Hewlko News - From employee to business owner - the top five pros and cons
Over the years I’ve played many roles, I’ve gone from employee to freelancer to independent contractor and back to employee before starting my own business. Today, I am one of four partners in a merged business. It feels like I’ve meandered my way through, but in reality, it has been a series of choices, failures, walls, and roadblocks that have made me turn around, regroup and rethink. I wouldn’t change anything, but the challenges that have come with Roadmap are distinctly different than when I was flying solo.
If you’re wondering if you should stay an employee or launch out on your own, this could be the push you need to take that next step or give you the insight to see that you’ve got it good where you’re at. So let's dive in!
1. Getting the work
Pros: When you are the one that sells the work through, you have control over the scope, budget, and doing the work so you know exactly what to expect and can manage expectations along the way.
Cons: One of the things business owners struggle with the most is putting themselves out there! It can feel boastful to have to “sell” yourself, put your image on a website and talk about your accomplishments. It can also be challenging to ask for that meeting, coffee or drink date. Ultimately, it is a sales role that may not come naturally to everyone.
2. Dealing with numbers
Pros: Doing your own invoicing and bookkeeping can be empowering. Learning and having control over your finances can help you develop strong financial literacy skills that not only ensure business success but are good for your personal life too!
Cons: Many people (like me), who go into the creative industry don’t naturally have a brain for keeping track of numbers, the language can be hard to understand and as you grow it can become challenging to keep track of it all. Bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, and following up with clients to chase down late payments all are jobs that aren’t that fun to someone who prefers to be flexing their creative talents.
TIP: Try to do as much as you can yourself when you’re starting and have more time so that when you do hire someone you will have a good understanding and know-how to communicate better with your accountant and bookkeeper.
3. I am an island
Pros: I mention this one above, besides managing client expectations, you are your own boss and can say “no, that doesn’t work for me” or “sorry, this project is not a fit, here is someone else who can help.”
Cons: It can be lonely on the island, many business owners and leaders feel alone. And when you are solo, it means you have the ultimate responsibility to both your customers and yourself, there is no one left to blame when things go wrong.
4. Divided focus between your craft and the business
Pros: Typically, when you’re part of an organization you can focus on your craft and not have to do it all. You have your unique skillset, which for me is directing creative, developing strategy, and crafting designs for clients (my first love!).
Cons: Although the title on my Linkedin reads Creative Director, I’m also 1 of 4 partners in this business which means a whole other list of responsibilities. When you are spending so much time working on the business, managing sales, creating proposals, marketing and resourcing, it can take away from the time you have to focus on your craft.
5. Teamwork makes the dream work
Pros: When you are part of a talented team it can mean better and more cohesive work as a result. However, it is possible to build a trusted set of contractors to support larger projects or hand off specific projects that are not in your wheelhouse.
Cons: The more people that are weighing in on a project can add time and end up with a “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario. Briefing in teams and handing off projects can sometimes end in a game of telephone and communication issues that can derail a project. It is easier to manage the work of one person and there is a clear thread of responsibility. Fewer clients and projects equal fewer potential issues.
Have I missed something?! Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you.
Sharlene Reimer, Hubspot Implementor at Roadmap
April's Q&A featured Roadmap staff member and Hubspot Implementor, Sharlene. Shar is an integral piece of our tight-knit team and you can see that she takes great pride in helping the people and businesses she works with grow to reach their potential. In this Q&A we learn how Sharlene ended up with Roadmap, why she got into marketing and some of the personal interests and motivations that drive her day-to-day.
Britta Kokemor, Photographer and Creative Director
For this month’s Q&A, I sat down with Britta Kokemor, the wonderful woman behind the lens at Kokemor Studio! Read about how she got started in her career, what her biggest learnings were and what marketing efforts have worked best for her over the years.
Nick Verwymeren, Senior Lead Developer at Roadmap
There are few people who can say they have over 20 years of computer programming experience, and Nick happens to be one of them. With the opportunity to pick his brain, we wanted to ask Nick his advice for an aspiring developer and the number one challenge he believes developers must overcome.
We’ve got lots going on over at Roadmap, so make sure to sign up to the newsletter to stay up to date! Here’s a recap if you’ve missed it!
New Work:
Methanex Sustainability Report
Methanex is a Canadian-based company and is the world's largest producer and supplier of Methanol. We teamed up with Responsibility Matters to create their 2020 Sustainability Report. We used their vibrant colour palette to create custom illustrations for the cover, divider pages and information graphics.
New Work:
CLS Landscape Summer Uniforms
When work starts to feel like summer camp ☀️ We loved making these camp-inspired tees for CLS Landscape. We created four unique designs for the crew to choose from.
New Blog:
How to Use Instagram Insights to Gain Leads
Have you wondered if your efforts on Instagram are gaining traction? Instagram Insights is a free native tool that proves your efforts are creating an impact with your audience. Read more in July's Blog!
This newsletter is a full month behind, per my quarterly schedule. I could blame work, but it's probably due to the never ending beast that is Cabin Project BC! Happy to report, we are finally out of my in-laws and into our new space. The projects continue, Cary installed the bar area last night, we need to build the deck and start working on landscaping (help! CLS Landscape Construction). BUT! We are in!
Stay tuned to our Instagram account as there is more fun stuff to come as I've been playing around with Insta Reels and most recently made a compilation of myself bailing while learning to waterski - ouch.
Be kind and stay safe!
- Hewlko Creative Direction + Design