Start up
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- ideaist0
When your competition runs, walk.
When they walk, run.
Everyone is walking right now so it's your time to run.
- gramme0
^ By the way, if anyone wants a copy of the above-mentioned book, drop me a line. I'm ready to do something different and need to get these things out of my office.
- gramme0
As many here know, I lost a job one year and 18 days ago. With a wife, child, and mortgage to pay for, I was forced to start on my own since no one I cared to work for around here was looking to hire a senior designer. I went on one interview, and when they decided against hiring anyone at all, I said the hell with having a boss and focused all my energy on starting a design business.
The first several months were brutal, as I only had one client to speak of. I wasn't sleeping well due to how things fell apart with my former boss. April and July were particularly slow months. But then things picked up a bit, and since August I've been steadily busy—more consistently busy than I was at my last job. It certainly doesn't hurt that I'm making apx. 50% more money.
Word to the wise: don't spend a large chunk of your promotional fund on a printed portfolio. I learned this the hard way, and now have about 80 $30 books that I can't shift. Invest in a good website, a studio blog, and an email newsletter before trying the much more expensive and usually less effective tactic of direct mail.
- kingkong0
Also I read quite a few things but one of the things I really enjoyed was something Monocle Mag did abut start ups. It had a foreword from the Lord of Darkness (Mandleson) which I found surprisingly inspirational. The whole issue was dedicated to start ups
Issue 28
- kingkong0
I've just left my job as an ECD with a baby on the way. Set up on my own 3 weeks ago. Early days but funnily I feel less stressed and more focused.
- doesnotexist0
I've been working from home for a few years now, have an office and usually let interns/jr designers work remote and have a team of photographers/developers I've worked with over the past few.
only time I wish I had an office is when my girl is between jobs and home all day with me, cramping my 'work in my underwear' style.
- babaganush0
Should have finished with thoughtandtheory's post (so good he posted twice). Surely if recent economic history teaches us anything that even 'safe' giants can fall. Do it, if it doesn't work out, find another 'safe' giant. If it works out retire young and happy - either way you'll feel more satisfied having tried.
- ********0
^ Women may also be more reluctant to use external sources of financing, because they do not want to increase the riskiness of the firm, or alternatively, because they do not want to give up control. From a supply side perspective, however, some research contends that women use smaller amounts of external capital because they are excluded from the types of male-dominated angel investor and venture capital networks that typically provide it (Greene et al., 2001). These questions provide opportunities for further research on the financing strategies of women launching technology-based firms.
- ********0
A very good read indeed: http://sbaer.uca.edu/research/us…
- raf0
Are there people here who run non-design web based businesses?
I know sublocked is one..- Yes. I focus on marketing for a service business.********
- Yes. I focus on marketing for a service business.
- baseline_shift0
Im still full time employed at a studio.
I do some freelance on the side, and it has actually picked up over the last 6 months. One of my big clients is one that fired their full time designer and hired me.
Depends on what sort of niche you are trying to carve out, and what your current contacts are, but I wouldnt categorically say its a bad time to start.
- wichard0
I have been thinking about slowly getting the ball rolling to start my own thing. I thought I would start out slowly and build up a network of clients.
- acescence0
I'm definitely busier now than a year ago. I find a lot of people are farming out stuff lately that they used to have in-house staff do, when they had in-house staff...
- ukit0
It truly depends what business you are trying to "start up."
Is it a solo design practice? Web application? Neighborhood grocery store? Is there a revenue model in place?
Think seriously about whether there is a real chance of turning a profit, or whether this is more of a shot in the dark kind of venture.
- blaw0
When it was just me I worked from a home office. There are pluses and minuses to that. Plus: cheap, easy access, go days without having to leave the house (very nice during the winter). Minus: some companies won't do business with one dude working out of a home office. At that stage there were two projects I didn't land for this very reason.
In my case, basically, the workload got to a point that it was either a) start turning down jobs; b) grow the company.
I choose to grow the company so I purchased and renovated a building. It was a lot of work, but very much worth it. Adding staff and having a physical presence in the community has definitely increased the flow work.
Another route: One of my friends works for a company where everyone telecommutes. No office space needed.
- ********0
Whatever you decide, you MUST earn real $$$. Ask yourself, will your new venture provide immediate returns? IF NOT, you must pause, take a deep breath and realize, as exciting and promising as this seems, that you may be hanging yourself and your wife out to dry, financially.
In other words, starting your own business is fantastic. Go for it, indeed. BUT, don't lose sight that you must earn real dollars to survive.
I hope you are able to find the right balance. Good luck! :)
- This is where preparing a solid business plan comes in to play. It makes you answer the tough questions.blaw
- TRUE.********
- jpaw610
How long can you work out of your house? Like say with blaw, if he is working out of his house and adding a fourth employee can he still work from home? Or are there then advantages to moving into a rented space?
- blaw0
Just to back up my earlier statement, in 2005 I started seriously freelancing and filled up my evenings and weekends with that work while working full-time for another company. In 2006 I took a deep breath and quit my day job. Our third full-time employee starts next month and I'm hoping to add a fourth by year's end. Just like anything else there are multiple ways to approach it, but a steady-growth approach really can work.
- what about throwing caution to the wind and tearing off to the other side of the country like a madman? hmm? no? damnkelpie
- (well done by the way)kelpie
- Multiple ways, like I said. I don't have the intestinal fortitude to dive head first. blaw = big sissy.blaw
- Thanks, kelpie. I do appreciate the kind words.blaw
- Where you located? Wanna hire me?baseline_shift
- Scotch_Roman0
Large agencies can be horizontally diverse (working across many markets), but it's nearly impossible for one or two-person shops to pull this off effectively. Eventually you might get there, but the quickest way to be seen as an expert and build a reputation is to pick an industry and mine it heavily. I'm gearing up to do that right now. I'm looking at clients in the fine and applied arts—so, museums, NPOs, design textiles and supplies, etc. Some of these sub-markets are doing better than others, but most seem to be at least staying afloat.
- Scotch_Roman0
^ About finding a niche. What I mean is that the most effective way to get work is to pick one or two (maybe three max) market niches to work in. Within that niche, be vertically diverse, i.e. doing anything from logos to books to websites and video direction. If you market yourself to anyone and everyone, you'll cast a broad net that will never go deep. Success can come this way, but it tends to take much longer. By picking a niche or two, you can much more effectively identify the good clients, the decision makers, and target them as potential clients.