Real Freedom in the Free Agent Workplace

 Coaches, Consultants, Writers, Speakers, Trainers. . .each of you has, as part of your dream, the desire to be “free” from certain constraints.

But you may be boxing yourself in more than you realize.

When you set out on your own, adding value is linked directly to your personal talent, skills, and  knowledge. It’s easy--and somewhat satisfying-- to revel in the fact that you are the brand

Think long and hard about these three questions:

    * Do you want to be the only on-site resource for customers?
    * Do you ever want to generate passive income?
    * Do you want to grow your business?

Some people like being “Da Man" (or “Da Woman”). They get a buzz from being  in demand. That’s OK if the related  limitations of such self-branding are acceptable.

But what if you see a different future? Maybe you’re interested in a way out of the every day stand-up grind that produces revenue and doesn’t involve “closing” the biz.

Most consultants/coaches, for example  would say that their only asset is their brain and the ideas generated. Well, what can you do to turn that into a self-sustaining business?

Start Thinking Product Instead of Services

Many creative professionals sell their services. Let’s be totally hones here  Solopreneurs usually put all the focus on themselves and sell only the services they create and can handle. Big mistake. It stunts your business growth because it looks as if no one else can do what you do the way that you do it.

The solution: move the focus away from you and start treating your service (results) as a product. When you contract, contract for a specific result. That way, your clients are focused on something tangible and so are you. You build a reputation for delivering value in a specific way.

It’s easy to get caught up in the importance of our creativity and uniqueness. Once you get over that and start treating the result as your product, you start building a business that very well may lead to a tangible information prodcut. Why? Because you are focusing on outcomes and how to get there--the “how to” that people long for.

Freedom comes from building replicable systems and products that allow people to have the benefit of you--and your thinking-- without you actually being there.

Do it now. Begin to shift the focus from “you” to your “product”. I guarantee you it will be a freeing experience.

Thought for Today: You may love being "out there" all the time and providing face-to-face service. That's great. Keep in mind that on the spectrum of life, you are more "self-employed" than "in business."

Comments

[Jo Jordan]

Salutary advice for everyone

Recent blog post: Stylish events in London

[Becky Robinson]

More food for thought, Steve, thanks. I am not sure I completely understand, though, how shifting from a personal focus to a product focus brings freedom. I understand how coaches/consultants could create replicable systems that are self sustaining... but I am not sure how this relates to writers, speakers or other independent contractors. Will be interested to hear more from you on this topic.

[Steve Roesler]

Jo,

I am overwhelmed that someone actually used the phrase "salutary advice" here. You've given me reason to take off the rest of the day.

[Steve Roesler]

Becky,

Sure, I understand what you are saying. I think I'm going to add something to the post that was in my head but never made it through my fingers to the keyboard. Here it is:

Any of us can choose to ply our craft as freelancers and also choose to "be the source" of everything. In that case you don't have a business: you are self-employed and must "be at work" (someplace) to generate revenue. That's absolutely fine if one wants to do that. It can become quite tiring after a while and you really don't get the financial benefit of your accumulated knowledge. But it's 100% valid--just don't mistake it for being "in business".

When one decides to create a business, the mindset changes. What else can I create? For example, you could run workshops on how to blog for colleges. Yes, you would have to be there. But you could also create information products, webinars, eBooks, books, etc., that would perpetuate the business brand and create additional revenue.

Again, it's a personal choice. And it's not one that has to be made today if one likes being "out there" all the time. But it's something to seriously consider, especially if you want more--not less--time at home.

I hope that clarifies rather than confuses...

[Becky Robinson]

Thanks for the addition, Steve; it helps clarify the issues for me, definitely. I have seen examples of this already from some of the leadership bloggers I read: Wally has his Supervisor Kit... Art has ebooks.

I have a lot to learn about starting and growing a business, if that's what I end up doing eventually. For now, I definitely agree that what I am doing is just a nice part time job.

Still, you raise many thought provoking issues and I appreciate the way you always give me something to think about.

I hope you did take the rest of the day off. :)