In mid-August, New York City Company of Friends member David Horn began preparing for his move to Ireland to start work as an independent graphic designer. Before leaving his job as marketing director for Worldwide Business Research, he emailed members of the New York City CoF and asked the following question: "What's the one piece of advice you wish you'd been given five months before you went out on your own?" Here's what CoF members had to say.
"Line up your customers before you make the jump." -- Yosef Rabinowitz
"Make sure you have a source of income for at least the first six months of launching your own business. Even if you get an assignment in the first two months or so, you might spend a few weeks to deliver the assignment. Then the client might take two to three months to pay you." -- Franç ois Basili
"Put together a marketing plan, and be prepared to work it. Know what you're selling, who your target market is specifically, and how you are going to reach them." -- Linda Levin
"Clients will ask for things that you don't do. Opportunities will arise for things you didn't intend to do. Consider them." -- Josh McCormack
"Sales are always less than planned; expenses are always more than planned." -- Julie Kane
"The process of selling is very culture dependent. Make an effort to get in the way of some professional sales people in Ireland. Go look at cars. Visit high-end shops. Look for information about how the sales process works and what kinds of 'close' works there." -- Kathleen Hawk
For more information about the Company of Friends, visit the Web (www.fastcompany.com/cof). For CoF event and activity listings, check out the CoF calendar online (www.fastcompany.com/keyword/cofcalendar).
