Jignite, the first 100 days
President Biden gave his 100-day speech to Congress this month. I am sharing my own 100-day reflection with a much smaller audience. These are my personal observations. They may not apply to everyone, as every business context is different.
First of all, I feel fortunate to now have a full schedule with several exciting clients to support. However, this did not happen overnight. It took time, focus and persistence. Let me share the story of my first 100 days..
Build your brand
Over the past few months, I spoke to many people about Jignite. They liked the name, understood why I had chosen it and saw it as a creative choice. It did take time to come up with it. I used the dictionary, worked with Post-it notes, checked whether the domain name was available and made sure the name had not already been taken by another company.
I also protected the name in the Benelux for the next ten years. This costs around €600, but it gives you a certain level of protection. For those who do not know the name Jignite, let me explain. A jig has many meanings, but it can also refer to a small jump. To ignite means to bring energy, movement and a spark. Jignite also refers to Jim: in short, Jim ignites. The purpose is to bring movement and a fresh spark to your business.
It is a good story to share with clients. All business leaders know that stories help create a first connection. The feedback I received from prospects, friends and family was positive.
Build your product(s)
After establishing the brand name and designing the logo, including the spark, I built the website. I did around 80 percent of the work myself, but needed some help with putting the content on the servers and with several specialist items, particularly around optimising the website for tablets and mobile phones.
The web design process was challenging. The last website I built was ten years ago, and many new software tools are now available. You often have to learn how to use them by watching YouTube videos. This was time-consuming, but also effective and affordable.
The website took me around 20 days to complete, as I wanted it to be available in both English and Dutch. A website uses many widgets, which are small pieces of software. Many are available for free, but paid versions often provide additional services, features and security. The website cost me around €1,200 to build, and I paid a specialist around €1,000 for his services.
I then started designing my training programmes and posted downloadable summaries of this offer on my website. I hired a designer to create the layout for the one-pagers and brochures, as this is not my core strength. This cost around €1,200, as I had 12 documents in two languages.
We went through several versions before we finalised the layout and the offer. Once everything was completed, I sent invitations to a mix of people in my LinkedIn network to inform them about my availability and the services I could offer. During the first month, however, things remained relatively quiet.
Decide your rates
What is your price? It is difficult to name one fixed price, as assignments differ in duration, complexity and level of effort. I registered with several agencies, all of which use their own margins. You need to take these margins into account.
The hourly rate for work in the education field ranges between €70 and €150 per hour. Long-term work is usually priced differently from short-term work, so you need to decide what you need to earn a living and what reflects the value you bring.
A friend gave me a useful formula for calculating your hourly rate: take your most recent annual salary and divide it by 1,000 as a practical indication. I am currently working for three clients with very different requests and different assignment lengths. As a result, I use different rates.
Do not wait. Your clients will not come by themselves
Do not wait for someone to call you. Keep taking action yourself. When people call you, that is great, but waiting by the phone for someone to contact you can be discouraging. So stay active. Keep working on your products, your website and your network. Stay visible and stay on top of things. I also did quite a lot of work for free, including guest lectures at a university and coaching sessions. I did this for two reasons: to expand my network and to build my brand. I posted on LinkedIn about the lectures, and students responded with their comments. When people feel you have done an excellent job, you receive more attention. This helps build your brand and reputation.
I was fortunate to receive some great comments, which eventually led to my first assignment. The second assignment also came through my network. I saw a vacancy at a company and knew someone who worked there. I asked this person whether he could share my CV with the hiring manager. He could have declined, but he did not. Eventually, I secured a long-term assignment with a large international financial services company.
Closing
I have always tried to treat people the way I would like to be treated. After many years, that approach is starting to pay off. I am now fully booked.
I also learned that people you do not expect may reach out with a request for support, while people you expected to contact you may not. That is part of building a business.
I hope this reflection has given you some food for thought about Jignite and about starting or growing your own business. Good luck with your own journey!
