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by Andrew Lam-Po-Tang
I subscribe to The Age Business Network newsletter, as it is a useful way to keep in touch with issues affecting small and medium sized businesses in Australia (of all industries).
I recently came across an article about professionals who take on the role of business owner. This struck a chord with me as this would describe the vast majority of owners of design firms. I have deleted all references to the profession being discussed - try to guess which profession it is.
And in 2004 we featured _____ Experts, a venture started by two ______ers who were frank about the differences between the two jobs, particularly when it comes to marketing.
Mr ___ admitted: "It is hard to sell yourself because it actually goes against all the training we had as a ______er.
"Running a professional practice and a small business is quite different.
"To run a practice you have to work hard, be on top of what you're doing and be accessible to people. You know what my marketing was - being nice to people.
"______ers are not necessarily good business people - in fact they can be atrocious.
"You only have to worry about yourself. You deliver the product, you're working within well-established cultures, and you just slot in and start working out what to do. There is absolutely no marketing involved."
The profession in question is law - barristers, to be precise. The original article is here:
The lesson here is clear. Designers who have the role of business owner or manager can learn much from other professions because many of the challenges and solutions are relevant to our own.
| Feedback by Krissan Pattugalan | Tuesday, 30 October 2007 |
"This is exactly the kind of thing that I was looking for. Maybe there should be a part of AGDA that shows the systems involved in starting a company (Getting a business name, trademarking that name, costs involved) to the inner workings of the business systems when a company is running.(qouting, information systems, legally protecting your business, tax info...etc.). I think that just like this article. Most businesses will share the same principles of starting and running, therefore adding to a more solid understanding of the process(es) behind it."
| Feedback by Paul Ducco | Tuesday, 16 May 2006 |
"if only they could/would Ross, if only."
| Feedback by Ross Floate | Monday, 1 May 2006 |
"Perhaps AGDA could provide a focus for ongoing business training for designers who find their freelance concerns turning into a real business?
Ross Floate"
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The views expressed this article are not necessarily those of AGDA. Please note that the information in this article is the opinion of the author only. I can therefore accept no responsibility for actions taken on the basis of this information. Copyright Andrew Lam-Po-Tang (andrew@lam-po-tang com), 1998-2008. Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or to print, for personal use. Reprinting for non-personal use will require the express permission of the author (which I will generally be very happy to give).
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