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Ok, here's a stab at what my business might look like.
MISSION
The point of the business is to support my particular mission, which is the following (this statement keeps changing)
- Write about what catches my eye, make stuff that adds a little more awesomeness to life on a personal, one-to-one basis.
INTERNAL BUSINESS CASE
I have eclectic interests and skills, and they are of use to a certain clientele. My mission, while self-serving, is applicable to a range of client types.
"Writing about what catches my eye" is a showcase of what I find interesting and why. Clients that appreciate my definition of "interesting" and see a fit between their business and my methods of "reasoning" may deduce that I could be of use in their own marketing, corporate identity, and product development efforts. It piques the interest of people who value highly-developed powers of discrimination.
"Making stuff that adds more awesomeness" showcases both my specific skill set and track record of creating quality products. If a potential client's interest was piqued by what I'm writing about, the actual examples of my work serve as proof that I can think and do.
"Personal, one-to-one basis" is an important qualifier for the kind of working relationships I favor. I like to work with people who are directly invested in what they're doing, and I like to talk to them in person. I don't like working through layers of management. Potential clients who appreciate my ability to think on-the-fly and act as a sounding board, which is evident both in my writing and in-person meeting, often see the one-to-one interaction as an important part of the relationship.
CREDIBILITY
After blogging and freelancing for several years, I also have a critical mass of materials that add credibility to my freelance practice.
Many links and mentions to my Printable CEO work, with some citations in articles from well-known media sources (Wall Street Journal Online, Boston Globe, Newsweek Online)
Work with interesting companies and projects such as the United Nations, Intel, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Red 5 Studios.
A large collection of substantive articles online with supporting downloads, which gives a taste of the kind of analysis and design I do.
MAKING THE EXTERNAL BUSINESS CASE
With both a mission statement and credibility indicators in place, what remains to be defined are clear offerings to potential clients and working partners, so they can easily come to a conclusion about whether I am a good fit for them in an area of expertise that is of immediate and obvious value. This has been a weakness in my online presence for years, though word-of-mouth and existing client relationships have masked the need for improvement for some time.
There is a second hurdle, which is deciding what to offer. There are several skillsets, such as interactive design, I have that are no longer of primary interest to me, yet represent significant revenue streams. Similarly, there are newer skillsets like copywriting and product design that do not yet have credibility indicators in a commercial setting. This is offset by the existing blog development and Printable CEO-related design, but it could be regarded as an amateur offering.
There is a third hurdle, which is finding creative partners locally to jam with. Growth of my practice is unlikely without more people to jam and create with. Without the personal energy, camaraderie, and incidental creativity that results from local peeps, I am unlikely to maintain motivation at a competitive pace.
DEFINING THE OFFERINGS
- So what are Past Work?
- So what are the essential Process Documents?