Doing Business as a Designer:Work and Life Balance

(Slide-u-mentary Version - made in google docs)

By Jae Xavier of KnowledgeCity.com 

Blog: jaexavier.wordpress.comTwitter: twitter.com/jaexavier

Examination

No, this is not an article on tips about how to maintain a work-life balance. Rather, an examination. Every designer I’ve met who owns a business has a different stance on the “Work-Life” balance equation. With so many factors, how can a business owner manage? This was a big deal for me when I was running my first company. Although I love what I’m doing, the world around me was moving fast (like time lapsed photography).

My Equation

Monday to Saturday (6 days a week, for the first 6 months) Work======14 hours Life======2 hours working out2 hours cooking, eating, cleaning, organizing6 hours of sleep Sundays are the “do whatever I want” day. After gaining a partner, running my business got a lot easier.

Patterns of Behavior

It wasn’t until I went to an entrepreneur meetup that I started seeing patterns of behavior. The young-single owners spent more time on their business than the older-married owners. The older-married owners spent about 8 hours working on their business, 5 days a week.

Older-Married Business Owners

Their top 3 reasons for their work hours: Commitments to their partner and family

Cannot neglect them Established efficient production methodologies

Their services ran like a finely tuned machine Established lead generation, sales channels, and market share

Constant flow of business

Young-Single Business Owners

LearningKnowing more about their market, faster production methodologies, and how to get more business

 Sales and Marketing

Spending a lot of time finding opportunity, trying to close deals, setting up lead generation systems, and cold calling

 Production

Most were a one man operation.

Conclusion

There was a stark contrast that was very noticeable. The way I interpreted the pattern was that knowing your business and your market resulted in an easier operation over time.

Want to know more?

ResourcesSmall Business Management Online TrainingProfessional Sales – Online TrainingMarketing Concept – Online Training ArticlesDoing Business as a Designer: Getting StartedDoing Business as a Designer: The Article Collection at Scribd