How I work smarter (not harder) in my design biz

Feb 1, 2018

There are 24 hours in a day. And yet, you could have sworn you spent 30 hours yesterday wading through the deep administrative hell that is the behind-the-scenes of your business.

It’s like treadmill working. You’re running as fast as you can, but you ain’t going anywhere, sister.

The bad news? This isn’t doing anything for your business or those big goals of yours.

The neutral news? You aren’t alone. I’ve lost count of the amount of women in the same situation as you.

The good news? It’s an easy fix, yo! Lemme show you how.

The secret to how I work smarter (and not harder) in my design biz

I automate shit.
I’m a one-woman show. I’m also a one-woman show that’s allergic to wasting time. Which is why I automate as much of my business as possible.

I don’t want to spend my days doing the same things over and over, saying the same things over and over, until I feel like I’m less human and more lady boss on repeat.

And neither should you! Put automated systems – like automatic emails and on-boarding systems – in place so that you spend your time doing what you do best: creating cool sh*t.

I enforce my boundaries.
My clients will be the first to tell you that although I love them to bits and will go above and beyond to see them succeed … there’s no way in hell I’m answering their calls or responding to their emails out of office hours.

I pride myself on communicating clearly what they can expect from working with me, and then I stand by it.

This clear communication allows me to set boundaries that are easy to respect. No late nights, no weekend conference calls, no unlimited edits.

I’m a professional and this is a business arrangement.

I suggest you set up – and enforce – the same boundaries too. 

I have systems and processes in place.
For every single element of my business, I have a system in place. I know what to do and when to do it.

But it wasn’t always like this … in the first few years of my business, it felt like I was fumbling around in the dark, trying to figure out what to do. I responded to every email personally, even if I was writing the same thing over and over again. I tripped around my client processes and winged it with my marketing.

Which is long-form for: I wasted a lot of time.

These days, my systems and processes are so streamlined they could compete in the 100m freestyle.

I charge what I’m worth.
This is a loaded topic, but I don’t believe in discounting my services. I charge what I know I’m worth because I KNOW my mentoring and design gets people results. And the results? That’s what they’re paying me for.

So my advice for you?  Stop. Discounting.

You are worth more than that. And you deserve to be paid what you’re worth! You’re talented, lady. And you offer true value. Own it.

I outsource stuff I suck at (or don’t like doing).
I’m an ideas lady. I’m great at coming up with awesome new creative concepts, but when it comes to communicating ‘em? Bleugh. Bores me to tears. Which is why I hire a copywriter to make my words sing and bring my ideas to life.

In the same vein, I love having a sparkling clean house, but I loathe having to actually clean it. So, I hire a housecleaner to take care of that for me every week.

And Facebook ads? They’re awesome. But I’ll leave creating them to a specialist.

Moral of the story? Know where your talents lie and dedicate your time to harnessing your skills and assets. The other stuff? Leave it to people who are proud to specialise in it. 

“Woo – I’m pumped! What next, Anna?”

Thatta boss lady! Next, why not join my free five-day challenge? YES!
It’ll guide you in automating your design biz so you can work smarter – not harder!

 

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