"Self Employment -- A Reason For Setting the Alarm Clock or Do I Really Work at Nothing All Day?" was the second event in a two-part series called "2003 Career Kickoff," designed to launch the year with an inspiring strategic jump-start! A summary of this event follows.

Pros and Cons of a One-Person Business: Firsthand Insights From Two Veterans
by Michael Raphael

Carolyn:

Speaking on being a one-woman business, and the pros, cons, challenges, and approaches to meeting those challenges, Margon described what got her to this point in her professional life.

"I love going to people’s houses and seeing how they live" -- that’s one of the great benefits, she said.

She commented that her work in Seattle (she was the one person in her company who made all of the house calls) "was the most fun I ever had," and that she came to this area because "San Luis Obispo is a better place for this kind of business."

Pros: "Fortunately, I had already worked in a similar business that went bust in the Internet meltdown in Seattle, so I was aware of what kind of work was involved and what the issues were."

Cons of her career move: "It takes a long time to get known, and I left behind my network and contacts of 20-plus years."

Greatest challenges: "Adapting to a new culture, convincing potential clients that my service is worth their investment, learning new things all the time, knowing when to say no."

Her approach to meeting those challenges: "I let my personal exhaustion guide me. When I can’t stand up during the day, I figure I have taken on too much."

Mike:

Lujan has had the opportunity to complete many projects for the "Big Guys" (and he has worked for giants in the industry, especially in Silicon Valley) and has learned many new technologies while he was at it.

Challenges include:

• Getting in over your head.
• Thinking a project is too simple (not challenging or stimulating).
• Taking on too many clients at once.
• Juggling projects and coming up short with regard to delivering what the client expects.

His approach to those challenges: "Try to clearly define not only the deliverables but the dependencies; that is, what the client is responsible for providing, such as equipment, personnel for reviews, or extra training as needed."

Carolyn:

Margon sees herself primarily as a personal computer trainer in the same way a personal trainer works on fitness. She helps people get the most out of the computer they already own. She has built computers, and is not afraid to take on any computer.

She’s worked with people "who have gotten themselves into a mess" and, depending on what their problems are, tries to "weed out those clients and refer them to better resources than myself." Sometimes she has driven a long way, worked on their machines for a couple of hours, and has not been able to move the client forward.

Her greatest challenge: Getting good clients who will offer repeat business and good referrals. Her approach to meeting that challenge has been to not charge clients she could not help. "However, they do take up my valuable time where I could be working with paying clients, so I have decided to institute a fee for just showing up, whether I can help them or not."

Mike:

Giving your business a good look and feel and literally promoting the business are among the pros of promoting yourself, Lujan said. Looking bad (promotional materials that don’t work very well), and having a Web site that search engines can’t find are cons. (Lujan’s Web site, http://www.mlujan.com, is an excellent example of a digital portfolio.)

Lujan’s greatest promotional challenges are "realizing the self-confidence and self-reliance needed; knowing when not to over promote." He approached that by developing his Web site, continually working through e-mail promotion, sending Christmas cards, attending networking functions, and making "out of the blue" contacts. He also cautions against "looking too expensive."

Carolyn:

"I always carry brochures and business cards with me wherever I go. I have gotten clients from tennis games, outdoor walks, lunches, grocery stores," she said. "You just never know when you will come into contact with someone who needs your services."

"Letting people know what I do without being too aggressive" is her greatest challenge. Her approaches to that are to have "good sales literature" and to spend the money "to make it look professional."

She added she is not convinced that she needs a Web site "because if someone can find me on the Web, they are already too advanced for the services I offer."

"Self Employment -- A Reason For Setting the Alarm Clock or Do I Really Work at Nothing All Day?" focused on the challenges and rewards of getting up in the morning to the tune of being your own boss. This presentation was Part 2 of a two-part mini-series called "2003 Career Kickoff."

Mike and Carolyn spoke about establishing and running one's own business to serve a variety of local and remote, small- to large-scale clients. They will address the challenges of working on site as well as telecommuting, and will explain approaches that include, but are not limited to:

• Assessing your experiences and interests to determine if starting your own business makes
  sense.
• Promoting yourself using both "analog" (such as brochures) and "digital" (such as a Web site) approaches.
  
• Determining clients to suit both their needs AND your capabilities.
  
• Visits to clients (confirming time and available resources, establishing agendas, and evaluating working sessions)
  
• Setting up your office (including to work on a "virtual" basis).
  
• Establishing fees and rates (avoiding "sticker shock").
  
• And the all important, but sometimes daunting, effort of obtaining payment for services.
  

(2 door prizes)

"101 Tips for Telecommuters: Successfully Manage Your Work, Team, Technology and Family," by Debra A. Dinnocenzo; AND

"Running a One-Person Business," by Claude Whitmyer and Salli Rasberry.

And here are our two lucky door prize winners!

Some articles or linked resources may be in Portable Document Format (PDF). To download the free Acrobat Reader, click the icon at right. To install the Reader, double-click the downloaded file.