Category Archives: Survival Strategies

Street smart savvy moves you’ll use to keep your business alive

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Smart Choices and Good Decisions

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When you face a big decision whose outcome may significantly impact your business or life, what steps do you take, what routine do you follow, to help yourself do the right thing? Big decisions, especially, involve consequences and their after-effect can reverberate over the long-term. The decisions you make, delay, or avoid shape the path of your personal and/or professional life and for that reason, the ability to make effective decisions is a survival skill.

Business owners and leaders are called upon to make many decisions; most are routine, and some are high stakes, positioned to have significant impact on the direction and/or fate of the venture. It is therefore worthwhile to do whatever possible to develop skills and practices that support your decision-making proficiency. Below are practices that, unlike the whims of fortune, are within your control and can guide you along the path to decision-making success.

1. See the big picture

As you get ready to make the decision, be clear about what you expect the preferred outcome will mean for you and/or the business. Good decisions require awareness; the decision-making process fares best when you are attentive to the context in which it will be made, meaning key internal and external factors that can assist or impede your ability to choose the right path. Influencing factors are likely to include the competitive and economic climate in which your venture operates and in larger organizations, the level of support that stakeholders have for the initiative you are trying to advance.

2. Review desired outcomes

“Begin with the end in mind,” advises Stephen Covey, author of the phenomenal bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). Your decision-making process has a better chance of seeing a happy ending when the decision is motivated by a realistic purpose that you can clearly articulate and defend. It is essential that you understand what you want to achieve and why. It is also useful to decide the criteria you’ll use to define success. Before you commit to a decision, create a mental picture of what your company (or life) will look like once that proposed choice is in place—in the near term and 12 months later.

3. Consider different perspectives

Escape the trap of your inherent biases and invite different opinions to the decision-making. Start with the obvious—stakeholders and end-users who will live with the outcomes, along with those who will implement the decision. If you have a team, include its members in the process, for they surely bring to the table expertise and experiences that will enrich your understanding of the big picture, as well as factors that could influence its outcome. The unique viewpoints and wisdom of your team could possibly show you that don’t know what you don’t know!

4. Leverage relevant data and technology

In today’s digital age, there is every reason to turn to technology-supplied data to provide trustworthy insights that are grounded in objective information to guide your business decisions. Data-driven decisions are usually the most successful. You may have a history of making good decisions based on what your gut tells you, but you’ll be better served to allow (relevant) numbers to validate the power of your intuition.

There are numerous analytic values readily available to provide snapshots of company performance that decision-makers need to see. Your decision may benefit from a review and analysis of the number of qualified leads per month, industry benchmarks, annual sales of your products and services and/or the average dollar amount of new contracts signed per quarter.

5. Avoid analysis paralysis

While good data is essential, as is objective thinking and keeping the purpose of the decision in mind, it’s also important to realize when you have sufficient facts and figures to commit to a choice. It often makes sense to set a reasonable time frame for gathering information, and once you have enough in hand to make an informed choice, move forward.

Trust your judgment and remember that in most cases, all the information you’d like to have will not be available; nearly every decision is haunted by unknown factors. Boost your confidence by creating conditions that will promote effective decision-making when you align your decision with the vision, mission, guiding principles (values) and brand of your organization.

6. Overcome fear of failure

Risk is a factor in every decision because results are not always predictable. Along with good information, luck, timing and intuition are often credited with a decision’s success or failure. All leaders understand that unfortunately, not every decision will lead to a favorable outcome.

Instead of fearing failure, embrace it as a valuable learning experience when it occurs. Do a postmortem and analyze what went wrong; identify the root causes and determine how you can avoid similar pitfalls in the future. When the experience is applied correctly, failure strengthens resourcefulness and resilience and over time will eventually enhance your decision-making skills. A decision gone wrong is embarrassing and disappointing but push yourself to make lemonade from the lemons. You might find a way to fail-up!

7. Practice decision-making consistency

Consistency in decision-making is key to building trust and credibility among your team. If your choices waver based on mood or circumstance, it can create confusion and erode confidence. But you may instead find it helpful to revisit the same, or similar, criteria that were used for a decision whose outcome was especially positive.

If the approach you took, factors you considered and certain friends and mentors you consulted led to a successful outcome previously, those factors, adjusted to fit the question at hand, might be successfully applied to future decisions. Why not experiment? When you’re next faced with a big decision, apply some or all of the criteria you used to approach the question, choose and study the data and seek input from friends or family who have a history of giving you wise advice?

You may discover that it’s useful to evaluate, say, three to five qualifying questions first, then another three to five questions that are customized for your decision? A decision-making protocol that considers the same factors each time will bring objectivity, standardization and reliability to your priorities and judgment and help you avoid getting swept up in the emotional reactions of either reckless enthusiasm or panic.

8. Hone intuition through experience

Decision-making is often considered both an art and a science. It’s a competency that goes beyond algorithms and spreadsheets — it’s about accepting risk and seeking wisdom from data, lived experience, good advice and intuition. Furthermore, learning to recognize when it might be the most advantageous time to make a certain decision is another plus—- when you have the luxury of choosing the time to act, that is.

By adopting a big-picture perspective, leveraging diverse viewpoints and integrating data-driven insights, you will improve your decision-making skills. As you gain experience, your subconscious mind will develop a sense of pattern recognition, meaning you’ll remember what works and so you’ll do it again. Use this intuitive sense to guide you when data is unavailable or inconclusive.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Chess Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson (Colombia born, represents Sweden)) vs. International Master Espen Lie of Norway (R) in Malaga Spain, 2008

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Manage Your Time, Manage Your Mood

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According to Philip G. Levendusky, Ph.D., Director of the Psychology Department at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, “Those who struggle with time management are more likely to experience stress, sleep issues, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. They may also start to exhibit symptoms of workplace burnout.” Time management is now recognized as a vital soft skill that impacts not just your professional (and personal) life, but also your health.

Moreover, if establishing success in just about any part of life is a goal, you’ll be greatly assisted by well-developed time management skills. The inability to effectively manage time means, frankly, that life will be more difficult because you won’t be able to get things done. Your plans may never get beyond the drawing board.

When you can’t get things done colleagues and friends, to say nothing of clients, may enjoy your company, but may simultaneously label you as undependable and perhaps also frustrating. Those who can’t appropriately manage their time often don’t have the best reputation. That managing time is a way to avoid hassles, frustration, embarrasment, disappointment and other aggravations that feed both stress and low self-esteem is, I’m afraid, not obvious to everyone.

Freelancers know that when there is a deadline to meet good time management, which involves prioritizing and planning, is essential. Time management is part of your brand and when it’s lacking, you can’t call yourself trustworthy or dependable.

As part of your strategy to make Freelance consulting projects efficient and pleasant for yourself, your team and your clients, it’s important to be mindful of where and how to devote time. Not only will you achieve optimal productivity, you’ll enhance your (everyone’s!) health. Here’s how time management can help you minimize or avoid professional difficulties, personal disappointments and affective mood disorders.

Decrease stress

Recent research found that nearly 57% of U.S. and Canadian workers reported that they feel stressed on a daily basis, an 8-point increase from the year prior, compared to 43% of working people worldwide. Stress, worry, sadness and anger rates have been trending upward in the U.S. since 2009.

Numerous horrific and all-too-often deadly acts of workplace violence demonstrate that undeniable finding. During the coronavirus shutdown and its aftershocks, stress was further increased by concerns over the virus and risk of illness, conflict associated with families grappling with WFH and at-home schooling and financial insecurities. Prolonged stress can cause a wide range of negative health outcomes. Related physical effects include sleep difficulties, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and habits such as procrastination, over- eating, a depressed appetite, or excessive drinking.

Effectively manage your time and give yourself as much control over your schedule as possible. Smart time management helps you find, or create, blocks of free time that can be spent relaxing and enjoying yourself by participating in whatever physical fitness or relaxation activities make the stress you’ve been feeling melt away.

Reduce anxiety

The most common mental health issues today are anxiety disorders and (reactive) depression. The pandemic has increased their occurrence. Globally, depression affects 3.8% of the population, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 30% of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime, according to another study.

Time management and anxiety are intertwined—-poor time management can result in missed deadlines and missed deadlines are known to result in anxiety (and stress). Prolonged feelings of anxiety may bring about symptoms that signal depression, such as low energy, mood swings, irritability and an overall negative attitude. To address noticeable feelings of anxiety or depression, speak with your primary care physician or a mental health care provider.

Your time management skills can help reduce anxiety and distress (depression requires professional care). So if improving work- life balance is something you’d like to do, especially in light of the prevalence of WFH work schedules, time management skills can help you to establish useful boundaries. Meaning, when it’s time to prepare and enjoy dinner, whether alone or with family, flexing your time management muscle makes it easier to turn off your phone and avoid responding to work-related messages when it’s more important to let yourself have some battery recharging downtime.

Avoid burnout

Ongoing workplace stress can leave you feeling not just anxious, but also overwhelmed, inadequate, irritable and resentful—burned out. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an extreme form of stress that is associated with mental and physical exhaustion, cynical attitudes, emotional withdrawal, difficulty with concentration and focus and diminished productivity and professionalism at work.

Yet another benefit of time management is that it makes you acknowledge how much work you can take on in a given day or week. As noted earlier, time management supports your establishment of healthy boundaries, making it easier to turn down potential demands on your time when you already have a full plate (work or leisure).

Improve your mood and attitude

Maintaining a positive frame of mind will be difficult if you suffer from high stress, anxiety, resentment, depression, or burnout. Time management is not a cure-all for the challenges you face. Still, as a readily available first line of defense, time management can be your go-to strategy when organizing your life is necessary.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Courtesy of Harold Lloyd Entertainment. Actor Harold Lloyd (1893-1971, pictured) in the 1923 silent film classic Safety Last.

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Pulling Out of A Slump

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It can be argued that periodic downturns are endemic to the business cycle. Companies large and small will eventually suffer through a downturn, a slump, in sales revenues and profit. A slump is always worrisome but some are seasonable and therefore predictable. That means you can prepare.

Landscaping services expect the demand for lawn and garden maintenance to drop during the winter months. To supplement cash-flow and position the company for year-round customer value, owners of landscaping concerns are known to retool for snow removal when gardens are dormant.

But for most businesses, unfortunately, a slump will occur unexpectedly and for no immediately obvious reason, such as the appearance of a competitor or a difficult economy. If the struggling business is to survive, corrective action must be taken soon. Reversing a sales trend that’s negative or flat is a formidable challenge, a high-stakes test of the resoucefulness and strategic vision of the company leadership. A turnaound, rather a bigger deal than a pivot, may be needed to turn the tide. Or not.

Freelancers typically do not have the financial wherewithal to bring in a management consultant to diagnose the problem and recommend solutions. Freelance consultants need a Do It Yourself remedy and that’s what we’ll talk about today. As usual, the solution you seek will probably be found in data and knowledge you already own and have access to. Your company’s Key Performance Indicators (determine which ones tell the story) and revelations shared by your customers will most likely steer you to both the correct diagnosis plus cost-effective strategies to halt the slump and stimulate revenue.

When to respond

A slump may be a sudden or gradual phenomenon and caused by any number of factors, including a national or regional economic downturn, the introduction of a compelling new technology, a large-scale health crisis, even a vote in your state legislature. If your top line gross revenues show a decline of 10 % or more (or flatline) for three consecutive months and you are unable to understand why revenue is dropping, recognize that your business is in a slump and you cannot ignore the problem.

The cause

If you’re in a slump, it’s important to identify the cause (single or plural). Did something happen in the industry, or in the local or national economy (like a widespread or a war)? Has business been adversely impacted by the shift to Work From Home, because your customers are no longer in the office five days a week and connecting with them has become difficult? Whatever the cause may be, it’s important to know what went wrong and decide if a work-around would make sense, or if a fundamental change should be made. In some cases, it will be necessary to assess your entire operation. It will be wise to consider the following possibilities:

  • Evolving customer tastes or priorities
  • Business model weakness
  • Powerful competitor
  • Economic factors

The cure

You will likely find that customer feedback is essential to the discovery process. Seeking out the wisdom that your customers can provide will guarantee that you’ll develop a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the marketplace and that understanding will lead to an effective solution. A more nuanced understanding of the marketplace can also help you to develop products and services that customers actually want and need.

When preparing to reach out to your customers, make contact through various channels—emails, call-outs in your blog or newsletter, calls-to-action posted to your website and social media platforms. Customer surveys and invitations to join (30-60 minute) conference or video calls can yield a wealth of boots-on-the-ground insights and you’ll be almost certain to obtain actionable information. Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are ideal venues for this type of research. For example, Twitter Spaces is a feature that allows users to create a chatroom-like environment with a group of people.

Keep in mind, however, that while customer feedback can be very helpful as you search for the cause of your business slump and can as well be very useful as you engineer a pivot or a turnaround for the business, blindly following customer suggestions is not recommended. The customers’ money is not on the line and neither do they see the big picture of the business and its challenges-—you do. Have the confidence to use your own judgment and expertise to make what you interpret as the best decisions for your entity.

In sum, good KPI data and customer feedback should be essential components of any business’s intention to understand and resolve a significant business challenge. An assessment of business conditions, industry trends and customer feedback re: their priorities, goals and preferences can inform any tweaking of products or services you might undertake, the pivot or turnaround you may follow to pull the business back from the brink and position your venture for the greatest success its ever experienced.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © AF Archive/Alamy. John Dimech (as Daud) struggles to escape quicksand in Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

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Find Opportunity in Adversity: Surviving Inflation and Slowdowns

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It appears that Freelancers are having another moment although, as usual, it could be a mixed blessing. As we discovered when the coronavirus shutdown was waning and business began to slowly pick up, there are both roses and thorns to contend with. Still, economic fluctuations are nothing you haven’t seen before and you probably survived (but maybe not without suffering a few sleepless nights).

What distinguishes Freelancers and other independent business owners from employees is your plucky resilience and wily resourcefulness. Those traits are in your DNA and that’s why you struck out and created your own venture. However, you’re also a realist and well aware that neither boom times nor tough times last forever (although—surprise!—recessions and other economic downturns linger nearly twice as long as upswings).

Because a Freelancer’s income is often unpredictable you know that planning ahead with careful budgeting, sensible spending and, in flush times, building up savings to cushion cash-flow interruptions are absolute necessities. When either unexpected adversity or opportunity arises, you also know when it’s time to:

  • Assess what appears to be an opportunity or obstacle
  • Prepare to pivot, if it makes sense, to either expand into a new market or customer group or tweak a product or service to make it more appealing to what customers want now

Forward-thinking Freelancers also work hard to bring in multiple clients and develop additional revenue streams, so that there will be a way to cushion the shock of a lost client.

It is interesting that Inflation and the threat of recession have the potential to simultaneously add and delete clients on your roster. According to a June 2022 Wall Street Journal article big companies, including Twitter, real-estate brokerage firm Redfin and the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase have in recent weeks rescinded job offers made to candidates —-now that’s ugly. Google, Meta (Facebook), Oracle and Tesla have imposed hiring freezes that will be in effect through calendar year 2022.

Bloomberg News brings good news to Freelancers in its report of a survey conducted by gig work clearing house Fiverr. The survey showed that 78% of business leaders said they are more likely to hire Freelancers, rather than full-time employees, as long as economic conditions remain uncertain. Furthermore, economic uncertainty has motivated 85% of US companies to implement a hiring freeze during the current downturn and 78% plan to lay workers off, according to the Fiverr survey.

The current economic climate has Freelancers working in more than 80% of the companies represented by survey respondents, more than 1,000 owners of medium to large businesses. Those companies are currently hiring Freelance experts like you to get the work done and Fiverr reports that it has seen an increase in demand on its platform, especially from large businesses.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Gas pump prices in Hingham, MA (cheaper than Boston!)

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Making Cash Flow

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We’ve just passed the deadline for filing annual taxes. Are you feeling a little cash-poor? Should we talk about how to put a little extra $$ into the revenue column? I suspect that landing a big client will have the most positive impact on your earnings, but counting your pennies and smart planning are always a plus. You just need to discipline yourself to adopt those good habits. Once you do, they’ll become part of your regular routine, the standard way that you do things.

Price right

Don’t be afraid to request adequate payment for the valuable services you provide. Low-balling never got anyone anywhere. I understand that when the cupboard is bare you just want to get a project in-house, fast, and it may seem as though a bargain price will entice prospects to quickly hire you. The problem is, prospects inclined toward cheap labor tend not to respect those whom they hire. You could find yourself in the mix with a difficult client who’s not only a low-revenue client, but also a slow payer. Respect yourself and your abilities and don’t go there.

Pricing B2B services is tricky, though, and benchmarking your price range is difficult. You can’t go online and research what competitors charge for a similar service. Who you know and who knows you, along with work experience in your area of specialty, number of years in business, university degrees and professional certifications and your client list are among factors that potentially impact how you can price. Your unique way of packaging and selling your skills and experience can be another determining factor. You might refer to the March 15, 2022 post Is It Time for a Price Increase for more thoughts on pricing B2B services.

Invoice on time

Freelancers don’t get paid to invoice, but you don’t get paid until you invoice. You must get serious about collecting accounts receivable. Get into the habit of preparing your more detailed invoices a little at a time throughout the month and consider sending invoices during a certain week—like the first or last week of the month. On all invoices, state that payment is due upon receipt. In general, payment is due within 30 days, but a 15 day grace period is typically extended, meaning clients legally have 45 days to pay. If you haven’t received payment by day 48, resend the invoice.

Furthermore, track the time that you spend on projects billed hourly. It’s very easy to underestimate how may hours that you work. I recently reviewed the amount of time that I spend on a recurring hourly project and was shocked (and embarrassed) to realize that I’ve been billing slightly more than half of the time that I should be billing. Corrective action will be gradually taken. I don’t want to give my client sticker shock, but I will discreetly align my invoices with the time spent working.

When discussing the work agreement with a client, ask for a 15% – 20% upfront payment on projects that you’ll bill at $1000 or more. Schedule payments to align with project milestones and leave no more than 30% outstanding for the final payment. On your invoice, indicate how you would like the check made out. If you accept credit and debit cards, electronic checks , direct deposits , or PayPal, include those options on your invoice as well.

Anticipate expenses and set money aside

Create a spreadsheet to help yourself anticipate and plan how to pay predictable expenses, fixed (e.g., quarterly tax payments, utility bills, health insurance) and variable (business association dues, professional development courses you’d like to attend), to minimize the arrival of unpleasant surprises landing in accounts payable. Next, calculate your expected accounts receivable. The document you’ll create is called a cash-flow forecast and is used to predict and plan ahead for 12 months.

Are you coming up short now and again? Figure out how to fix the problem. There are near term and long- term remedies that may be feasible for you. I recommend that you look to money raising opportunities that are related to what you do. But if you must tend bar, for example, do so if the money is good and you won’t run into clients.

  • Are you qualified to teach? Becoming an adjunct professor at a local college pays fairly well and it’s an excellent addition to a Freelancer’s CV. Teaching implies expertise and will enhance your brand and perceived value. Most schools will require that you have a master’s degree, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to subjects that you teach. Entrepreneurial incubators also hire instructors to teach subjects such as finance, tech and marketing. Do some investigation. Your real world experience can be leveraged.
  • Do you have good writing skills? If so, there are a number of money- making avenues to explore, including blog or newsletter ghost writing and marketing content for websites. Writing social media posts is another possibility. Join and browse writing and editing Freelance gig work on sites such as Fiverr and Upwork.
  • Align the payment due dates of your significant accounts payable with the part of the month when you usually have the most money. If you have a payroll to meet, W2 or 1099, time your accounts receivable payments to paydays you must guarantee
  • Call the companies you must pay and ask to change the due dates to stagger them or schedule your payments to that sweet spot in the month when you have the most money. You can also apply for a business credit card that can be used to pay certain expenses, but do keep an eye on the balance because credit card interest rates are exorbitant.
  • As a long-term tactic, review your inbound marketing tactics and amplify that which is not bringing in good prospects. For example, do you have two good client testimonials on your website? If not, consider who might be willing to go on record to sing your praises. Re:outbound marketing, consider dropping into your local chamber of commerce to see if those you’d like to meet are known to attend events. If possible, join for a year and see who you meet and what you learn, Buy a small ad in the chamber newsletter to raise your profile and maybe get the opportunity to speak or present a one hour course.
  • The best move is to build up a rainy day fund when your cash finally starts flowing. My fund saw me through the barren early months of the pandemic shutdown. I was still skimping, but I made it. Aim to save for a 6 month cushion.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Crash-Proof Your Business

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If there’s anything Freelancers and other business owners and leaders have learned over the past year is that positioning your company to survive adversity is high priority. Baking in stewardship policies that include risk management strategies designed to shield the company from the effects of marketplace instability (or maybe just a tough competitor) is a must-do.

Maintain the business in the way you maintain your home—painting the deck, caulking bathroom tiles, checking the foundation for cracks, putting a sealant on the driveway. When the inevitable blizzards and hurricanes arrive, you’ll weather the storms (earthquakes and tornadoes are something else again, of course).

There is no precise formula for the process. I recommend that business owners and leaders focus on the reliable benefits derived from this short list of basic resources: human capital, operational capabilities, a healthy culture and cash reserves.

Whether a solopreneur Freelancer or leader of a team of 100 or more, know that good leadership yields the best business results, in good times and bad. Those at the top of the organizational pyramid are the responsible party and have great influence on whether the venture finds success or failure. Creating a sustainable business model and obtaining sufficient start-up and working capital are how a good business is born. But there is more.

Company culture

Creating a healthy company culture is a business-sustaining strategy. Business owners and leaders should understand that when top-down and bottom- up communication is the norm, when leaders model a strong work ethic, when transparency and best practices are followed both internally and externally in customer relationships and when respect, coupled with a degree of autonomy, is given to employees at every level, a winning strategy, expressed through a healthy company culture, takes hold. Good company culture results in employees who are happy, productive and loyal to the organization.

Human capital

Providing skills-building training and coaching is an investment that also encourages employee loyalty and enables company leaders to maximize their productivity. Such policies and practices nurture company loyalty and come as close as possible to ensuring that when the going gets rough, the company will have a team dedicated to the organization and willing to work hard and smart to support a turnaround. This strategy also gives companies a reputation as a good place to work and acts as a magnet for top talent.

Strategy

The most effective business strategies are uncomplicated. Learn to distill yours down to one page. When speaking to your banker or potential investors, potential strategic partners, or high-level talent you’d like to hire, the ability to articulate a readily understandable and relatable business strategy will build confidence in you and the company you lead. Start clarifying and simplifying the strategy that guides your venture:

Vision for the future

Big picture goals (short-term, mid-range and long-term)

Key Performance Indicators and the department responsible for each

Top line revenue and market share, two metrics that indicate the quality of the business strategy.

Execution

Strategy is nothing without execution. An effective leader gets the plane into the air and flying at cruising altitude. To achieve that aim, properly trained staff, effective and intuitive workflow protocols, IT hardware and software that create operational efficiencies, quality control and an end-to-end positive customer experience are required. Errors, confusion and duplication of work undermine productivity, erode employee morale and result in weakened revenue and profit.

Defining the intended outcomes, practicing good communication, establishing efficient workflow organization, the required technology and the appropriate staffing level and expertise will likely repair obstacles to proper execution. Action plans, complete with departmental responsibility and due dates that the team consents to, ensure accountability and optimal results.

Cash

Small to mid-size companies would be wise to hold in reserve three to six months of projected operating expenses. That sum is meant to carry your company through a difficult time or allow you to take advantage of a business opportunity.

Bear in mind that every business is different. The amount of your company’s cash reserve will depend on where the company is. Start-up, new product launch, capital improvements campaign, or growth-expansion-scaling periods are not the time to build the reserve because available cash must be used to support those important initiatives. Discuss with your accountant about when it will make sense to start a capital reserve fund and how much it should hold.

It is also possible to use financing to build your company’s cash reserve and now may be the time to act. The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan on March 30 was extended until May 31, 2021. The PPP Loan can be forgiven and essentially become a grant, but not every loan recipient is able to fulfill the qualifiers. Worse case scenario, the PPP must be repaid within two years at a 1% interest rate.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: The Indy 500

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2021 Financial Tune-up

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We’re at the top of the year, after closing out a particularly trying nine months of the previous. It seems that rough sailing will continue but we know what to expect now, more or less, and our experiences will enable us to brainstorm and identify strategies to help ride out the storm.

Whatever you’d like to achieve this year, money is likely to be necessary. In fact managing money may be the singular focus of your plan for the new year. For example, a practical goal for your business enterprise may be to conserve cash as a risk management strategy as the pandemic economy grinds on and on. Alternatively, saving money that will make it possible to take aim at your personal bucket list, which may include buying a home or trading up, or becoming more diligent about retirement savings, are or her motivators for managing and saving money.

Create a budget

The ultimate money-tracking and management tool is the budget. A budget accounts for anticipated revenue, which Freelancers are advised to conservatively estimate, and balances that amount against expenses that will be due, be they predetermined obligations such as rent or mortgage, transportation and groceries or discretionary expenses, such as new clothing purchases.

It’s also necessary to factor into your budget room for mundane expenses such as routine or emergency auto maintenance, technology needs and occasional home repairs and accessories, as well as allowances for fun expenses such as holiday and birthday gifts, occasional dinners out, or a weekend trip.

If one is both prudent and fortunate, revenue will exceed expenses most of the time and you’ll be able to save a few dollars every month. So budgeting should not be viewed as punishment; to the contrary, your budget is your friend. Why wouldn’t you want to know how much money you can expect to earn in a month or quarter and compare that amount to the typical expenses you expect to pay in that time period?

We all need to keep close tabs on cash-flow. The idea is to make money and avoid deficit spending. Budgets can be monthly, quarterly, or annual but a personal budget probably works best on a monthly cycle.

Get started by finding your 1099s and adding them up to identify the previous year’s gross revenue. Because 2020 was a year of diminished revenue for most Freelancers and we don’t know how much of a bounce forward 2021 will bring, income averaging 2019 and 2020 revenue could be a reasonable predictor of 2021. If you have dividend paying investments or interest bearing accounts that actually amount to something, be sure to include that income as well. Who knows, maybe you have a modest trust fund to include as well (it must be nice!).

Next, document 2020 expenses. Consult credit card statements, ATM withdrawals, mobile payment apps and checking account statements. Be honest with yourself about all the little ways that you spent money, from impulse purchases in the grocery store check-out line to chocolate therapy ice cream emergencies.

You will soon need to consider how to format your budget. Some will like an Excel spreadsheet and others will download a budgeting app such as what’s shown here. https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/budgeting-saving-tools/ I find The Balance website to be very helpful. https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-make-a-budget-1289587

Watch your caffeine

In life, so often it’s the little things that matter. Small expenses can easily add up to a bigger drain on your income than you realize. In other words, beware the $5.00 caffeine drinks. The most frugal option is to buy a good coffee maker or tea kettle + accessories and make your own brew. However, if stepping out for a break helps you to be a more effective work from home professional, find a local restaurant to visit. You may be able to save money as you have the pleasure of supporting a local business.

Monitor other expenditures as well. Not all of your small but life-enhancing pleasures will have to end, but making note of their impact on your finances may change your mind about a few things. If possible, maintain a couple of indulgences that mean the most and let the rest go.

Pay on time

Late fees for many bills are $25.00 or more and some companies consider them to be a line of business. You don’t want to go there. Late paying clients can force a Freelancer into that trap and I’ve been there. Help yourself by invoicing on time and finding the courage to send a gently worded reminder email to collect unpaid receivables that are approaching 60 days.

Moreover, when discussing a project with a client, ask for 20% – 25% of the total fee before you commence work. Tie subsequent payments to successfully completed project milestones. Avoid leaving more than 30% due at the project’s completion and therefore leaving yourself vulnerable to an unscrupulous operator who decides not to pay the full amount, now that s/he has want they want.

Finally, you may notice that planning to save money may inspire you, Freelancer Friend, to become more ambitious and disciplined about keeping your sales pipeline filled, enacting client retention strategies and even devising a campaign pitch to move regular clients to retainer agreements. When you make a commitment to yourself to manage money, you’ll want to be able to predict, and ideally increase, your revenue in order to achieve the savings target.

Thanks for reading,

Kim


			

	


				
					


			

						
							
						
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Forget About Bouncing Back—Bounce Forward!
		
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A pandemic viral infection stalking the earth is not the only beast that can give any business a deadly wallop. An aggressive competitor, economic instability, technological advances that makes your biggest product obsolete, or the bankruptcy of an important client can take a business under like a riptide. 





It’s a scary moment and no business is immune to a set-back. How can the business founders or leaders right the ship and head for calmer waters? Let’s take a couple of deep cleansing breaths, tap into your storehouse of resilience and figure out how to not just bounce back from business troubles, but bounce forward  and stage a re-entry on higher ground.





When the realization sets in that the business is in a perhaps irreversible tailspin, the most common emotions the business founders/ leaders will ordinarily feel are fear and panic, followed closely by sadness and feeling like a failure. The enterprise that once made them so proud has been wrenched away. The body and soul ache. 





You are encouraged to own your feelings. Denial, as revealed by a “take it in stride, carry on as usual” attitude is not recommended, but it is inadvisable to wallow in sorrow for an extended period. Recovery, personal and professional, lie in a rational examination of what went wrong and an informed decision about what to do next.





Start with SWOT





The old chestnut strategic planning technique that was first popularized in the early 1970s is still relevant today. Use SWOT to tally and measure the value of resources available to the company, assess current and projected business conditions and decide how to rebuild. A well-chosen and executed pivot or strengthening of the original business model, perhaps with the addition of an untapped niche market or infusion of capital, may be the healing recipe.





Strengths are valuable resources that can be leveraged—-still popular products or services; skills held by the founder and team members; the company brand/ reputation; strategic relationships; the client list; the email list; well-developed social media networks; cash reserves. Bundle the right set of strengths and propel your enterprise toward a profitable bounce forward.





Weaknesses are gaps and shortcomings that put the company at a disadvantage relative to competitors. Some organizational weaknesses cannot be eliminated because attempting to do so would not be practical. Instead, do what is possible in the near term to shore up, minimize, spin, or work around them. Primarily, it’s important to honestly and fully take stock of and plan around what has the potential to derail a forward bounce.





Opportunities are developments or circumstances in the environment that the company may be able to use to its advantage. Pursuing an opportunity is an offensive strategy that facilitates a bounce forward. However, one may search the horizon and find not a single lifeboat in sight. It may be necessary to pause and figure out how to create an opportunity, or wait for one to arrive. 





While in limbo, finding a part-time j.o.b. may be the stopgap solution you need. I’ve been there and can testify that the strategy can aid a bounce forward.  Search for a low-visibility gig that offers a desirable benefit in addition to money (which is probably inadequate). The idea is to get paid to discover and learn something that can contribute to the relaunch of the business and your professional life.





At my low-paid, part-time  j.o.b., I eventually realized that my public speaking skills were greatly improving. That led me to search for and obtain a teaching position that continues to provide an intermittent but helpful revenue stream. Teaching enhances the brand and the cash-flow of Freelancers and business owners. That same j.o.b. required me to work with groups and I also came to realize that I could lead mastermind groups, where non-competing business owners and independent consultants meet each week or month to share experiences and insights that serve to support and inspire one other to achieve goals and become more effective leaders.





Threats are obstacles, challenges, or other developments in the environment that stand to undermine a company’s profitability and survival. Changing demographics, tornadoes and earthquakes, political or economic developments, computer hacking or data breach and the coronavirus pandemic are examples of threats. A company typically has little or no control over these events, which are external. 





Guarding against threats is a risk management, defensive strategy. The best offense is a good defense. Keeping an eye on technology developments that may impact the desirability of the company’s products and services as well as being aware of potentially influential direct or indirect competitors who could cut into the client list are essential defensive actions. The idea is to limit or avoid the impact of harmful business conditions.





Market research 





When you’ve discovered what appears to be the best direction for the company, curb your enthusiasm and take time to investigate the most advantageous business strategy before taking action. You owe it to yourself to lay the groundwork for sustainable success. 





Research the market size, target market purchasing habits, the competitive landscape and your ability to access customers. Confirm that demand for your products or services is growing and not flat or shrinking. Consider business model possibilities that could work well. Talk to someone at the Small Business Association’s (free) SCORE business development mentoring program and discuss your restart plan with experienced business leaders before investing time and  money.





Market strategy 





Articulate an appealing marketing message and pencil in the olaunch campaign. Will the business have a new name? How will you introduce this newly configured venture? How will you describe and explain your pivot or redesign to current customers? A from the ground up marketing plan must expertly package, explain, persuade and promote to enable the bounce forward.





Budget 





Whether it becomes necessary to build a new website, order new business cards, or take a workshop that will enhance your credentials and perceived credibility in the minds of new and original customers, it’s important to project business start- up costs. 





Develop a 24-36 month financial plan and ensure that working capital will be available. Plan to have income as the new business ramps up. This could mean remaining employed in the j.o.b. for another year.  When escaping a set-back, one must do what one must do to nail a successful bounce forward.





Thanks for reading,





Kim





Photograph: Kim Clark 

					

	


				
					


			

						
							
						
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Strategies to Manage Stress
		
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The American Psychological Association defines stress as “any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral reactions.” Stress is part of daily life, as we know. Not all stress is bad and in fact, stress that induces the “fight or flight” response to a potentially dangerous situation is necessary for survival. 





But chronic stress that results from an inability to eliminate or control an overwhelming or upsetting set of circumstances may precipitate serious health and behavioral complications, including hypertension, obesity, drug or alcohol abuse and depression.





Self Care 





Busy people, whether highly stressed or not, are wise to set aside special time several days each week to devote to self-care. The activities can take the form of cross-training—-kick-off Monday with a run, swim, bike ride, or power walk, Tuesday for yoga or tai chi, Wednesday weightlifting at the gym, Thursday at home for prayer or meditation and Friday can belong to boxing or ballet.





Exercise, meditation and prayer have been confirmed through scientific research to deliver more benefits than I can remember, but among them are improved energy/ stamina, improved self-esteem, lower blood pressure, improved joint mobility, enhanced mood, improved cardiac functioning and a decreased incidence of stress. In other words, everything we need in the physical, cognitive and psychological realms gets better when we move our body and nurture our soul.





Eat well





Good nutrition supports one’s physical health. Maintaining a balanced diet enhances energy, stamina, cognitive functioning, the immune system response and helps the body defend itself against toxic stress. There will be times when deadlines or other intense situations might derail healthy eating habits and fried food bingeing rules. 





Refuse to succumb to that temptation over the long- term. Get back on track ASAP and eat simply prepared fresh food, homemade or takeout, to feel, work and even sleep better. When faced with high-level physical, cognitive, or psychological demands, overdosing on sugar, salt and fat could leave one vulnerable to a crash of some sort, because unhealthy food does not adequately nourish. 





Caffeine and alcohol are also not your friends when their intake surpasses a certain threshold. Listen to your body. A 20 ounce coffee or tea may get you going in the morning and a glass or two of wine, or a couple of cocktails, may help you to relax in the evening. Jittery feelings, heart palpitations and inebriation are warning signs and if they appear, dial back.





Sleep well 





When starting or leading a business, there will  be times when burning the midnight oil, if not burning the candle at both ends, will be the story of life. The opportunity and ability to sleep could easily be diminished. Yet it is advisable to guard against long-term sleep deprivation.





Arm yourself to take on difficult challenges by keeping your diet healthy and continuing with exercise and other forms of self-care (e.g., massage or energy work) that provide the stamina, cognitive functioning and decision-making ability that enable peak performance. Getting the work done makes it a lot easier to sleep and maintain a defense against the harmful effects of stress on the body and the psyche.





Medical and psychological researchers have published dozens, if not hundreds, of studies that document the relationship between inadequate sleep and stress. Sleep, like food and drink, is a biological need and we cannot survive without it (but the precise reason is unknown). The National Sleep Foundation has confirmed the long-held consensus that the average adult requires about eight hours of sleep/day. Teens may need 10 hours/ day. Some adults can perform well on just six hours/ day.





If sleep difficulties are the result of the stress related to getting things done, an executive coach may be able to identify ways to resolve workflow and time management issues that will make the to-do list more manageable, improve productivity and make falling asleep and sleeping through the night possible.





While you’re working on rectifying conditions that may be causing toxic amounts of stress, I recommend what I call The 90 Minute Rule, that pulls together a few NSF recommendations: 1) Evening workouts should conclude at least 90 minutes before bedtime, to allow the body to relax. 2). Dinner should be consumed at least 90 minutes before bedtime, to allow the body to digest. 3). Take a bath or shower 90 minutes before bedtime to promote the release of melatonin, a hormone that encourages sleep.





Delegate/ outsource 





The struggle to get the work done is sometimes stress-producing, as noted in the preceding paragraphs. Learning to prioritize is integral to time management. An examination of projects and tasks that only the business founder/ leader is equipped to do is Step 1 of time management. The founder/ leader can then delegate other tasks to team members, if employees have been hired, or outsource to Freelancers or other business specialists, in the absence of staff.





Just say no





Saying no is occasionally necessary, even when it disappoints someone. Saying no may enable you to better manage time, energy, or other resources and become more productive.





Say no to enforce your boundaries. Say no to what you feel is unacceptable. Say no to honor your values, self-respect, or priorities. Say  no to stress.





Thanks for reading,





Kim





Photograph: Kim Clark. Practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual philosophy with roots in China and derived from Buddhism, meditate on Boston Common.






					

	


				
					


			

						
							
						
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Bouncing Back
		
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Can we at last peek out from under the covers and think about ending the shutdown and getting on with life and business? I certainly hope so! A few businesses are beginning to reopen, depending on local regulations, Apple, Microsoft and Panera Restaurants among them. The definition of reopening may be limited but a few small steps are being taken and more will join in soon.





In reality, Freelance consultants did not so much close down but either ceased or continued operations according to what clients were doing. Some of my clients temporarily closed because they could no longer function, as was the case with a well-known arts organization. Their twice-a-month live events abruptly ended and were last held in February. 





Might local officials allow the group to reopen in September? When will their audience feel comfortable to return? Might the organization regain full capacity by Spring 2021? 





Most of us intuitively know that a “new normal” is ahead of us and we don’t yet know what it will mean for business, whether our clients’ or our own. Resilience will be among the most valuable resources we Freelancers can bring to bear and we must call it up from within ourselves and learn how to apply it.





Honor your feelings





Are you frightened by the potential outcome of the shutdown, which is unprecedented in the history of the U.S. if not the world? Do you wonder if your Freelance entity will survive and how you’ll be able to support yourself if it collapses?





Being deeply concerned about the future viability of what you’ve built and its ability to sustain you in even the near term is only natural in light of what the national economy has been through. Whatever you’re feeling is normal for you. Acknowledge and own your emotions. 





The only thing we cannot do is become paralyzed by fear. We are compelled to move forward because life demands it and our clients expect it. Constructive action is required and to fulfill expectations—-remember that meeting or exceeding expectations is the core of consulting—-Freelancers must tap into and magnify our ability to recover from setbacks.





Share your feelings with peers and mentors





Selectively share your worries and doubts, questions and potential answers, with those whom you trust and respect. Fear is a widely experienced emotion these days and you will find yourself in good company. Talking with others will make you feel supported and will give you the confidence to recognize and act on solutions and opportunities that will help you get back on your feet.





Get perspective 





I grew up hearing my parents, aunts and uncles tell moving stories about the 50 year long polio epidemic which took a devastating toll on many countries. I heard about children being confined to the iron lung. I saw polio survivors, and be aware that the fatality rate far exceeded that of COVID-19 no matter how much the media plays it up, and the outcome was not pretty. 





Polio nearly always severely crippled those that it did not kill. BTW, everyone went to work or school and the only social distancing that occurred was when my grandparents every so often would not allow my (eventual) parents and their siblings go to the movies or otherwise be in crowds.





I was myself in business during the 2009 Great Recession and I suffered. But failure was not an option. I found an under the radar, low wage part time job to help cash-flow and stayed on a rebuilding course. 





I continued to post these columns weekly and found another site to post them on as well. In two years, my posts were featured on a national (and now international) digital publication whose target readers are female entrepreneurs and that gave me a nice title and a little money. I was resilient and you can do the same.





Prioritize





As I think about it, the most important thing that Freelancers can do to rebuild is to reestablish the trust, dependability and empathy that our clients need to know are present before they’re comfortable doing business with us again.





When a client who has recently reopened reaches out to you, rather than just trading emails why not suggest a meeting over lunch or morning coffee to set the stage for a real connection? Offer to meet them at a convenient restaurant, or arrange to bring in some food and drink (you’ll pick up the tab, of course). 





Now you can discuss what it appears the new normal could mean for your client and his/ her relationship with their clients and how recalibrated expectations will impact what will be needed from you. Articulate your awareness of the fact that so much has changed thanks to the shutdown and your willingness to be creative, flexible and resourceful in formulating solutions that will position your client to regain, if not improve, market position.





Model resiliency in your thoughts and actions 





Yesterday evening, I received an email from a woman who was born to a prosperous family, has a part-time grant sponsored job at an influential global not-for-profit organization and a good and talented husband. Yet, she sought me out for some apparently much-needed encouragement. What is so funny is that I’m just a Freelancer, unmarried and not well-connected, who’s trying to maintain middle class solvency in America. Still, this very affluent woman, who I love talking to BTW, calls me when she needs a little hand-holding. 





In other words, I do what I can to bring resilience into my life and I’m willing to share the resource with friends and colleagues to help them sort things out when they need.  On a regular basis I also practice self- replenishing rituals to keep my physical strength and positive mental energy flowing because burnout will make it all come crashing down. I encourage you to think about your own resilience, how you can strengthen and expand it and share it when necessary.





Thanks for reading,





Kim





Photograph: Panera restaurants are reopening for takeout only. This one is on Huntington Avenue near Symphony Hall.