Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

What a beautiful sunny Sunday here in the NE!  I can hear the birds singing so magically.

During a meeting with a colleague, I was asked about the milestones I was developing for the business I am about to give "birth" to.  Although I had not thought about securing graphic and web pros, atty, cpa, ins agt, bus bank acct, as milestones, the colleague`s inquiry provoked thought.  So, now I am in the process of setting attainable milestones for my business and would appreciate you sharing yours.

Here it goes:

• Locate, develop, and retain superior relationships with clients, for- & N-F-P orgs, and vendors
  
• Add commercial property
  
• Give back to the community through sponsorship and volunteerism
• Make the business` brand identifiable beyond its immediate area

That is what I have for now.  It is an ongoing process.  How about you?

Gorgeous day here as well.  I`m sitting out in my garden with my coffee and PowerBook...

You certainly are right about it being an ever-evolving process.  I could have never seen myself and my business achieving, and going beyond, the projected milestones I have set over time since making the decision to become a graphic designer 32 years ago.

In fact, I hit a major "speed bump" in 2004 when the major milestone I had set for myself was attained.  Even as a kid I wanted to write a book "when I grew up."  I wasn`t really prepared for the impact of achieving that goal when my first book was published two years ago. The book was also documentation of the fact I had reached most of my own previous milestones throughout my career - and I was maintaining many of those items in an on-going process.  Still, I went through a "what do I do now" phase for for a period of months, while recovering from the almost two year process of writing that book.

Attaining that milestone automatically altered many others I may have planned.  It took my business, and persona, to a larger international level. Where my "brand" was already recognized around the world due to my own logo at that point, the same was now true of me personally - to the level of people now coming up to me to ask for my autograph (which is still a weird and uncomfortable experience).

Most of the new milestones set for myself don`t have finite attainments.  They are almost all on-going efforts.  I suppose that`s not unusual having been in business 30+ years. The future milestones coming out of the past experience are:

• Work less, charge more:  Have attained most of my earlier milestones I am now in a position to pick and choose which projects I wish to take on, and to charge higher fees

• Travel more for business (and pleasure):  I am now traveling 1/4-1/3 of each year.  Travel is my favorite recreational activity and now much of it business-related (book signings, professional gatherings, speaking engagements, writing articles/books, etc) with personal side-trips incorporated into the adventure.

• Educate and inform others:  As part of a commitment to "pay back" the trust, support and information-sharing of those throughout my career I will continue to so through mentoring, speaking at conferences, conducting seminars and making myself available to educate/inform others (students, designer wannabees, potential clients, business people, etc.) about the art of graphic design, the related business of design, marketing and promotion of design, and other aspects of the industry.

• Write more:  Although it ties into "Educate and inform others," this has become a large category of its own.  I am currently writing my second book, which will be published in 2007.  Four other publishers - two in the U.S., one in China and one in Singapore - already want to work with me on future books.  I am also writing a great number of articles for magazines  (including one in Turkey and one in Russia) and web sites, and that continues to grow.  I am also spending a great deal of time writing my blog.  Part of the milestone setting in this category is to set realistic schedules for writing projects and allow time for recovery from the jobs.

• Publish a monograph of my career:  Again this ties in to the previous two.  One finite goal I have is to write and publish a monograph of my work from my first artwork as a young boy, through my schooling and throughout  my professional career to today.  Admittedly, some of this is ego-related - but the primary purpose is to present an evolution of a career as a "road map" for others interested in the same career.

• Continue to support the community and causes in which I believe:  The need to give back to the community was instilled in me by my parents when I was a boy.  I have done so over the years and will continue to do so in efforts such as my recent Our House of Portland and Young Native Writer`s Essay Contest projects.

• Position myself for semi-retirement:  I will never completely retire. However, from a financial perspective, at the age of 50, I need to make sure the plans in place will keep me living in the style to which I have become accustomed. If adjustments are necessary I need to be making them.

• Continue to have a blast doing what I enjoy:  If I reach a point where I`m not enjoying what I am doing, I need to revisit and alter my goals and milestones.

Enjoy your day!

- J.




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Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!