Knowing is Half the Battle

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Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes said,

"The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought."

Friday, November 11, 2011

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KNOWING IS HALFTHE BATTLE

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WHO ARE WE?

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WHO ARE WE?

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@BillSKenney


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WHO ARE WE?

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@BillSKenney

@ErikReagan+


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WHO ARE WE?

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@BillSKenney

@ErikReagan

@FocusLabLLC

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THE AGENDA

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THE AGENDA• Share key experiences from our business

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• Feel free to interrupt with a related question

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• Feel free to interrupt with a related question

• Get the conversation going

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TAKING THE LEAP

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Are you ready?


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TAKING THE LEAP

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TAKING THE LEAP• Be responsible, crunch the numbers

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• In the end it’s not the numbers that matter

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• In the end it’s not the numbers that matter

• Trust your gut

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR VALUE

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How much am I worth? Should I charge more?


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WHAT IS MY VALUE?

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WHAT IS MY VALUE?• Industry range can be confusing

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• Early on you will undercut yourself

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• Early on you will undercut yourself

• Don’t just take anything that equals money

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UNDERSTANDING VALUE

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UNDERSTANDING VALUE• Utilize tools to help determine your pricing

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• What these tools don’t account for:

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• What these tools don’t account for:- Years of experience

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- Wealth of knowledge

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- Confidence in your skills

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- Confidence in your skills

- Demand

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Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes said, "The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought."

Picasso was sitting in a Paris café when an admirer approached & asked if he would do a quick sketch on a paper napkin. Picasso

politely agreed, swi#ly executed the work, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a rather significant amount of money. The admirer was shocked: “How can you ask for so much?

It only took you a minute to draw this!”...


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Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes said, "The man who is prepared has his battle half-fought." “No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years”


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THINK DIFFERENTLY

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THINK DIFFERENTLY

• Don’t resolve to only charge what someone will pay

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THINK DIFFERENTLY


• Charge according to the value of the service

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THINK DIFFERENTLY


• Charge according to the value of the service

• Try not to budge on your position

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CONTRACTSGet one.

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IT’S A MUST

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IT’S A MUST• Defining the roles of both parties

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• Protection for both parties

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• Creating a professional guide to work within

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• Creating a professional guide to work within

• Avoiding scope creep

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“BUT YOU SAID...”

Profit Margin


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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

& Clear Communication

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WORDS ARE KEY

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WORDS ARE KEY• Clear communication is essential

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• Over communicate when in doubt

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• If you say you’ll do it, do it

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• If you say you’ll do it, do it

• Learn from your communication mistakes

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SAYING “NO”

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DON’T BE A “YES” MAN

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• In the beginning you will say “YES” a lot

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• A#er all - you need to make money, right?

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• A#er all - you need to make money, right?

• Not all projects are profitable in the end

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WHEN TO SAY “NO”

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WHEN TO SAY “NO”• If the project does not fit your business goals

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• If it is not beneficial to revenue / exposure / portfolio

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• Client seems unorganized / unprofessional

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• Client seems unorganized / unprofessional

• Goes against your business ethics

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Be intentional in the projects you accept.It is important to find the right fit for both parties.


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TIME TO GROWPace yourself.

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SLOW & STEADY

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SLOW & STEADY

• Be strategic & methodical

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SLOW & STEADY


• Growth can damage your key areas:

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SLOW & STEADY


• Growth can damage your key areas:- Quality of work

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SLOW & STEADY



- Communication

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SLOW & STEADY



- Communication

- Time management

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BUILDING YOUR TEAM

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BUILDING YOUR TEAM• Complementary skills are key

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• You do not need another “you”

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• You do not need another “you”

• Each member has a clear role and value

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SELF PRESERVATION

A#er all, you need to live.

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TAKE A BREATH

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TAKE A BREATH• Life is more than your business

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• Keeping your sanity and quality of work

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• Recharging your batteries

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• Recharging your batteries

• Returning with a clear and working brain

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DEFINE LIMITATIONS

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DEFINE LIMITATIONS• The office actually has working hours

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• Hold yourself and your clients to them

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• Turn around times on work / communication

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• Turn around times on work / communication

• Creating a working contract

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THE RUNDOWN

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THE RUNDOWN• Trust in yourself to make the correct decisions

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• Understanding and growing your value

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• Protecting interests with a solid contract

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• Protecting interests with a solid contract

• Maintain clear communication

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THE RUNDOWN

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THE RUNDOWN• Learn to say “no”

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• Grow at a manageable pace

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• Build a powerful & complementary team

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• Build a powerful & complementary team

• Maintain a balance between life and work

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ADDED THOUGHTS• Immerse yourself in relevant communities

• Share work & experiences with others

• Learn from the experiences of others


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We never stop learning


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GO FORTH& conquer!

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and follow us on twitter :) @ErikReagan @BillSKenney


Knowing is Half the Battle

Business

Transcript of Knowing is Half the Battle