From 9-to-5 to entrepreneur (journal)

[ProblemSolving]

How to serve the high value customer?
This was the first time I got a 4.7 stars review. Not ideal.
I considered asking the buyer to modify the review, but I didn't think it was a good move. Because if he knew he can modify the review, later on he could threaten me with bad review to get the cheap service. He was a low value customer.
The high value customer also left a 5-star with a raving review.

So I started to cut back on low value customers (the $5-$15 range). Because I'll have more time to serve the higher value customers (the $50-$70 range and up).

Biting more than I can chew
So I had a Russian customer, with a $900 order. When I saw the task, I didn't think I can do it.
But basically I have 2 choices: Turn down the order, so that I didn't fail, but I won't learn anything.
OR
Take the order, get out of my comfort zone, try my absolute best to solve his problem, if I fail at least I'll learn something.

The project
Obviously Fiverr is just a temporary measure, but I also find out the needs when freelancing, so I can start to build my product.
My original plan is to build everything in the dark. Because I fear people will knock it off if it's good. But I read a too many horror stories here about people wish they tested the product concept early.
So I will make a minimum product, post it to the potential customers' forums, see if they like it.

 

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[ProblemSolving]

A failure, and the lesson.
1. What if I have too many orders?
Basically in the last few months, after a few consecutive 5 stars, I started getting a lot of high paying clients.
I have someone asking me to make their stuff every single day.
I didn’t have time. What I should have done, was to find subcontractors and training them to do the job.
That way I could learn many lessons about hiring and managing people.
Or build a system to make my work more efficient. Especially in coding, there is no excuse not to do so.

2. How should I end a relationship?
Now I think this topic is controversial. But I think when you’re in demand, at some point there will be a relationship that will not benefit you, and you should end it.
So here was a mistake I made. Don’t make the same mistake as I do.
One of my clients have a project. I didn’t anticipate the time well.
This clients pay well, we have several projects in the past, but the projects take far too much time.
And I have other clients as well. My demand was high.
So I thought the best course of action was to end this relationship.
So I tell him, hey this project takes too much time, let’s cancel this and you get your money back.
He cancelled it and left an 1-star. I anticipated a big drop in my demand.
My mistake was simple: Actually I should persist until the end of the project, then tell him I have too many things to do and recommend a subcontractor for him (Point #1).
The psychology behind it: there were 2 ways to end a relationship:
- On a high note: Like we worked and won together, ending with me giving him a lot of value. My theory is that later on this client will bring me opportunities.
Or minimally giving some sort of value at the end of the relationship, like recommending other contractors.
- On a low note: Like my example.
This is bad practice, because it didn’t build my demand in the futures.

 

[ProblemSolving]

How can I become a businessman?
I’m going to figure this shit out. For starter I‘m building a new habit: Talk with everyone
Most of it probably will go nowhere, but a very few of them will result in a business opportunity.

And there we go:
At night, I took the Uber, and an old woman was the driver.
She never watched TV, and I was the same. She said most people said she worked hard, but she just need to do it.
I was similar on that aspect, going to the gym everyday.
Like if I didn’t go to the gym I felt antsy.
She was a school developer, and she said she was the only girl in high school to go to math, then she was a math professor.
And she said she had an app idea she always wanted to do, and she wanted me to code her app.
I was tempted to say “I’ll do it if you pay me” but it sounded rude, so I asked her to elaborate on the idea.
She told me she wanted to keep it secret.
After a while I found out she wanted to make a dating app.

Another rider came in. You probably know the situation. If it’s one on one I can make a sale, but in a group it’s hard to do so.

Anyway, I missed this opportunity, but this is a very good habit to build.

 

[ProblemSolving]

Outsourcing
is an important skill. Better to learn it now.
For example, I have to cut a pdf file in several pieces. I couldn't do it in 3 hours. Rather than wasting more time, I just hire someone on Upwork to do it.

 

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