Ockham Media

Pondering, pondering what to do with my business. In the last post I discuss some of what I’m going through which is all too common for artists in business and solo-business owners. Basically I have outgrown my current business model which is the model where one person (me) does everything: selling, marketing, billing, prospecting, paperwork, followup, monthly newsletters, and…the actual work of creating the final product!! I’m still mulling this over and not sure what to do yet. I yearn to work with a team, but currently have no clue how to get one going and (gulp) how to compensate them!

All I know is right now, all I want to do is write this book. I am obsessed with it. I think about it constantly. Everywhere I go I look for hints and clues that may be pieces of this story I am writing. I used to feel this way about making movies. It’s nice to feel this way again even if it is expressing itself in a different format.

The other night my husband said to me, “Why don’t you just take some time off your business and work on the book?” The very idea stirred crazy excitement inside me. I started imaging myself doing that and it felt wonderful. So… I think I’m going to…FOLLOW MY BLISS! It isn’t easy to commit to this. Afterall, there is no money involved. Of course I hope to publish this book, but mostly it is just the way I am expressing and exploring myself right now. It is scary. How will I earn enough dough to keep things afloat while I’m off having fun? Will I loose my place in the market? Will prospective clients turn their back on me forever?

I am deciding to leave the questions behind for now and do what feels right, even though I have no clue what the outcome will be. Somehow I think by taking a break from the business, it will allow me to return to it later with a clear head and a better sense of what I want to do with it.  So for now… I am a writer. Gosh, I love saying that!!

Isn’t it too bad we can’t clone ourselves? If I could have a replica of me I could take on twice as many clients and get out of this dreary business trap I’ve set for myself. This scenario is all too common for creative types who attempt to make a living doing what they love. I am referring to the problem that when you are the only person running your business it doesn’t take long to be totally maxed out.

This is where I find myself these days. A dead end road and I AM EXHAUSTED. With the kiddos home for the summer I can only work 3-4 hours a day. So it’s not that I’m bringing in a ton of business, but it doesn’t take much to book myself solid for the next 6 months. While it’s nice to be so busy,I am stuck. My business cannot grow any further until something changes.  So, what is the best way to grow this kind of business? The only solution I can see is to either 1. raise my prices or 2. hire help. The thought of hiring people is really scary to me. I would have to train them and do quality control. I would have to teach them my editing style and they would have to emulate it until they get comfortable enough to use their own creativity. Doing this would be a massive pay cut for me and still sounds like an awful lot of work when all I really want to do is write my novel.

Option 1 is the one I have chosen in the past.  I can do it a few more times, but soon I will be at the point of being totally maxed and the market won’t allow additional price raises.

I realize the folly of my current business model. Even in the Renaissance times the painters had their apprentice do parts of the paintings. To try to do it all is just stupid and only leads to burn out. I still like the cloning idea. Maybe in a few more years that will be an option.