Success in the face of failure

I'm embarrassed to even look at the timepost of my last entry...Nearly a month. Ugh. 

Nonetheless, I am back with a couple new topics. One today, one tomorrow. I gotta space out my content or I got for a month without anything new!

Over the past few months, Nashville's unofficial design community e-mail list, the615, has been run rampant with talk of layoffs, lack of work and company closings. Many talented designers are either struggling to find design work or are being forced to look outside the industry to make ends meet. By God's Grace, I have been (more or less) protected from any drastic effects on income and quantity of work.  Nevertheless, it's clear that our limping economy has had an effect on the design community as a whole. 

So, how do the small survive? How do we turn this ominous roadblock into opportunity? We adapt. 

Seek the weak or the strong.

It has refocused my new business pursuits to companies that are either in great need of cutting their cost, or those that aren't being affected.

Cut Cost

Obviously, the first thing we all think about is changing our current spending. That's what all these corporations are doing when laying off their workforce. The problem is, this is a passive action with no vision. What we need to be doing is making an active response to cut costs with the hope that it will redirect vision and focus for long-term growth. Sure, it sounds great. But what does it look like?

Like this...

Instead of cutting out your morning trip to Starbucks to save the $3 on your wonderfully smooth and delicious Tall, extra hot Mocha coffee of choice, make the trip (don't get the coffee) with the intention of making one new contact while you're there. Find a central table and I guarantee that within 15 minutes of your visit you will know the business of at least one other patron. Small talk at Starbucks is more effective that cold-calling any day.

Expand Horizontally

So, you're great at what you do. You are passionate about your work, you know what it takes to be successful, you know your business like the back of your hand. Can what you know be applied to another venture or industry? For instance...

I am a designer. I know my design process and I know how to plan my work in order to be efficient and organized. So, I take that knowledge and develop a project management application for other designers. It's not a design project, but a design industry project that appeals to the demographic that I am an expert on.

another one...

UD+M recently went under a rebrand that is transferring my online presence to uberdm.com. My old site, uberclothing.com, gets regular traffic from visitors searching for clothing. If the market is already there, shouldn't I appeal to them? (You'll have to stay tuned to see how this one pans out) 

NOTE: It's important not to spread yourself too thin. It's alway better to be a master of one trade than a jack of all (Raechel has to reel me in with this when my hair-brained ideas are too much)

Those who can't do, teach.

David Bean, an incredible photographer, wonderful businessman, and one of my business mentors (he doesn't know it!) has felt the effect of the economy. His regular clients in the entertainment industry substantially cut back on shoots. His response? Light and Commerce: An intense photography workshop that David will be teaching at venues across the country. 

I have had the wonderful opportunity of teaching at O'More College of Design here in Franklin, TN. Besides it being a tremendous experience from a relational and industrial perspective, it does bring in a little extra cash that comes in incredibly handy.

What is it that you know? What are you an expert on? Consider spreading the wealth and getting paid while you do it.

A bad economy will affect you. Whether it defeats you or spurns you to succeed is on your head. '

Creativity and new ideas are the only things that will win out in this new economy. Those who cling to mediocrity will sink to the bottom and be run out of business.' -David Bean