Back to Business is for the Birds

After a thought-provoking and rejuvenating vacation across the big pond, this bird is back in the office wanting to channel those inspirations into action. An email newsletter blasted in my mailbox this week that actually motivated me to read it and share it. While the details of the communication did not necessarily apply to my line of business, the directives were simple and direct.

For those of us Free Birds, each of these “tips” could be chapter titles in new business plans…we just need to write the text in our own words.

TIP #1

Pursue Your Passion

Mix business and pleasure.  Let’s put some love back in our work.

TIP #2

Get The Word Out

Don’t be shy. Embrace social media. Build a following.

TIP #3

Improve Your Products

Add a new product or service and let your clients know.

TIP #4

Stay Educated

Take a class, go online, read a book.  Learn, learn and continue to learn.

Who’s afraid of a little competition.

A little competition never hurt anyone.

Ya gotta love the Linked In.  How can you beat the efficiency of an on-line resume and the wide broadcast of accolades that your acquaintances so generously heap on you (and vice versa)?

Call me paranoid, but I am actually quite finicky with those I choose to include in my circle of contacts on-line.  That’s because I do enough snooping to realize that we’re all fair game and the hunt for information is so exhiliratingly satisfying. Someone “out there”, or some “friend” right on your very own Facebook page, is studying you, what you’re doing, who you’re talking to. I naively think I am protecting my business from marauders with my selectivity.  But really, I’m limiting my scope of influence and possibilities.  It’s a new year and I need to loosen up.

Don’t underestimate your competition.  Learn from it.

One of our guest Birds cited the McDonald’s/Burger King competition as the classic example of competitive learning. Rumor has it that #2 Burger King waits patiently while #1 McDonalds drops the big bucks on feasibility studies to determine potential new locations.  That’s why wherever there’s a McDonalds’ grand opening, there’s the Burger King himself lurking around the corner waiting to break ground for his new unit.

Competition is good.

When you’re not the only game in town, customers and clients have a choice to make.  And you have the perfect opportunity to help them choose by distinguishing yourself from your competition.  Differentiation. Knowing your competition’s strengths and offerings can help you determine how you need to market yourself.  Or readjust yourself.

Competition motivates, me.

Motivation comes in two forms:  internal or external.  Either you have the intrinsic discipline to get yourself going or you have some other force pulling you into action (family obligations, mortgage payments, bosses).  Realistically, it’s a combination of factors. I have to admit that I have a deep-seated competitiveness that pushes me.  Perhaps it came from growing up in the shadow of an older brother.  Perhaps it was years playing competitive singles tennis instead of team sports.

All I know is that when that little bird of competition whispers in my ear, something clicks in me and I become a hawk: stealthy and aggressive.

What do we charge for our work?

Are our fees based on hourly rates?

Daily rates?

Project parameters?

Or whatever the market can bear?

The Free Birds’ pricing structures were probed and prodded at last month’s meeting by a remarkably astute guest bird.  This chick, a business consultant/coach, gave each of us (or pulled from us) specific actions that we could do to increase business and/or revenue.  From adding new services (and promoting those additional services) to contacting 20 clients that we haven’t heard from in a while, our guest bird charged us with energy and direction.  The challenge with some of our businesses is that pricing parameters are industry-established.  But that’s where we birdies need to think creatively and boldly.  Like proud peacocks, we mustn’t be afraid to acknowledge and promote the value of our talents and our experience.   We just need to reflect that confidence in our invoices.  And be big enough birds to deal with our clients’ squawking.

Some pricing sites:

AIGA’s Center for Practice Management (American Institute of Graphic Arts)

ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers)

Some humorous video commentaries on the challenges of dealing with clients:

Vendor Client Relationship

Web Designer Versus Cheap Client and a similar British version Graphic Designer Versus Client (rated X for language)

The Birds have your back.

When the Free Birds flock first came together last year, it was not intended to be a support group in that stereotypically needy way.

Rather, I saw us as a social group of like-minded and accomplished chicks who had successfully made careers for ourselves without benefit of a bi-weekly paycheck.

The fact that many of us were dealing with the effects of a downward spinning economy was just another common denominator.

But it seems that our flock is just awash in support for one another these days…without the twelve steps.

At our last meeting, we shared the disappointment of one bird’s exclusion from an anticipated opportunity and another bird’s anxiety over a potential business opportunity.  Rather than a gentle “there, there” pat on the back, the birds rallied with specific direction and creative suggestions.  We reviewed one bird’s collection of work and offered presentation options.  For another, in the development stages of a new venture, we volunteered to research her competition and report back.

Is this a Support Group?  Or just a little Bird Care?

Fear of flying?

Here’s the thing about staying in our comfort zone: it doesn’t get us anywhere.  Sure, there’s security but there’s also no chance of discovery either.  How can we soar to new heights if we’re scared to take that first step?  If we were birds, our first flight from the nest would be instinctive, a result of developmental changes in our neuromuscular systems rather than prodding from our mothers.

According to Wikipedia:

“One’s comfort zone refers to the set of environments and behaviors with which one is comfortable, without creating a sense of risk.

To step out of the comfort zone raises the anxiety level engendering a stress response, the result of which is an enhanced level of concentration and focus.”

Of course, there’s all sorts of tips to get you in a changing frame-of-mind and to lessen the anxiety that goes with change:

•  Take small steps
•  Try something new (wear something new, eat something new, drive a new way home, think NEW!)
•  Make a new friend
•  Take a friend with you
•  Educate yourself
•  Think positive thoughts
•  Make a plan

The Free Birds recently challenged each other to do a little stepping out.  For one shy bird, some on-line self-promotion was encouraged.  For another, we suggested she investigate other resources to market her wares.  For this bird, I may be landing a new business opportunity.  While I have the unbridled support and encouragement of my potential business partners, I struggle with the fear-factor.  Fear of flying?  Perhaps.

Last week, the flock hosted its first guest speaker who generously and enthusiastically shared her story of redirection and re-education.  After a career and a masters degree in the unrelated field of publication design, this chick changed course and is now pursuing a Doctorate of Natural Health. For her, it just seemed the natural thing to do.

For the rest of us, who are just trying to keep pace with technological advances within our industries, the need for continuing education is clear.  In the words of my late mother:  “What are you a dummy?  You don’t want to learn?”  Take a class, call a friend, google a question to the virtual universe….the information you need is out there.

I have become a huge fan and ardent student of the on-line instructional series lynda.com. For a monthly ($25) or yearly ($250) subscription fee, one can access about a trillion different self-paced software training tutorials as well as a selection of FREE courses.

I have been enlightened (or simply acquainted) with topics ranging from:

HTML CODING ESSENTIALS to

CREATING MAIL LISTS & LABELS IN MICROSOFT WORD to

EXPORTING EXCEL CHARTS TO INDESIGN to

PORTRAIT RETOUCHING TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP.

This distance learning system works for me.  I can start and stop, go back, take notes, go back, go back, go back til I get it.

The founder of lynda.com, Lynda Weinman, is also an inspiring example of a successful free bird who continues to soar to new heights. Here’s her common-sense advice to the aspiring entrepreneur:

“Stick to your core competencies – don’t just start a business to make money or leave a job you don’t like. Find your passion. Follow it, and the universe will open!”

Check out this short interview with Lynda Weinman on WomenandBiz.com, an e-Magazine dedicated to the woman-owned business.

To see Lynda live, check out this video of Lynda Weinman:  The lynda.com Story on lynda.com. And for all you birds trying to make ends meet, this video lesson is FREE.

My recent trek to central Mexico and the monarch butterfly’s winter roosting/migration grounds was simply magical.  Virtual snowstorms of hundreds of millions fluttering jewels.

What these amazing little creatures endure to travel to their ancestral home is nothing short of miraculous.  Especially given the fact that they had never set a single delicate leg in Central America prior to their landing.  You just have to admire that fierce drive and determination.

Even without this migration miracle, the monarch’s life cycle is awe-inspiring.  From its initial stage as an eating-machine caterpillar to the strangely beautiful chrysalis, the monarch emerges as nature’s iconic beauty.

The concept of metamorphosis, the act of transforming oneself into something new, came up at the last meeting of the Free Birds.  Armed with enthusiasm and a marketing plan, one member of our flock shared her vision of a totally new career for herself that would take her from the confines of her office and out into the street.  Another chick is considering repackaging her experience and knowledge into a new identity and business model.  What is old is new again.

In both cases, the need for market research, competitive analysis and planning is mandatory when contemplating a career shift; some deep soul-searching won’t hurt either.  The Small Business Administration website offers some tools for new business ventures, especially their Write a Business Plan outline complete with sample business plans.  And the site even has a section called Getting Out should your venture go south with the monarchs.

Happy New Year, now back to business.

At the last productive meeting of the Free Birds, we reviewed the flock’s assorted biographies and résumés.  This is what we liked:

• Testimonials

• Indentations, bullets and clean organization

• Brevity

• Third-person narrative rather than first-person voice

• Chronological ordering starting with most recent entries

• White space

Of course, unique paper stocks, distinctive imagery and beautiful typography and graphic design were also appreciated.  Like a crow with a shiny object, we creative birds may have been caught up in the pretty things a bit.  But each of us left with a specific to-do list for improving the content of her résumé.

Some references to consider that I borrowed from the local library, yes, LIBRARY:

“Perfect Phrases for Résumés” by Michael Betrus – came in handy when I ran out of ways to say “Experienced”.   Some favorites:

•  Instrumental in….

•  Extensive involvement in….

•  Personally responsible for….

•  Consistently….

•  Expert in developing…..

“101 Great Résumés” by Ron Fry -  As a graphic designer, visual organization is second-nature to me, so it was interesting to see the array of organizational approaches and visual styles that the birds presented at our meeting.  This book lists 19 tips to a “great looking résumé” including:

1.  Limit your résumé to one or two pages.

7.  Don’t mix typefaces.

11.  Use generous margins.

18.  Shorten your line length.

As with everything, there are no absolutes and a grain of salt may be taken with any of these “perfect tips”.

So the one thing that I took away from the Contractor’s Job Fair (besides a canvas bag) was that in today’s economy, one needs to distinguish herself from the rest of the flock.  It’s that simple.

The challenge, especially among many free birds, is to get over the idea that we are bragging about ourselves or that we are unworthy of unabashed praise.   While many of us dedicate our work day to promoting stuff, organizations and other people, we find it uncomfortable to sing our own songs.  On key.

With that in mind, the latest homework assignment of the Free Birds United group is to write/rewrite/update and then share our bios (or résumés) with the rest of the flock.  Call it a hunch, but I have the feeling the birds will encourage each other to crow a bit more loudly.

Here’s a resource I came across recently that may help get you started: CeeVee.  This free, online résumé management service creates tidy resumes for web or print.  Of course, you’re still going to have to fill in the blanks.

Government Procurement Fair - October 20th

* BRAC = Base Realignment and Closure = $

CONNECT WITH PRIME CONTRACTORS TO PROCURE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

On October 20th (my 2nd wedding anniversary, btw) I may be flying down the beltway to check out the Annual Baltimore/Washington Region Government Procurement Fair.

Looks like the perfect environment to flaunt my new Woman Business Owner certification.

Sponsored by the Baltimore/Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC), this event offers:

•   One-on-one counseling sessions

•   Exhibits & Sponsors (including such big acronyms as IBM, EPA, NASA,  MVA, U of MD, etc)

•    Presentations on connecting with the Fed Government, State of MD and Prime Contractors

Unfortunately, according to  BWCC, the Pre-Procurement Fair Workshop scheduled for October 7th has been sold out, but there is a wait-list:  www.bwcc.org