08/16/2000

Life-Changing Decisions

I've made five significant career changes in my life, from professional musician to fashion entrepreneur to teacher to school psychologist to freelance writer. That's two short of the average these days, so I hear, unless you stir wife and mother into the mix. Every change turned out to be an opportunity for growth, just like it was for Ellen.

Career Change
By Ellen Ornato

Sometimes life makes decisions for us that we don't have the courage to make for ourselves. Such was the case for me in April of 1997.

I was on maternity leave with my second child when I received a phone call from my boss notifying me that my position had been eliminated. The company had made a decision to close several stores and there were commensurate reductions of staff in the corporate offices. My management job, overseeing community relations, public relations, sponsorships and special events, no longer existed and the workload had been redistributed to my two assistants and to other staff in the marketing department.

At first I was angry. How dare they do that while I was out on maternity leave! Didn't they appreciate the fact that I delegated everything so efficiently before I left? Some appreciation. I delegated myself right out of a job.

Then it began to dawn on me that this could be an opportunity. I had been underutilized and bored at this job for awhile. Maybe, if I got a good severance package, I could start my own company! I talked a lot with my husband and my mentor to see what they thought about my ideas.

By the time I went in to clean out my desk, I was practically skipping. I felt sorry for the HR people who had to do my paperwork because they felt so bad about me losing my job. My former boss had a long face, too. I reassured them that I'd be fine and that this might be a gift; just the push I needed to strike out on my own and see what I could put together.

So there I was, excited about the future but without a specific idea in terms of what I could or would do in my own business. That's where the executive outplacement service came in. My counselor helped me to define my skills in marketable terms and to put together a brochure. I chose the name SOLUTIONS for my public relations and marketing business, created a business plan and began networking with everyone I knew.

With a new computer and Internet access, I began to "work" from home, filling my days with networking calls and meetings. My children were both in day care full-time and I was working to replace a substantial income, so the pressure was on to at least pay for the child care expense as I grew the business.

I never drew an unemployment check. Within a few weeks I was doing marketing and sponsorship development for several local companies and organizations. I landed my first big account within three months as a result of a networking breakfast, where the contact said, "I don't have anything for you right now, but call so-and-so and ask her." I did and this one meeting resulted in three years of steady work.

The lessons I've learned along the way are the ones I'm eager to share, because they've made a huge difference in my business as it has grown.

1. Ask for advice from others who've already succeeded in your field. And then follow it.

   When I decided to focus on public relations and marketing I met with several successful professionals in the field to ask them about how to structure rates, develop a client base and exceed expectations. All of the people I met were generous with their time and knowledge once I assured them that I wasn't asking for a job. No amount of advice would have helped, however, if I hadn't been willing to follow it.

2. Expect to be lonely.

   At about the three-month mark, I began to feel depressed. I came to realize that I missed the day-to-day interaction with other professionals. My house was quiet all day and I'm a real "people person," so I missed the camaraderie of co-workers. I quickly sought out other self-employed people and developed new friendships with many other men and women who work from home.

3. Receivables are an anchor that will sink your ship, aka "You wanna play, you have to pay."

   All of my clients sign a basic contract that specifies my fee and the conditions of payment as well as the scope of the work I will perform. If they won't sign an agreement I won't work with them. It's that simple. If they are late to pay, I call. I sometimes even offer to stop by and pick up the check. Because I'm very clear about my expectations, I've only had one problem in three years with payment.

4. Know what you're good at and stick to it.

   There is very little stock in being a jack of all trades. That's because unless you specialize you can't demand top dollar for your services. And since you're trading time for dollars, you always want to be able to maximize your time. So, clearly define what you're good at and then go after that work. Don't fall into the trap of accepting work that does not play to your strengths because you'll find yourself without time to pursue the more appropriate jobs that would win you referrals and repeat business.

5. Always ask for referrals and repeat business.

   When I finish a job, I always ask what's next. I ask my clients what they liked and/or disliked about my services and ask for the next job as a matter of course. My business is about relationships first, tasks second. So if I can develop a good relationship with a client, more work will follow.

6. Close the back door.

   When I first began my business, I had the attitude that if it didn't generate enough income within X number of months I would get a "real job." This approach undermined my success because I spent a lot of time second-guessing my decision to become self-employed. A talk with a friend who owned a graphics business persuaded me that as long as I left that back door open I wouldn't fully commit to my business. I closed the door and haven't since reconsidered that "real job" alternative.

Ellen F. Ornato is a marketing and public relations consultant and president of SOLUTIONS, located in Middletown. Her current clients include the Connecticut Center for School Change, First Night Hartford, the City of Meriden, and Porter and Chester Institute. She resides in Middletown with her husband and two children.

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.