1 Year in Business: 5 Take-Aways
In August I passed my official “1-year-in-business” anniversary. I moved to Asheville in October of 2017 and started working on my own, and after explorations, trials, and tribulations, I registered Amp’d Designs as an LLC in August of 2018.
Here’s a quick background:
Will and I with our loaded moving truck just before we left for Asheville in October 2017 (and my iMac GladyOS packed nicely in the background)
When I moved here I didn’t have a game plan. My boyfriend and I had been talking about moving out of New York City, and one day while I was at work he texted me, “just put in my two weeks,” and I was like, “well, I guess I’ll do that, too,” so I did, and a few weeks later we moved to Asheville!
It seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the switch to working for myself, but at first I didn’t think that freelancing could mean owning a business. The more I explored what I wanted to do and the way I wanted to portray myself, and discovered all that goes into self employment, I realized that I was operating like a business and it was important to me to be perceived as one.
Lots happened while I was finding the right path (almost started a totally different business and squashed that idea, and took an amazingly helpful class at Mountain Bizworks, to name just a few), and I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned over the past year that have really helped solidify my values and how I work.
1. Stick to your guns
When I first moved to Asheville I spent a lot of time attending different events and programs where business owners would share their tips for running a business and how they became successful. It was fascinating to hear all the different methods that worked for different people and industries. I really love getting feedback (both on my work and on my practices), but I found it important to realize that just because something was right for someone else didn’t mean it would be right for me. Occasionally someone would make a recommendation for something I should implement and it just didn’t feel right. Often these weren’t bad ideas and even might have been quite helpful for other designers, but at the end of the day if it didn’t align with what I wanted to do and my values, I didn’t do it.
2. Be patient
I never thought that starting this venture would be easy. I was moving to a new city where I knew no one and I knew that building a foundation would take time. Admittedly though, there were periods of time where I felt like I was going to so many networking events and meeting so many people and getting no work. That, coupled with family and friends constantly asking what I was doing and if I should be considering other options, did get a little frustrating.
When I did start getting projects most leads came from people I’d met months before and often in unexpected ways, like people that knew people I’d met, and even other designers that had met their capacities. It was important to not get frustrated and have the patience to keep pushing forward to get to this point!
3. Build relationships
With members of AIGA Asheville, a professional development group for creatives that I’ve had the pleasure of “networking with” and serving for as the founding Vice President
When I announced that I was quitting my job and was going to start working for myself, most people responded with something like, “well, luckily freelancers can work from anywhere and have clients all over the world.” While this is true, I’ve found that most of my clients are Asheville-based and only a few remain remote. I totally chalk this up to building in-person relationships.
One thing (of many) that I love about Asheville is that most networking events tend to be casual and friendly, not just about handing out as many business cards as I can. While it’s obviously important to explain what I do, it’s invaluable to get to know people beyond their businesses. The opportunity to connect and converse over time ultimately builds trust and strengthens potential business relationships, as well.
I should add that I am 100% an introvert. Before moving here, I had never gone to a networking event. At the first one I went to, I think I stood in the corner staring at the group for at least 15 minutes before I finally built up enough courage to walk over. After 2 years, I have to say that now I kind of enjoy them! I definitely still get nervous when I check out a new group, but there is something comforting about meeting other business owners and knowing that we’re all in this together!
4. Don’t be afraid to say no
During slow periods there is always an urge to take any project lead just so I’ll have something to work on. There were definitely times that I would have a bad gut feeling about a project inquiry, or it wasn’t the type of design I’d usually do, or the style that the client wanted didn’t align with my style at all. Others would tell me to take it for the experience, or that having one okay project would be better than having no projects. I also have a tendency to want to please people and I don’t like turning people down.
The reality of it is, though, that taking a project that’s not right for me does more harm than good. Often it ends up being work that I don’t want to share on my website, or I don’t feel like my time and experience is valued, or it forces me to compromise on my style & practices, and thus makes me unhappy. Only taking projects that are a good fit allows Amp’d Designs to grow in the direction that I want it to.
5. Don’t worry about what other people are doing
When working from home alone with no one else to bounce ideas off of, one can kind of fall into a little funnel of, “am I doing this right?” thoughts. (At least I do.) Sometimes I would start to overthink. Were my ideas too similar to others’, or were they too different and no one would like them? What if other designers, who I respected, didn’t agree with the way I was running my business? What if I didn’t come off as professional as I was trying to?
I read an article on 99U in which Emily Suber addresses this perfectly with: “Don’t worry about what other people think of you because they probably aren’t thinking about you.” And I think that’s probably true. I don’t obsess over what other people are doing, so why should I think that other people care about what I’m doing?
Bonus: On work-life balance
This kind of couples with “don’t be afraid to say no.” When I quit my job, one of my most important goals was to achieve a better work-life balance. I was so used to getting home from work at night and just eating dinner and going to bed; I felt like I had no hobbies anymore and barely did anything other than work.
It’s difficult to always maintain balance; I do still overbook myself from time to time and my clients’ satisfaction is of utmost importance to me so it can be hard to pull away from work. But for the most part I’ve been adamant with myself about working normal hours (9-5) during the week, not working on weekends, and booking projects according to my availability timeline. (I’m lucky that my boyfriend will sometimes hold me accountable by forcing me to step away from the computer at 5:00!)
I don’t think there is any shame in turning down a project or its timeline for the benefit of mental health. The first time I told a client that I wasn’t available to start a project for a few months was daunting; I wanted the project and wanted to help, but knew I was at capacity. I thought for sure the client would go to a different designer, but they were willing to wait. This taught me that my work and my business are valued. And, spending more time on other activities outside of work helps me reset so I can go back to work feeling refreshed, productive, and focused each day.
It’s interesting to reflect on how much I’ve learned in just one year. Looking forward to another year of business with great clients, wonderful relationships, and value-based design work!
Curious to know more about Amp’d Designs or my work?
Let’s start a conversation!
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