foot down and say no to things if they don’t serve us. Saying no is such a healthy practice within business. Being able to recognise that you have a process to stick to shows that you are embodying your brand - with the boundaries there to stop that work creeping into your personal time. Simple suggestions may be to remove emails from your phone, set working hours when the client can communicate with you, avoid sharing your personal phone number when you can and steer away from chatting about work outside of your business channels. Keep work life and downtime separate and you’ll be feeling more balanced in both areas.
It’s been a year since I started my business. Although I’m still figuring things out, I now I approach my work with a positive mindset and confidence in my skills. I get to work on projects that align with my values and leave me feeling creatively fulfilled. I hope you can take something away from my business learnings and use some of this advice to help with your own business, whether you’re in year one or twenty one. Knowing that everyone shares the same struggles brings us all together.
I’d love to hear some of your business wisdom. Share some knowledge below and let’s give each other a chance at a smoother business journey.
