When I first started doing freelance work as a graphic designer, life was pretty simple.
My daily routine consisted of finding clients who needed graphic design jobs and then producing the design work that I had gotten from my clients.
As my business grew, I found my role as graphic designer decreasing and quickly transforming into the role of a manger and owner of a small advertising agency.
It was a scary time for me.
I was 24 years old and way outside of my comfort zone.
Growth brings a unique set of challenges to an inexperienced small business owner.
Especially one as ill prepared as I was.
I had never had a class on running a small business, had little preparation in accounting, and had never even heard of strategic planning.
During this time of rapid growth and business expansion, I would get frustrated because I was often unclear of the role I needed to fill.
I had gotten into business because I was a highly skilled technician, not because I was a great manager.
Everyday there were important decisions that had to be made about the business.
I was sure that I was not making proper decisions and I worried about the future ramifications of those decisions.
One day I sat down very frustrated and said to myself: I have to figure out what my job is.
What do I do on a daily basis as the owner of this small business? The following is the result of that first strategic planning session in my head.
I scrawled the following 3 job functions on a note pad.
1.
Ensure Profitability 2.
Strengthen Relationships (Clients & Vendors) 3.
Market Effectively It was a simple start.
I later added 5 additional functions: 4.
Direct Creative 5.
Control Quality 6.
Communicate 7.
Vision 8.
Bring in Business Finally, I crossed out Vision and brought it under #6 so it now read: Communicate the Vision.
I had a simplified set of job functions for myself as a small business owner.
This piece of paper served to remind me not to get so caught up in the daily tasks at the business that I was not working on my business in the area, which I had outlined.
I carried this piece of paper with me for several years.
Today, It still serves as a reminder for me to pay attention to the most important job functions I have to manage in order to grow a successful small business.