Feedback, analysis and try again
I tried a web design professional. It was my action. I ‘wasted’ a couple of months and found out they were not only too expensive but also not interested in serving me. But it was a great lesson. I learned a lot from this experience.
Here is my analysis after the trial.
- What worked
I gained the general knowledge of website building
I got most proposed contents ready
The process to sharpen up the contents helped me finalize the outline of the business
- What didn’t work
The particular web designer didn’t have the service I was looking for
The estimate was too high
- Reevaluate the balance between time, effort and money
Figure out if other professionals available here are like the first one
If so revise the expectation – break the project into more phases, stretch the time frame
Then I start all over the cycle – what to do, how to do, action, feedback and analysis.
What to do – I have already failed with the first one. Then find another one.
How to do – I have tried the reference from someone. It didn’t work, so I searched myself on the internet. I found someone else which I missed for the first time with some reason.
Action – I booked a meeting with him right away. He came to my place and, thanks to the first failure, my contents were all ready for him. The discussion went well and he got back to me with a very reasonable estimate in a professional manner.
Feedback and analysis – I am now working on here. The builder was communicative and reliable. The initial website was completed. I added and revised whole bunch of things. It went live officially in public. It’s been on for just about 3 months now. I have been getting feedback from a wide range of people. I will take time sometime this fall or winter and think through how to make more improvement to achieve my business principle, the goal and purpose to have my own business.
Mistakes, accidents and surprises always happen. No matter how well you plan, you can’t avoid them. The point is when it happens you should deal with it and learn from it.
To deal with it, having your business purpose clear really helps you make a good decision. Choose what goes along with your principle. Every single decision making based on the same principle counts to build a consistent, reliable business in a long run.
To learn from it, again, be firm with your business principle. Be kind and sympathetic with all parties including yourself but do not give in. It is not so important to find out who’s fault it is and punish him or her. It is more important to understand what was really the matter, why it happened and how to avoid it next time.
After all, a business is an accumulation. It will become an additional part of your life. When you start your own business, you have a great opportunity to think about what you really want to build in your life and why.