Weekly Tips: 10 Mindset Lessons I have Learned Operating a Dev shop/ Freelance Business š°
And also exciting news coming up!
Hey guys,
Hope you had a nice start to September, sorry for missing last week's series, but unexpected things happened.
Anyways we are going to make it up this week with some fresh content, but an exciting teaser as well. (see at the end)
Last week sitting in melancholy I thought about some lessons and mindset ideas that I have picked up operating a design and dev shop business. Most of them I have learned through failure and mistakesā¦. I have sat down and wrote them down as things I have to be conscious about. I also believe they could be useful for any tech freelancer or an agency owner. Here they are:š„š„
Letter to my younger self:
You are not your business and it does not define your worth. Have separate life, interests and identity to fall back on, if things fail
ā¦but still, you operate a business. So it is OK to ask for money from clients that want out-of-scope work even if clients are your friends etc.
Be open to partnerships and collaborations with others (even if they may seem like competition). Donāt be an island, you never know from where an opportunity may pop.
Always ask for referrals proactively at the end of a project. Ditch the idea that if I have done good work, they would just recommend me to their friends and colleagues.
Delegate and ask for help for matters you don't understand.
There would be always difficult moments with some clients e.g scope creep. Embrace it and expect it. Donāt be afraid to fire a client.
Always have some basic plan and strategy for the future that you review and adapt every month/quarter.
The grass always looks greener on the other side. Even though there are more successful people/companies that you look up to, remember most of them face the same problems as you and are not probably that much āsmarterā.
Honesty doesn't always pay, but dishonesty always costs (in the long run) in business.
If you are an agency owner: the team is the most important asset. Clients in the service industry would stick predominantly because of your team and people they interact with, not your fancy brand! No matter the brand name a team person is more important than a client.
To end on a positive note. Lancerlot is finally coming this month. Stay tuned for announcements next week.š„³š„³š„³
Donāt forget to share this newsletter with friends. Letās āstop being an islandā, but build a helpful community so that we could take larger projects and win!
All the best,
Yours,
Dobromir