In this talk I discuss the things I believe did wrong and right during my first 30 days of working for myself, as well as some of the lessons I have learned thus far.
have been working professionally as a Java web developer for over ten years, and have been working with WordPress, Node, and Mobile development over the last couple of years. I have never liked working for someone else. Period. The question is, will I like working for myself? presstronic.com #WCJax @demianseiler
led me to start my own business, and my experiences, both good and bad, over the first 30 days of working for myself. The Backstory The Wrong The Right The Lessons The Q&A presstronic.com #WCJax 1 5 4 3 2 @demianseiler Nobody gets anywhere by accident.
tendencies starting from a very young age Working for someone else never sat right with me. Jumped into the deep end and started working for myself presstronic.com #WCJax @demianseiler
delights in middle school. Until the authorities put a stop to my whole operation, you could often find me selling blow pops to the kids in the dark corners of the classroom. Once my candy operation had been put on ice by the school administrators, I turned to arms dealing. That’s right, making and selling paper throwing stars. In high school, I continued to dream of doing my own thing. But I can’t do anything normal, so instead of mowing lawns, I started painting reflective numbers at the end of driveways. Just out of highschool I got my first taste of what I wanted out of my work life when a couple friends and I attempted to start our own Web Design company. Not to date myself, but Windows 95 was pretty rad... A Serial Entrepreneur? presstronic.com #WCJax @demianseiler
of 15 years. First full time development gig. Contract to hire with another local Java shop. presstronic.com #WCJax After 17 years of software development, 15 of which were with the same company, I decided to make my move. So, I went to work for someone else... 1998 2005 2015 2016 My Career Path @demianseiler
the company was a great place to work. But I had to finally admit that it was time to live dangerously and jump in with the sharks. presstronic.com #WCJax On February 12th I worked my last day for someone else. The Pieces Finally Came Together @demianseiler 2016
if you can swim is to just jump right in. Lessons stick best with me when I just jump right in and get my hands dirty. Sometimes, this also means I get things wrong. The Backstory The Wrong The Right The Lessons The Q&A presstronic.com #WCJax 1 5 4 3 2 @demianseiler
have met several potential clients, but have not been efficient in pursuing them because I was not using a CRM system. presstronic.com #WCJax The Wrong You haven’t failed until you quit. 2 @demianseiler
It is recommended to have 6-12 months of savings ready to go to help get started. We were a little shy of that. presstronic.com #WCJax The Wrong You haven’t failed until you quit. 2 @demianseiler
idea as to what we wanted our logo and colors to be, but to this day we are still working on finalizing this. presstronic.com #WCJax The Wrong You haven’t failed until you quit. 2 @demianseiler
faith however. By doing research and having discussions with other business owners, we managed to get a few things right. The Backstory The Wrong The Right The Lessons The Q&A presstronic.com #WCJax 1 5 4 3 2 Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
under “The Wrong” but at some point you really do have to pull the trigger and make it happen. presstronic.com #WCJax 3 The Right Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
wanted to make sure our business and personal finances were miles apart to save complications later. presstronic.com #WCJax 3 The Right Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
fits our lives. We are still figuring it out, but so far so good. presstronic.com #WCJax 3 The Right Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
involved in the communities that focus on our core competencies. presstronic.com #WCJax 3 The Right Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
build stronger relationships with existing and prospective clients. presstronic.com #WCJax 3 The Right Celebrate your wins. No matter how small. @demianseiler
road map helps. A GPS is better though. As a very new business owner, I have learned that the only thing I can be really good at right now is listening, taking notes, and pondering what those who have gone before me say and do. The Backstory The Wrong The Right The Lessons The Q&A presstronic.com #WCJax 1 5 4 3 2 @demianseiler
don’t have any of these skills, hire someone or learn how to do it. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
priority is critical for the success of my business. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
to counter this feeling by plunging even deeper into building my business. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
not harder, than working for someone else. But it is much more rewarding. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
is not easy. Especially, in the beginning, so take care of yourself. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
by setting and sticking to priorities, you can actually see your family a bit more often. Make a point of doing this. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
when it comes to how often your client payments arrive. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
hassle, and in turn make you more money. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
help from those that have gone before you. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler
need to make money, the freedom to work from anywhere and be around my family, is my main motivation. presstronic.com #WCJax The Lessons For those that wander, a good road map helps. A GPS is better though. 4 @demianseiler