brassblogs

I’ve been in business for myself for a few years now – since October of 2001 – even I can’t believe it’s been that long. However, even though I initially made a conscious decision to “take it slow,” I can’t help but notice some things that are starting to bug me.

I belong to a few great “networking” things. You can find me on FaceBook (although that’s usually reserved for friends and family – I don’t promote my business there), I’m over at LinkedIn, and I even have a MySpace account (which I never use. Honestly? I can’t stand MySpace LOL). But my two absolute favorites are Twitter and a terrific designer’s list called the “WDG.” I could not live without either of them, I don’t think. I’m on both of them pretty much every single day of the week at some point or another, because they are such invaluable resources for me.

I am also a believer that “everything happens for a reason,” and that “everything is connected.” I do believe that what you put out, you get back threefold. Call it “karma” or “the Law of Return” or whatever you like – I don’t think of it as a religious perspective. It just is what it is, and it’s a stance I try to live by.

Recently, I’ve noticed a few trends with my business model – and it’s so very strange that these small things I’ve noticed have been reflected by a myriad of people I follow on Twitter. I’ve been paying attention to it, very closely, and taking it to heart. These conversations and reflections have brought to light some feelings about my business that I knew were there, but I ignored. I no longer want to ignore them, and I’m currently in the process of doing something about it.

Part of that is to get more of you all into that process, Dear Readers. Not that I choose to have you do it for me, but I’ve always been a big advocate of helping others that come after me. If I’ve learned something, then maybe passing on what I’ve learned will help someone else so they don’t fall into the same traps I did. I’ve always been like that, and I know I will always continue to be like that.

Yes, this sounds like rambling – but it is a process of things to come. it’s just that this is such a small format for me to try and express everything that’s in my head right now, and I’m truly excited for my future – but I don’t want to lay on the whole thing at once, so I’m attempting restraint. (My mother always said I should be a novelist, because I can’t just tell a short story LOL) But I will post the beginning here.

The beginning is this: there is a list of “rules” I’ve been following throughout the past 8 years, and used it as my business model. It’s a list of rules I compiled from different sources, and things I truly thought would get me where I needed to be – where I expected to be at this point in my career. The rules are as follows:

1. Always remain professional, and don’t try to “get too personal” with your clients or colleagues, because they will always find a way to use it against you.
2. If you’re a WAHM (“work-at-home-mom”), never advertise it – not unless you want other WAHMs as clients.
3. The customer is always right.
4. Modesty is a virtue – if you are truly good, then you will be noticed when you deserve it.
5. Always think of others first.
6. Always do the best you can.
7. Always be helpful.
8. Anything you’ve done can always be done better.
9. Keep your head down and plow through it until it’s done.
10. Never miss a deadline – always strive to get it done sooner than expected.
11. If you’re asked a question and you don’t know the answer, find it.
12. Nobody likes a complainer.
13. The Devil is in the details.

Now, his is not a list that was generated somewhere and I’ve copied – but it’s a list of rules, as I said, that I’ve compiled from gleaning information from others. These “others” include colleagues and former bosses, as well as from my own childhood and how I was raised. It’s not a huge list, but it’s definitely spot on – it’s exactly what I’ve been doing for all of this time.

I’m going to let you sit on this until my next post. Let you see it and maybe comment on it. This list is what I’ve been stewing on for the last 6 months, and I know it’s time to finally address the flaws in it – and take my business where it needs to be – to where I want it to be. Please feel free to share your thoughts on it. I already have my own – but different perspectives would be terrific to have