So it has been about a year since I started Look Social. If you did not know Look Social is a full service digital agency that does logo design, web design, social media management, internet marketing and much more. It has been an interesting year starting the company and more and less learning as I go. With ThinkComputers I really never dealt with customers, made up contracts, etc. So there was a lot of learning and I sure have made some mistakes, but that is of course how you learn. Here are some of the biggest things I’ve learned over the past year.
Have a Timeline In the Contract
This is huge! Many of the first projects I worked on I did not put a timeline or deadlines when materials were due. So if I needed content to complete a website or information for a logo revision I could be waiting for months. And if the contract was 50% up front and 50% once the project is complete I could be waiting for that 50% for quite a while.
Do Monthly Payments When You Can
The whole 50% up front and 50% when the project is finished is an ok way of doing things, but I have found it much better to have a monthly fee for my services. So instead of designing a website for someone for a couple thousand dollars, I would instead charge them a low monthly fee. This keeps a steady flow of residual income coming in. It also makes it much easier to get business because not everyone has 1-2K to spend on a website right away but they can afford a couple hundred dollars a month.
Under Sell and Overproduce
You should never promise a client the world. Never tell them anything or agree to anything that is not possible. Tell them a basic version of what you can do, and then over-produce. At the end of the day they are going to be impressed because what you did for them far exceeded their expectations. You might get more sales by over-promising, but when you under deliver the client is not going to be happy.
Word Of Mouth Is Everything
Almost all of my business over the past year has been from word of mouth. That is why under selling and overproducing is key. If you do a good job they are going to tell their friends, and their friends will tell their friends, etc. So keep that in mind when you are dealing with a client and doing work for them. One bad review or comment to a friend could cost you a sale.
You Have To Be In Constant Contact
This is one of the more annoying things I’ve learned this past year. When dealing with clients you need to be in contact with them all the time, because more times than none they will not get back to you. I’ve had client who have paid for an entire website up front, but took months to send me content. And this is after I had contacted them multiple times. Always be in contact with your clients no matter what.
It has been a year of learning for me with Look Social, but as I learn I can become better at what I do. Remember if you need any of the services that Look Social offers be sure to shoot me a message!