It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in business now for 2.5 years. It felt like yesterday that I turned in my resignation to my job and started out on this journey.
And I have to say, I’ve learned a lot since leaving my corporate 9-5 job. There are so many differences that I had to find out for myself when taking that leap from a 9-5 job to being a small business owner.
So, I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned so far since starting my business.
Lesson #1: Each Job Weighs Differently
There are some jobs I do where I’m like, “that was the easiest money I made all year…” then there are other jobs that take up most of my time for the same amount.
What I’ve discovered is that the weight of the jobs change from gig to gig. Some gigs pay really well and are super easy. And other gigs are super hard and don’t pay as much.
This is something you don’t realize working a 9-5 job, cause you’re paid a flat salary whether hourly or yearly. So, you don’t take into consideration the weight each job brings with it.
I think my biggest take away is to try and focus on getting jobs where the client values your work and that protect your time. Your time is your most precious asset. And that leads into my 2nd lesson.
Lesson #2: Stop Trading Time For Money
Working at a 9-5, we are very use to trading time for money. And naturally when I left my 9-5 job, I started structuring my contracts with clients based on how much time I think it would take for me to do the project.
I found out that this is not the way to do this….
A better approach I found is called Value Based pricing. This is a concept where you price the job based on the value the deliverables bring to the client.
So instead of saying, “I’ll make this video for x per hour.” Realize how valuable that video is for the client and price based on that.
A video that is going on a company’s website is going to be worth a lot if it continuously brings in new customers for them.
So instead of pricing video as a commodity, start pricing it based on its perceived value.
Lesson #3: It’s Rough Out There, So Have A Plan…
Yes it is, and it is something I came to expect as I left my 9-5 job.
When I left my 9-5 job, I didn’t have a defined plan to grow my video business. I kind of thought, well, I’ll just go out and find clients.
And that worked to some degree, but the thing I failed to realize at the time is how valuable relationships are in the workplace.
People I’ve met along the way in my career in my 9-5 job we’re some of my first clients when I went out on my own.
And even further, they are the ones that are willing to recommend my services to others. And this is what really helped my business grow.
It just goes to show that what you do in your 9-5 job does matter…
Cause the relationships you build along the way is something you can always take with you.
If you found this post helpful, consider sharing it with others. Leave your comments down below as well, I’d love to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed and thank you so much for reading!