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The Design Inspirationalist

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The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: momboss

Draw a Line

19 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by melissaoconnor in Design in Business, life

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Tags

boundaries, freelance, momboss, mycreativebiz, routine, selfemployed, workfromhome, worklife

Being self employed for over a decade has been awesome. It’s hard work but it does get easier. After all these years I feel the toughest challenge I always deal with is drawing a line between work and home/personal life. Always. And even though I feel like I have somewhat of a hold on it, I’m being challenged yet again.

The line is important. It plays a big role in my life and can literally ruin my day if I cross it. Now, I do set hours for myself to work but they get a little blurry sometimes. I try to keep this from happening but I understand it will. I just can’t cross that line.

In order for me to be in the moment and sustain my sanity, I have to be tough and listen to my own rules. Because even though I have the freedom to do what I want with my business, creating a realistic routine and setting boundaries is key.

This means shutting down. There have to be times when I’m not available. No one is always available. And they shouldn’t be. Especially for work. We all deserve lives and should be able to enjoy them. It’s pretty simple. So shutting the work world down is the only way to achieve that. There has to be a time when you step away from the computer, stop answering emails and maybe even switch your phone to ‘do not disturb’ if you have to. And stick with it.

And those boundaries I mentioned are essential to NOT crossing that line. Set them and live by them. Like I said, this is my biggest challenge but I’m working at it everyday. Separation is my solution. And that line reminds me to stay one on side until it’s time to cross over.

What are your boundaries?Does the line challenge you often?

Changes are Coming

30 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by melissaoconnor in Uncategorized

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change, changeiscoming, design, freelancer, gettowork, girlboss, graphicdesigner, growth, lifequote, momboss, mycreativebiz, mystory, richardbranson

I am feeling a shift in my business and it’s pretty awesome. Lately, I’ve been very busy with projects, booking up weeks ahead, and I can’t say enough how grateful I am to do what I love. There has been many changes throughout the years as my business has grown and now there will be more.
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In the next few weeks I plan to update my website, feature more design packages, refresh the shop, and start a new stationery series. And since my son will be starting preschool on the 10th, my schedule will allow me more time to work as well.
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I feel like a door is opening and my story is evolving. Looking forward to the changes coming my way and excited to share them all with you soon.

Biz Talk: Getting Paid

24 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by melissaoconnor in Design in Business, life

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Tags

biztalk, businesstips, design, gettingpaid, girlboss, graphicdesigner, letstalkmoney, momboss, moneytalk, quotes, rates, selfemployed

Being self-employed, I’ve always had to take care of all aspects of the business on my own. I have never had help or an assistant, nor have I ever hired professionals to handle certain things for me. And I have done pretty well. The one thing I really don’t like talking about or dealing with is money. Way back when it was more of a confidence issue and not asking for what I was worth. I outgrew that, thankfully.

Now I feel the issue is more about clients understanding the reasons behind a quote. Most don’t get the actual amount of time it takes to finalize a project or all the elements that have to come together for it to be successful. And that is why the fine line between cheap and expensive gets blurry. If you are self-employed, consider these when deciding your rates:

  • the amount of time the work will take
  • the expertise of the professional (you)
  • the quality of the work
  • the value of the work to the client

    I keep these in mind and I am always fair. Over the years I’ve learned my lesson undermining my skills and selling myself short, I’m sure we all go through that. But after 12 years of working in this business, I realized that being your own boss isn’t fun all the time. When it comes to money and getting paid, you have to be serious. Be confident in what you decide and know that the service you are offering is worth every penny.

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