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If you know me, then you know I have a podcast with Shyriah (hey girl) called The New Kids (go rate us on Apple Podcasts). On that podcast, Shyriah and I talk about many things, but one of our more reoccurring lessons to the listening entrepreneurs is about not selling yourself short and pricing your product/service appropriately. Why is this important? Well, I'm sure that many of us who are full-time, part-time, or sometimes entrepreneurs enjoy what we do, we also do it to make money and when you undercut/undervalue yourself, well, no money. Think about it, I'm sure you put in a lot of time, effort, and energy into meeting your client's needs, with the goal of their satisfaction and compensation for your work. Why shouldn't you be compensated properly for the product/service that you are providing? Many first time entrepreneurs struggle with pricing themselves appropriately, either because they don't want to alienate their customer base or because they are unsure of their worth, so, with many things, the first step that I recommend is to do your what? RESEARCH. Search out similar brands/services in your area or in markets with audiences that you want to attract. Now, I'm not saying that you have to go scope out Target or Amazon, but it's important to familiarize yourself with realistic competition and gauge their price-points. Now, depending on your industry, that information may not be available so gather what you can, ask around, and put the work in to better understand the high, medium and low points for what you're offering to the industry. Next? TAKE STOCK. If you are product based business, think about what goes into getting the product from creation to the customer. What does it take for you to have a finished product, ready to go? Do you have design costs? Shipping? How much time does it take for you to get a product together? How many products are you trying to ship out a day? If you are a service based business, how much time are you allocating to your client? Is it the same for every project? After you've done these steps, it's time to take the next big leap. Think about a financial goal you want to achieve with your revenue. It could be rent, paying off a car, vacation, whatever. How many products would you need to sell or clients you would need to service in order to reach that goal within a reasonable timeframe? Make note of this information to help you set your baseline pricing. Pricing is one of those subjects that I'm noticing a lot of people struggle with. We put so much work into creating something meaningful and enjoyable, but we fold when it comes to setting a standard in which we receive what it is/we are worth. You also need to pay attention to your audience. If your brand/products are luxury based, then you should be working to craft a strategy that focuses on this demographic. It is not easy, but when you think about this big box brands, everyone started from somewhere. You won't see the needle move if you are not putting in the work behind the engine. We've all heard the saying "quality over quantity" and there's even a cute gif floating around the interwebs that highlights the process between cheap, quality and turnaround time. Let it sear into your brain as a lesson for what you want to offer your customer base and how you craft your brand image. You are worth the price. 
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Hey ya'll. It's been a while. I keep saying I'm going to better, life keeps getting in the way. But this time, I mean it. I've been neglecting you all and it's not fair so I'm back in full swing, with something useful, money tips! Now, for those who don't know me, when I tell people I'm an introvert, I get a shocked reaction. If you've seen me out you've seen me moving around, but you may have also not seen me disappear (exactly). I say all this to say, as a busy entrepreneur with my hand in many hats, when I find ways to make some extra funds that require me to interact as little as possible, I'm on it. And I've recently had a lightbulb moment, "maybe others are like me too!" Sooooo...with that in mind, I'm going to share some places I've come across to help those out there trying to fund their business and deal with social anxiety at the same time. 1. freelancewritinggigs.com - I'm not really sure how I stumbled upon this gem, but I'm so glad I did. Freelance writing gigs is just that, a job posting site that provides daily updates on Freelance Writing Gigs across the US and beyond, for all different types of writing jobs. No matter what type of genre, hobby, or interest, FLWG has you just about covered. And the best part? Minimal face-to-face interaction. I've gotten at least 2 writing gigs from this site, and not only did it help my pockets, but my writing skills got a boost too! 2. Fivver - Now, I haven't started advertising on Fivver yet (my client load keeps me pretty busy) but I have checked out their services quite a bit, and I have a few colleagues that have used them as well, and honestly, Fivver seems like the perfect place for the introvert entrepreneur. Once you set up your skill, you have access to a global audience and the possibilities are endless in regards to benefits and exposure. Use it to launch yourself into full-time work, or keep it as your side hustle, Fivver lets you accept clients in your own way. Setting your schedule and getting paid what you want - heavy social interaction = sounds like a win win to me! 3. Paid online surveys - Now, before you roll your eyes, just hear me out. I hate a junky email box just as much as the next person, and I hate using my email to sign up for stuff but there's actually some merit to completing only surveys for cash if you really do the research. Is it going to make you a millionaire? No. But, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get to where you want to go, so why not check it out and see where it takes you? So, to all my fellow introverted entrepreneurs out there, I see you! I feel you, and trust me, I got you. Happy trails, Maine So, I haven't been exactly following my strict goal in wanting to blog more. Over the past week I've been thinking about my impact and work, what I've done and what I plan on doing with my life. With the first quarter of the year coming to a close, A LOT of positive has happened in my life that makes me want re-assess and push forward but more strategically and intentionally.
Happy 2019! It's January, National Creativity Month and I'm challenging everyone (including myself) to keep your creative juices flowing and create greatness! Does it have you be your best work yet? No. Does it even have to make sense? Absolutely not, but you're never going to get anywhere without trying. Even if it fails, there's a lesson is experiences that don't work out. Take this time to learn a new skill or develop one that you already have, but don't sit around wishing that you would have done something without at least trying out a smidge.
Happy creating! #CreativityMonth So, we're really getting into the thick of the 4th quarter of the year and my goodness, it has been a year. As we move closer towards the end of the year, I've been thinking a lot about the friendships I've had, the choices I've made and the work that I do. I guess I can say that I've been extremely self reflective about how I've gotten to this point in my freelance work, my corporate job and just life in general. When I quit my job in 2016, I had no idea where it was going to lead. What I did know at the time was that I could not continue working at my previous place of employment due to the rising level of stress, job uncertainty and dissatisfaction. So, I quit, and at the time I was very lucky to have supportive parents who I could fall back out while I worked to figure my career path out. Is this something that I would recommend to all the struggling millennials out there looking to find their place? Probably not. I definitely took the jumping into the dark path in terms of deciding my fate, and while it did eventually work out, there were a lot of wasted job interviews, spurts of self loathing, anxiety and fear along the way. As I'm moving forward in a corporate job that I enjoy, a freelance career I love and a podcast/collective that I feel finally gives me the opportunity to express myself, I'm looking back at my choices and I do feel like career wise I made the right decision. My personal life is definitely still in the phase of development and growth, but at least I know that I made one right decision when it comes to my professional path and the potential for success.
Okay, I know I know, it's been a while since I've blogged. I'm not even going to drum up any excuses, but I am working to diminish the procrastination beast inside of me and I'm slowly getting it together.
I figured the best way to make a return is to share a few of my favorite things that get me through the day, week, life and in between. To relax: Levar Burton Reads - Podcast Lightspeed Magazine - Podcast and website To learn: Behind the Brilliance - Podcast The Nod - Podcast To laugh: The Read - Podcast To sleep: Sleep with me - Podcast To scratch my curious itch: Mysteries Abound - Podcast |
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