Great insights and post, Jake. Congratulations on your first year!
Chris Brogan...
· 1 year ago
First off, happy Birthday to your independence. Second, this is a great write-up and a must read of lessons learned by a pro in the space. I'm excited that you took the time to write it. Finally, I too see people charging way too little for their services, probably because they're thinking like a little fish and not like a professional. Doctors are a standalone practice and they don't charge lightly.
Thanks, Jake.
PodcastSteve
· 1 year ago
Agree with most of the above. Been out on my own for nearly four years now. I am still surprised at how much time I spend prospecting for new business, and how little time is spent doing billable work. But the advice to upgrade skills is absolutely right. You have to stay ahead of the clients -- and the other consultants. Great post!
Donna Papacosta
· 1 year ago
Excellent advice. Where were you 20 years ago when I was starting out?! You make some excellent points, although I'm intrigued by the 33/33/33 suggestion. I seem to be spending about 75% of my time on client work. My new tactic is to devote a half-day each week to marketing efforts, in addition to my sporadic blogging and Twittering. Let's see how that works out.
Happy Independence Day!
Jake McKee
· 1 year ago
Yeah, it's tough to remember to do the new business stuff when you're swamped with work. But that's precisely how you get into trouble, right? If a client project ends sooner than expected, for instance, you want to be able to quickly insert something as a replacement project.
Of course, how you look at the 33/33/33 doesn't have to be by the day or the week. Could be by the month or even the quarter.
thehotiron
· 1 year ago
Hi Jake - Tim Courtney referred me to your post as I wrote something similar, though not as detailed, for Independence Day:
All Comments
Patrick
Thanks, Jake.
Happy Independence Day!
Of course, how you look at the 33/33/33 doesn't have to be by the day or the week. Could be by the month or even the quarter.
http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/commen...
Congrats on your first year!
mp/m