Learning Not to Squeeze

Yesterday, David Toms, a 40-year old American golfer lost the Players Championship in a sudden death playoff. On the first hole of the playoff, a treacherous par 3, with a postage-stamp sloping green surrounded by a lake, Toms hit a safe, but well-placed tee shot, to the largest part of the green, leaving himself some chance for birdie, but ultimately the opportunity to play the next hole if he could just sneak away with a 2-putt. His first putt rolled 3 feet past the hole, an easy come back par putt uphill with very little break. For the first time all week, Toms missed the 3-footer, and with that his hopes at winning the Players Championship. With a gallery full of hundreds maybe thousands of onlookers, the fear got the best of him. 

We've seen before in golf. The pro missing the seemingly easy putt on the world's stage. In Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, Dr. Joseph Parent discusses this phenomenon of "squeezing." When we are confronted with fear our body's natural reaction is to tense up (called a brace response). Our senses heighten, our muscles tense, and we lose the ability to move fluidly. In golf, that translates into gripping the club too tightly, and by losing your calm, you can't act or in this case putt the way you visualize in your mind. In other words, our minds tell our bodies to act, but when in the grip of fear, the tension overcomes our ability to do so. The best golfers in the world, are the ones who learn to master that fear. And, in business we too have to master that fear on a daily basis. 

Fears in small business take on a wide variety of faces. 

It could be fear that you aren't going to meet a deadline, fear that you don't have what it takes to pull off a task, fear that you are going to lose a client to a competitor, fear that your employees are going to leave for something better, or any of the other ones that come to mind. It's the thing that gives you a sick feeling in your stomach when you think of it. The thing that makes you sweat a little when you consider what would happen if...

So how do we take control over these fears?

I heard someone say the other day, that as small business owners, every day we wake up unemployed. Interesting take, but completely based in fear. First we must position our thoughts on the right side of the "what ifs." For every negative outcome to the question of "what if," there is an equal and opposite positive outcome.

We have to remember that all we can do is our best, and if you're squeezing, you're not allowing yourself to do your best. There are times when I'm up against a hard deadline, pushing to get that creativity to flow, when the fear starts to grow inside me. What if I miss this deadline? What if I don't come up with an idea that's good enough, or don't deliver on the quality of work that I have promised? What if they never want to work with me again? What if, what if, what if...? One things is for sure, the fear snuffs out the creative flame immediately. 

It's in these times, that I have to take a deep breath and let go. I have to stop squeezing.

I have to trust what got me here in the first place. Trust my motivation. As a Christian, I have to trust in God. I have to realize that ultimately, past the point where I've given it my all, it's out of my hands. I can't control what others like, say or do. I can only control the effort I put in, the way I treat my clients and employees, and the integrity with which I operate my business.

It is said that the proper tension in a putter grip is strong enough that it won't fall out of your hands when you swing it, but gentle enough that if someone pulled on it, it would come free. The same is true of business. To borrow a phrase from .38 Special, "Hold on Loosely." 

• Hold on to your clients with excellence in service, but don't squeeze in fear, you'll only drive them away.
• Hold on to your employees with respect and praise, but don't harness their talents for fears that they might get too good and leave you. Incentivize them so that their job is too good to leave. 
• Hold on to your creative process AND your deadlines, but set yourself up to succeed, and don't let the fear of failure force you into producing work that doesn't meet your standards for excellence. 

And if one day you find yourself standing on the green, in a sudden death playoff with a 3-footer to stay alive, trust your ability, trust your read, and don't squeeze.

When to say when...

Being a small business owner comes with its share of "when to say when" moments. There seems to be a new one every week:
When do I give in a hire someone to help me out?
When have I had enough with my ol' faithful piece of crap computer?
When is it time to give up on filing my desktop madness and throw it all into one big "Desktop Bankruptcy" folder?

But the most important one is when to take a stand, when it comes to your clients.

Clients after all, are the lifeblood of the small business. They are "our new boss" no matter which way you slice it. I rant continuously on the way designers take criticism and what's more, the way we treat a client who isn't fond of something we've done. After all, when you put your time, heart and soul into something, it can't be wrong right? That's rarely the case and deep down we know it.

But I'm talking about a larger issue.  If you have a client that does not treat you or your employees with respect, when is it time to say, "It's no longer beneficial, for me to work with this client, unless the communication changes." I think the answer lies somewhere in between the extremes.

More often than not, this point comes too quickly for designers, and ego and pride get in the way of serving our customers well. Our function as designers is not simply to make beautiful visual communication, but to communicate on the behalf of others, which involves (you guessed it) listening to those "others."

This is why we are small business owners. This is paramount to why your small business will succeed or fail. It's the delicate balance of choosing your words wisely, choosing your battles, and choosing when to say when. The number one goal is not to see how many clients you can "fire," but to show your clients through your own respect and grace, how both parties should treat one another. Try, try and try again. And, if they continue to be treat you poorly or question your integrity, then trust your motives, trust your company purpose, and move on.

An Interview with Tim Watson of Visual Inventor

I went to work for Visual Inventor in the fall of 2000. I was still in school and eager to get started in the graphic design field, and Tim Watson provided me with that opportunity. Tim was the owner/founder of Visual Inventor and had a knack for web design, identity, and typography in particular. I've never met a person who was more adamant about the importance of concept, iconic marks for logos and the importance of the "sketch", and thank goodness. [Aside: with the onslaught of Illustrator and Photoshop, the sketch has lost it's place with many young designers… and sadly so.]

At VI we were designing websites with creativity that very few others were doing at the time– interesting navigations, unique layouts, animations and CSS(before CSS was cool). And with that blank canvas before us, we designed some sites that were on the leading fringe of what was going on in the web design world and as creative as anything I had seen.

As a new employee to a relatively new business, I got to see the growing pains that took place as Tim endeavored to grow a small company from the ground up. As a boss, he was very hands on, demanding, and always pushing you to get better. To push your ideas farther. I remember getting frustrated on more than one occasion with his insistence that I "keep sketching" before getting going on the computer. But one thing he taught me then, that I still go back to on a daily basis, is that embellishment in itself does not produce quality design. Embellishment might enhance a concept, but a design without a well thought out concept likely won't hold up over time. And no better way to come up with a concept than… you guessed it– SKETCH!

Tim taught me an appreciation for a classic icon, the beauty in the details of typography, and a relentless love for u2. All of which I maintain to this day. 

As a small business owner now, I find myself looking back at my history, and wanting to learn from what I experienced at past jobs. What better way to look forward than to look back with an interview.

/////////

SMALL BUSINESS

What did you name your company name:

First company name that was a flop: "Extension: From Mind to Design". It didn't roll off the tongue and was hard for people to get. After that I decided to make it something personal. I always thought I wanted to be an inventor and make things but when I got into school I discovered it was design I wanted to make and not necessarily things. So I put the two together and came up with Visual Inventor.

When did you start your small business?

Officially October 1994 while I was still in college. My thought was it takes about about a year to take flight and so I would have lost nothing if it flopped because when it would have flopped I would have just been graduated college.

How old were you when you started it?

I was 22

What spurred you to do so? Were you working somewhere else beforehand?

I was working like 4 part time jobs in college (I worked at 2 different record stores, the school newspaper and Olive Garden waiting tables) I was kind of supporting myself and loans got school taken care of. So what I made was for me to live on - so making the move to quit all the jobs and do Visual Inventor full time was a NUT job move that ended paying wonderful dividends.

How long were you up and running before you felt like you actually had a grip on what you were doing?

It was like almost a year to the day. It was sometime in October/November of 95 that things really started picking up. It was an awesome blessing because after I gradated in the summer it was rough. I had just gotten married and was living off my wife's salary. It was a ramen noodle type of affair.

How long until you were turning a decent profit?

To make a living that was descent it was like 3 years. Then after 5 years I hired talented youngsters like yourself that taught me a slew of whole new things. One of which being having employees was hard. Harder than I anticipated. Don't get me wrong the talented folks I worked with were incredible and gracious with my missteps but I was learning as I went and made mistakes. I don't regret them because I became better from them but there are times I wish I had a time machine.

What "Hat" did you hate wearing the most?

A. Technician/Designer

B. Manager

C. Accountant

D. Marketer/Salesman

E. Entrepreneur (Big Idea Guy)

F. HR

D. The schmoozer sales guy. I'm just not very much that way. I'd rather have you choose us for our work not because you like my shoes.

What "hat" did you love wearing the most? And if not designer, was that a surprise?

A. Technician/Designer

B. Manager

C. Accountant

D. Marketer/Salesman

E. Entrepreneur (Big Idea Guy)

F. HR

A. Always design was the first love. Entrepreneur having the big ideas was in there as well.  After that managing a large project was after probably.

What is/was the most-challenging area running your business? (Non-design related)

Keeping the sales coming in the door. Chasing your food as I call it. I abhor that. So much so I just stopped wanted to do the business because of it.

What was the single most important rule that you run/ran your business by? Personal "laws" that you would not break no matter what?

What was the best/most effective practice/system that you put into place?

It was probably T.O.M. our office management system. That thing kept the whole shop running along. It was a beast of a website that we fed our time into and it spit our estimates and a whole slew of other things. It was wonderful and antiquated and a behemoth but it worked.

Any systems that you care to divulge that were particularly effective that might help other small design business owners out there?

Get a good start to finish flow that works for you is my suggestion. For us it was TOM for someone else it might be basecamp. Allow tools to help you do better business.

What has been/was your biggest mistake in relation to running your business?

Renting office space for as long as I did. I'd get a real space paid out right next time.

Were there any break-through moments that you had? If so, care to name one or two?

All of them ... had learning points in them. I spent many a night baby sitting web servers when I should have been with my family - I regret that.

A break through for me on the positive side personally was doing my first website in '96 and realizing there was something there I liked about trying to break those rules. That was a great moment.

What's the one greatest life-lesson you learned from running a small business?

The time to do something is when others say you shouldn't. ... And snarl like Billy Idol after bad client phone calls.

/////////

DESIGN:

Favorite Font(s):

Publicate - my own design

Favorite Designer or Inspiration:

Neville Brody, Tobias Frere-Jones

I remember once you said that you never met a person who was "punny (a lover of puns)" that wasn't a good designer. Why do you think that is?

I don't know but I love that you reminded me of that. Humorous people make for good design maybe? I wonder how many other nuggets you have that I have forgotten. I wish my memory were better.

How important is sketching in your process?

Still is insanely important. I love the sketch. There is something that only lives in the sketch that once you capture in the machine has a 50/50 chance of being lost or taking flight. I like seeing the 50% that takes flight.

Favorite to Design: Identity, Print, Music, Web/Multimedia, Environmental?

I love a wonderfully simplistic icon. I also always love seeing my stuff ginormous but I love a site that has tons of traffic so I'd say web, identity/logo and environmental are all tied. I get a different kind of kick out of doing each of them.

/////////

MISC:

Top 3 Bands/Musical Artist?

1. U2

2. - has changed - Pixies

3. R.E.M.

If you could do anything (besides design) as a career, what would it be?

Professional typographer or design teacher.

/////////

My special thanks and sincere gratitude to Tim Watson for taking the time to do this interview, and for the inspiration. 

Tim can be found on twitter @wittmason

90% of Success is Showing Up

5 Rules to guarantee yourself a shot at being successful in small business.

My wife and I bought our first home in 2005. A Neo-Classical house built in 1911 that had been somewhat renovated about 10 years prior. Needless to say, while we love the house, it's got "character" and requires some serious upkeep. Thus began my first real-life experience with contractors, their work ethic, their (lack of) reliability and their seeming inability to show up when they say they are say they are going to.

Through 5 years now of using contractors (maintenance, construction, landscaping, etc.) I have learned some very important lessons. The ones that show up on time, do the job they say they are going to, communicate with you, and come in at the bid they originally gave you, are priceless. It made me think... why should this lesson not translate to ALL of small business, including my own?

Nothing and no one can guarantee your small business will succeed, but follow these 5 rules and you will have the best shot possible:

1. Show up on time.

Whether it be a meeting, a phone conference, whatever it is. Be there when you say you are going to be there. This will instill in your clients a sense that you are on top of things, attentive, and trustworthy.

2. Give your clients an accurate bid.

If a job is going to take you 10 hours to do, don't tell them 6 just to get the job and then bill them for 10. Give them an accurate quote the first time, and if the project is taking longer than suspected, be open and honest to why. If it's your fault for underbidding it (Yes, sometimes it is your fault), eat it and learn your lesson. If you gave them an estimate of 8-10 hours, and midway through the project they change the direction, notify them promptly of a change and in the amount of hours to complete the project within the new direction. Don't bury your head in the sand, then bill them for 14 hours. They are guaranteed to think you went back on your word. Which brings me the next rule.

3. Communicate openly and honestly about billing.

If you are honest in how you bill, there should never be a question that you cannot answer. If you bill hourly, then track your hours (always round them fairly) and be precise in recording what you are doing during that time. You don't have to break it out by 15 minute increments unless they ask. But if they do, you'll be prepared. Use a program like iBiz or other time tracking software to keep accurate records.

Again, if they switch course midstream, remember they probably know that it is going to cost them more. So take a couple of minutes, give them an accurate adjusted bid and communicate with them about the changes.

And probably most important, don't get defensive about billing. It's not personal, it's business. If you've kept accurate records, calmly answer their questions, be open and honest, be willing to walk them through the process.

4. Meet your deadlines.

If it's one thing that frustrates me more than anything about contractors, it's not meeting the deadlines we agree upon. Be realistic with your deadlines from the get-go. Pad your expected timeline by 15-25% to make up for unexpected emergencies. If you think you can get it done in 5 days, give yourself 6 to be safe. Then meet those deadlines.

If you are consistently not meeting your deadlines, you either have a problem with procrastination (stop being lazy) or you are setting unrealistic deadlines (adjust). 95% of the time a client would rather you meet a deadline that is a day later, than have you push a deadline an extra day or two because you didn't have something done when you said you would. Never ever ever miss more than one deadline with a client on one project. If you miss one, that client just jumped on the priority list. You should BEAT your next deadline for them.

Lastly, if you absolutely CANNOT meet a deadline you agreed on, give them as much advance notice as possible and promptly set a NEW deadline, so they can focus on the positive and not the negative.

5. Serve your clients well, and you won't have to sell.

I've never been one to sell. I hate it. I hate the way I feel when I'm doing it. I hate the way I sound when I hear myself trying to do it. For someone who wants to be successful in small business, you need to remember that referrals or word-of-mouth are going to be your biggest business-getters. That doesn't mean that marketing doesn't work, but before you go spend $5000 on a marketing campaign, ask yourself "Do my existing clients feel valued enough that they would give my name to my friends?" and if so, ask them "If you're happy with my work, I'd be honored if you would pass my name along to any friends or colleagues that you know that might be in need of my services." But don't say it that way. Put it in your own words.

I have found a few contractors which I truly trust to work on my house and one thing that I find is true. They all meet the rules I have mentioned, and I refer them to everyone I know that needs their services, without hesitation.

As creatives, we are predisposed to thinking that our talent is what gets us clients. Sure talent helps, but our business model, client relations, and customer service are the key ingredients to keeping those clients happy and referring us to their friends. When your clients hear that someone needs a designer, are you the first person that pops into their minds?

Bonus Rule:

6. Check your attitude at the door, trade it for some humility and kindness.

You're not the only designer. You're not the best designer. Stop being a snob, and be humble and kind to your clients. A kind demeanor will cover a multitude of sins in your small business. Don't mistake what I'm saying. I'm not saying be spineless, I'm saying be nice. Have the heart of a servant, not a prima dona.

The Small Graphic Design Business - Freelance goes broke

So I've decided to start a blog about my experience as a small business owner and a graphic designer. I am going to try to break this down as best as possible, and relay as much detail as necessary without getting too lengthy or redundant.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert. This is not a educational blog. This is how I did it. There are plenty of other ways to do it. Nothing makes mine special, but thanks to some excellent counsel and some good fortune I was able to set a firm foundation for a small business. I'm passing along the basics. Quick and dirty.

Stat #1: 80% of new small business don't make it 5 years.
Stat #2: Of that 20% that DO make it the first 5 years, 80% don't make it to year 10.
Put it this way: you have a 4 in 100 shot at keeping your small business running for 10 years.