creative briefing

As fresh entrepreneurs and freelancers we are often blessed with the consistent inconsistency of work flow from day to day. There are times when it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in a day to meet all the deadlines we’ve committed to. Yet still, amidst all of that work, we can sometimes get uneasy about the following week knowing very well that the work scale might just end up tipping the other direction.

This organic (for lack of a better term) lifestyle is what drives many down this path. And for the most part it’s fantastic; work hard when you need it, relax when you don’t. It’s the flexibility that a desk job, suit and tie, and a 9-to-5 schedule just doesn’t grant you the privilege of having.

On the other hand, it can catch many unsuspectingly, hitting the hardest with those who haven’t yet internalized the fundamental nature of the career they’ve chosen. There are bills to pay. Mouths to feed. Girlfriends to pamper. Friends to entertain. Parents to prove wrong.

Firstly - take a breather. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. (Say it a couple more times if you need to) Good? Good.

It’s time to see your downtime for what it really is - a blessing. When work dies, the world doesn’t stop turning. On the contrary, there are plenty of other useful things you can do to take advantage of these moments, some of which will also ensure you have less of these downtimes going forward (for those who are still uneasy). Here’s a small list of suggestions of things to do the next time clients give you a moment of rest.

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If you ask a marketer to figure out the best ways for a business to serve its customers, their first intuition would likely lead them to turn to surveys and other forms of market research. While this is an efficient method with a proven record of success, I’d like to point out an even easier and more cost-effective method for those of you (like me) who don’t have the convenience of a market research department to depend on.

Live life. And pay attention.

Yes, it’s that simple (sometimes). Remember that long before we become marketers or business people, we are customers. As customers we engage and interpret a number of different experiences every time we interact with the outside world. With each interaction we pick out the good and the bad - maybe not consciously, but we definitely form preferences over time. These day-to-day preferences form a goldmine of customer insights for you to leverage. All you have to do is pay more attention to what you like and don’t like and right away you’ll start to figure out things that you and your business can do to help serve others better.

Not convinced? Let me give you a few examples.

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It came to my attention in the last few days that a handful of people had been experiencing some errors when viewing this site. Many visitors had the site return a 404 Page Not Found error page, while others had their browser crash completely. One individual even reported that their anti-virus software had thrown a red flag while visiting this site. My first instinct was that one of the site’s plugins were causing the errors, but upon further investigation, I have found what I believe to be the catalyst: googlerank.info.

Before I begin describing the issue, I want to state that I do not have a permanent fix (though I do have a temporary one). The purpose of this post is to document my findings for anybody who has experienced the symptoms or is interested in helping me find and fix the underlying issue. I’ve found very little documentation on this problem thus far, so I’m hoping to provide some clarity to all others who may be searching for it.

Overview

A hidden <iframe> that points to googlerank.info has been found embedded into a handful of files that are associated with a WordPress installation. The <iframe> always appears at the very bottom of the source code, just before the </body> tag. It is possible that WordPress presents a vulnerability that allows an unauthorized user to access and alter files, thereby compromising the security of the site owner as well as the site’s visitors.

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After challenging tradition and working at home for the past 6 months, I’ve gathered a great deal of new perspectives. I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life. I’ve learned that being your own boss is a dream come true. I’ve also learned that there can be bitter elements to even the sweetest treats. But more importantly, I’ve learned a lot about how to make the best out of this spectacular experience.

When I wrote about the downsides of working at home (which you should read before reading this), I was amazed at the responses from everyone that shared the same sentiments. Clearly, we’ve all had a taste of a good thing going bad when served in bulk. What really hit me was that, while everybody had their own version of their rants, the majority still whole-heartedly enjoyed working at home. Good - there is hope after all!

The key to livening up the work-at-home lifestyle is to minimize the things that can turn the experience sour, and to take advantage of all the new opportunities that the cube life just doesn’t offer. I’ve combined a few things that I’ve learned to do over the last 6 months and the responses that some of you offered to put together a list of 13 ways to liven up your work-at-home routine. I hope you enjoy it!

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I picked up my brother from the station the other night and on the drive home we were catching up on life during the past four months during which he was away studying.

He asked me, “How’s your business going?”

I responded, “It’s going well - I’m comfortable with the amount of business that’s coming in and the money I’m making.”

He then said, “Don’t get comfortable. You can be as comfortable as you want when you’re 40. At this stage you should never be so comfortable with what you have that you’d stop pushing for more.”

A nice reminder that I thought was worth sharing to all entrepreneurs.