That little paragraph brought tens of thousands of visitors to the Majabra website. Many of whom asked how I “got started”. But really, when we get right down to it, those people want to know how they themselves can get started. Well, sorry if I made it sound easy. Cause it isn’t.

Starting a business of any kind is hard. It takes a strong work ethic, and real faith. It causes stress. Many times it isn’t fun, although you used to relish doing what you now do all day. You work way more hours than you ever did when someone else was paying your salary. Plus, there’s all this other stuff you have to do which has nothing to do with art and design, and everything to do with managing a business.

My favorite email was from a person who asked me to think up a business for them, propose it to them, and teach them– no — “mentor” them to run it. True story. I guess I’ll never know whether that was a joke, but it sure was funny to me.

So for everyone who asked, the abridged answer is: you have to want to do it, you have to build it, and then you have to sustain it, so that it can sustain you. Just like everything else in life.

But Really, How?

Ok, it’s a gross oversimplification to say “here’s how to start a business” in a single blog post. But I can give you some points from my own experiences that I think have led me to success.

Have A Goal

With anything it helps me to have a goal in mind. Even if you are working for someone else, start telling yourself, “in five years I will own my own business.” because then you’ll start planning to do that. You’ll get the knowledge and resources in place, you’ll begin to make useful connections, and you’ll be gathering tools.

Have Faith

It helps me to believe that the right things will happen at the right time, and for a reason. When you start working on believing this, events will happen to prove this belief to be true. And of course, they will be good things.

A friend of mine said to me at the start of the recession that he wasn’t worried because he knew God would provide. I thought that sounded really naive at the time, but you know what? 3+ years later, that man is still happily self-employed, and the recession is still going strong. He had a strong belief, and I found that inspiring. So whether you pray every day, or if you simply believe in the positive energy of the universe, it only helps to believe that the right thing will happen.

Get a Running Start

if you can get your business started while you still have income from another source– a job or unemployment compensation for example, that’s a huge head-start. Do not waste that opportunity. Sure, you’ll have less free time or perhaps burn the candle at both ends, but what’s it worth to you? If you want it, that’s what you’ll do.

With a Little Help From My Friends

My most important resource is, and will always be, my friends. Friends can help you get work. In the beginning, all I had was friendships, and family. All my referrals came from someone I knew and who cared enough to look out for me and recommend me to others. My client base grew out of those first few referrals. Some clients have become my friends, and they look out for me too. I am forever grateful for these people, and I try to express that to them as often as I can without freaking them out.

Creating (the feeling of) Security

Nothing stops the creative flow more than worry. When I was sitting on the fence between freelancing and interviewing for full-time jobs, I asked my college friend Joe Oldham, of Fluid Design Group how the heck he could sleep at night with the pressures from a family and a business. He told me to stockpile enough cash to get you through the hard times when no money was coming in.

Joe’s advice was an a-ha! moment for me. Finally I could see a way to end the fear that was stopping me from committing to my business. All I had to do was save, and I knew how to do that. But how much money equals security? I multiplied my household burn rate by six months. I figured, if my business fell apart and I had zero income, I could probably go get another job working for someone else within six months. So that’s the cushion I like to keep.

It’s a Business, Stupid.

the most important fact we all need to accept is that you are a business owner first, and a creative second. If you have a problem with that, then you probably should go work for someone else. There’s no getting around that fact. And don’t kid yourself you can’t prove it wrong. believe me, I tried and it was expensive.

You can learn to run a business simply by reading up on it. I find that there are very few books out there that are worth your time, but these I reference daily:

The E-myth Revisited (save yourself a huge headache and get the audio book)
The Business Side of Creativity
Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines

Reality Check

Lastly, I want to clarify that I didn’t pop out of a cabbage one day and jump into my Graphic Design business the next. I went to school and got a degree for it back before there were even pictures on web pages, and I’ve been working as a design professional in various fields ever since. I’ve freelanced and moonlighted for years, so I had already gained a lot of knowledge about my craft. I just didn’t have the guts to run a real business… until I had to. And of course, it was the right thing to have happen at that moment.

Thanks to all of you who contacted me. I am amazed at the response that my little mention received, and I am humbled by your attention. I hope this answers your questions, and further inspires you to move forward with your own dream.

In this last episode, there’s a series of scenes revolving around a focus group of about 6 women to discuss Ponds Cold Cream; scenes unfold around this central event revealing characters and motivations and drama of course. But what really stuck with me was the resultant argument later in the show– a philosophical argument between Don Draper, lead creative at the agency, and the woman running the focus group.

Don, in a nutshell, states that the focus group is ridiculous, none of it matters.  That women gave the responses about life (and cold cream) that they gave because that’s all they know.  He contends that he can change their minds, make them think new things, want new things, things they’ve never dreamed– all with his powers of persuasion and marketing. All he has to do is build the campaign, and the women will change how they think. And, buy the product.

She (the focus group leader whose character name I don’t recall) states that the data collected in casual conversation with the focus group is in fact important, because its who you are that shapes what you buy. She contends that the data collected about the women gave the marketing team a better picture of the women to whom they’re selling. At the end of the day, the creative agency can make a better, more informed pitch to the consumer, and get them to buy the product.

The characters agree to disagree and the scene is over.

However in my mind, the debate continues, and will continue until the next episode.  For me, it’s a chicken-or-the-egg question;  Do we buy things because we’re told we want them?  Or do we buy things because we want, and the product speaks to us?  Or, is it both? is it neither?

I had the opportunity to participate in some training at Cooper University in San Francisco in 2006. In a classroom setting, we learned techniques to mine the experiences and minds of consumers. Our goal was to gather data to create (hypothetical) products that would actually sell– presumably because the products would be designed to respond directly to the consumers’ problems, wants and needs. It was a class of exercises, meant to build our ability to question correctly, and apply methods of research. I am oversimplifying, but the method revolves around a very open-ended interview style. Imagine a conversation with co-workers about their life and habits, as opposed to an attorney’s cross-examination. This is how we were taught to gather data. I found it absolutely fascinating that there was a method for designing a product that could be defended– with data– when the CEO or other stakeholder says ‘but I want to do it my way’ and derails the project.

So many times in product design we just create something that makes us, the developers feel good, or makes our bosses happy, yet it doesn’t sell.  But learning techniques to delve into the mind of someone else, and learn what they’d like to have and use taught me that we don’t hold all the answers. We do need to know what our audience is thinking, wanting.  Sometimes we are correct, and we stumble upon the right solution and it’s a magical experience that the product is successful. Sometimes the client or the boss is correct too, and that is also magical.  But ultimately, it’s the audience, the consumer, the end-user who we really want to talk to, if we want to consistently make magic.

But, then again, there’s Apple.  Who, like Don Draper, seems to get out in front of everyone and says “you want this” and then magically, we all do want that shiny thing. over and over and over.

Thus, the chicken-and-the-egg.

The Yes Man

Most commonly, I encounter telephone professionals who are overly polite, and want me to be as well. Rather than fixing the situation or accommodating my requests, they seemed bent on making sure I don’t get angry. As long as I don’t yell, I think, they succeeded. Perhaps this is how they are rated or paid? Who knows. But it’s frustrating and counter productive. I don’t want polite experiences. I want efficiently fixed problems.

Service Professionals

The best and most helpful customer service reps are neither overly polite nor expect me to be. They are business people. They realize I am calling with a legitimate concern, or at least, a concern that concerns me, and I want an action. These business people take some time to assess my situation, and check to see if they understand the problem. Then, they look to see if they have the capacity and authorization to fix my concern.

If they fix it, awesome. mission complete. if they do not, then they offer solutions: other places I can go to get a solution, other people to speak with, other avenues to explore.

Countless hours of frustrated waiting on telephone lines have served me with a wealth of ways to improve my own customer service. But it comes down to this: We don’t want to be a yes-men. It’s our duty to legitimately solve our customers’ concerns.

Panic

It’s hard to recognize the opportunity to provide excellent customer service when faced with a massive problem out of the blue. usually at 4:45 on a friday. In my small business, more than likely, I caused the problem (panic !). When the upset client calls to say their website is down, their analytics aren’t working or their business cards are misprinted, I don’t usually think of it as an opportunity to provide a service. I usually think, “Did I do this?” And my first instinct is to make sure they’re not upset with me.

The better solution is to admit that the situation sucks, I screwed up, and fix the problem. Tell the client what I’ll be doing to fix this issue. And, If I can’t fix it, what I will do to maintain our good relationship.

I still have those bursts of panic when I get those calls. But I am trying my best not to subject my clients to the same don’t-worry-be-happy attitude I’ve received time and time again. Perhaps you too have had poor customer service in the past. But when life give you lemons…. Maybe you can think of a way to turn that negative experience into a positive for your own clientele.

Chances are, you’re going to go with the traditional, letterhead (name at top or lefthand corner) , and non-shocking business card. Is it because you want to look respectable? Or because nobody else uses non-traditional media for these things and… you might look weird? or are you just a scaredy cat?

I’m just asking you to challenge your own perceptions. Ask yourself, WHY am I hung up on this idea of respectable and classic? What does that even mean, if you don’t stand out from the competition? Come, think outside of the box with me. It’s ok, we’re just thinking.

form factor

maybe your card could be a comb if you’re a hairstylist. A coaster if you are a restauranteur or sommelier. A picture if you are a photographer. A usb drive if you’re a computer nerd.

traditional printing techniques, seldom used

What if you had a business-card had a hole in it (on purpose)? Die cuts are a very fancy way of making your card or letterhead non-rectangular. think of all that you could do with just a little something missing from your card or letterhead. it could be cool. Or maybe just your name is shiny, and the rest of the card isn’t. Or perhaps we go old school, and get some embossing done! yummmm. Expensive, but very worth it.

super cheap and avant garde

How about your favorite quotes, each one different, on the back of a card? or pictures of your work or inventory? Think in color for the paper or cardstock, and just use a typical old photocopier. Why not, if the effect is eye-catching?

Just Say No to .jpgs

So many business owners are using a jpg of their logo in a word doc as their letterhead. it’s sad. Presentation is everything. If you stand out from the other guys, you’ll probably get the gig. If you don’t believe me, go watch one of those shows where they redo a house in two days with some paint and cool lighting fixtures, and sell it for a huge profit. They don’t spend a bundle, but they do make some creative choices. Time and time again, it’s all about impressions and grabbing someone’s attention. Your identity package is the place to do that.

Apparently, I had no idea what I wanted. And no clue how to really present my own company. And, still, the site is evolving like any work of art. But as it turns out, I think that’s what I wanted. And I didn’t know then, but now I do.

I wonder what I’ve learned here that can help smooth out the design and decision-making processes with clients?

Recently I’ve dealt with a few people (like myself) who were not trusting of the design process. Instead they were looking for that magical spark. They seemed to want to fall in love with the art or the mark. Perhaps be transported. Maybe realize something. Or maybe, like me, there was an unformed thought in their head, and they were looking for the perfect symbol that would say ‘this is real”.

Instead of following the design path to a logical conclusion, the process leapt all over the place; comps flying and research everywhere, later a fatigued designer and muddled, less-than-awesome designs.

Still, I don’t know how to stop this process. Do you walk away? Or, attempt to find the origin of the confusion? I think my job (as a self-proclaimed Design Therapist) is to find the origin of the confusion.

Trust is a big factor

You need to trust your designer, or at least be willing to take a leap of faith that their art and ingenuity is going to come up with something that suits you, but surpasses your expectations. That’s a tall order for oneself, maybe it’s easier to put your faith in someone else. Maybe, one should trust the business itself, before entrusting it to a designer.

Baby Steps

Another way to develop trust in any process, design or otherwise, is to ease into it. Through sketches and wireframes and research and planning and sitemaps ad comps, you start to trust the design process, or so I believe. But this is always the long road, if we don’t know what our business is, what image it should project. Time and time again, we get stuck at the sketches and wireframe phase when we don’t know what the heck our goals are.

My New Years Resolution

I guess I am glad The Logo took so long to figure out, so that I could learn this lesson. My New Years Resolution will now be to make sure my clients know who they are, and have defined their goals before we begin a costly and exhausting design process that could be shortened with proper planning and a whole lot of soul-searching at the outset.