Category Archives: Business

The HBCUpreneur Corner – Howard University’s Najla T. & Good As Green

Posted on December 12, 2016 by | Leave a comment

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Name: Najla T.

Alma Mater: Howard University

Business Name & Description: Good As Green, LLC is a creative vegan food company that provides beneficial superfoods and fresh produce transformed into exotic, gourmet meals. We have provided food for nonprofit organizations and shipped some of our menu items directly to loyal customers, and we host fun brunch and dinner pop-up events.

What year did you found your company? Good As Green, LLC was officially established this year (2016), but I have been providing meals for my clients as a personal trainer since 2014. That’s actually how my company began.

What has been the most exciting and/or fearful moment during your HBCUpreneur career? I have had a company in the past, that I provided media services such as video editing and marketing presentations. That was when I graduated college, as I graduated from the John H. Johnson School of Communications (Old Howard) with a degree in Communication. When I was experiencing an arduous time finding opportunities, I just created my own and freelanced for a while. It was very exciting when I first began and I was doing what I really enjoyed, but it was DIFFICULT and REALLY ROUGH! I had to move back home, save money, work multiple gigs, and work was inconsistent. Although, this time around, I’m much more fulfilled. I’m happy for the inconsistencies and still involved with media, but now as a health and fitness consultant. I was SO afraid to launch Good As Green, especially because of what happened with my first company, but I have such a wonderful support system and so many people encouraged me to take the leap. I was afraid since I didn’t attend culinary school, but people OTHER than my family enjoyed my food and I’ve helped so many people adopt plant-based lifestyles, so the fear subsided. When I launched a pop-up in DC back in September, everything that could go wrong tried to, but it ended up being a successful first event. I was nervous before, during, and after the event! I knew I made the right decision when so many people attended the pop-up, including one of my non-vegan friends all the way from New Jersey, and genuinely enjoyed the food (we are brutally honest up North LOL). People who don’t even like beets enjoyed my Smoky Beets burgers, so I received many requests to deliver and ship them.

One of the most rewarding moments was when I provided breakfast for Run Hope Work, a non-profit organization that provides mentorship and trade certification for Washington, D.C. youth. They were highly apprehensive and skeptical at first, but they really enjoyed the food I provided! I made Sweet Potato French Toast, Smoky Beet Sausage, Good As Home Fries (we use green bananas instead of potatoes), Apple Pie Oatmeal, Loaded Breakfast Burritos, Smoky Arugula Avocado Toast, Alkaline water, and Homemade Hemp Protein Shakes (that they described as vanilla milkshakes). That week that I provided breakfast was confirmation for me because these guys were eating McDonald’s and carryout. Many said they hadn’t eaten “green stuff” before and they really didn’t know if vegan food would taste good. It made me feel good and is my mission. I provide creative whole foods, not just tofu or seitan. I also list the benefits of most of the ingredients I use.

What made you want to start your own company? I really enjoy helping people! The first time, I was forced into creating my own opportunity, but this time around, it’s much more rewarding. As a personal trainer, the most important component that I found my clients struggling with the most was food. Some clients told me straight up, “I’m too lazy to cook.” I didn’t want to waste my time or my clients’ money by allowing them to sabotage themselves, so I did their meal prep for them and all they had to do was add their own meat if interested. So many of my clients never added the meat and were completely satisfied. I then began providing meals for people simply curious about vegan food. I wanted to replicate the feeling I had when people told me that I assisted them in living healthier and so Good As Green began!

Who was the most influential person/people for you during your time in college? It’s really interesting when you attend an HBCU. Most of the time, you really just have to figure things out on your own or make due with what you have. It really prepped me for where I am today. I’ve always been a go-getter, but I’m a lot more resourceful because college helped me learn that.

How do you handle complex problems? I believe meditation is important. It keeps you calm, centered, and assured that there is a solution that you must work to find. I’ve always been good at figuring things out. My mother and grandmother taught me how to research what I didn’t know and try, even if I don’t know exactly how it pan out. Being tuned into the universe helps you KNOW it will all work out.

What is something you wish you had known prior to starting your company? I wish I had known a LOT of things, but I don’t want to focus on those things because I have since figured out ways to correct them and I don’t feel like getting the side eye from fellow business owners, LOL.

Data from Innova Market Insights has shown a 60 percent rise in the number of global food and beverage launches using a vegetarian claim between 2011 and 2015 and vegan google searched have climbed over 30 percent from 2014 to 2015. The vegan lifestyle though has always been around for a long time even if it did not have a name, but what do you believe has caused its recent surge among the American population in the past decade into more mainstream? The funny thing is back in 2011, I predicted this would happen. With the rise in disease diagnoses, people are looking for alternative methods to conventional medicine. People want to live longer and better. Many people do not see the direct link between food and disease. I believe that people became more health conscious when the GMO bill was passed. The United States of America is the most meat-centric country. I believe people were beginning to notice the effects of that. People now see the spike in obesity, heart disease, and cancer and they want to change that. In 2013, when I began a project focused on vegetarianism, people couldn’t see my vision because it wasn’t yet normalized the way it is now. I am happy to see the acceptance of the lifestyle and now we have more and better options (instead of suggesting a simple salad).

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Your business model is certainly unique where you are essentially combining a restaurant, event planning, and clubesque all in one. What was the inspiration and euphoric moment that made you decide on this business model? I know what I like when I go out. I hate that I have to eat first before an event because there probably aren’t going to be any vegan option. I hate that I have to eat AFTER an event, if anything is even open, because there aren’t many options. Most of the restaurants that offer vegan cuisine are fast-food. People assume that vegans are just one way: we all wear clothes from Whole Foods and preach about veganism all day. That’s definitely not me or the vegan friends in my circle!  I enjoy experiences. I enjoy vibing with others and meeting new people.  I decided to offer fun events with healthy, delicious food and beneficial beverages. As Howard Alum, everything is an event! I wanted to creative a dope atmosphere with dope people, good music, and food that just happened to be vegan. Since that was done successfully in September and now that I’m getting inquiries for other cities, I know this is a demand.

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Products are always a way to leverage and grow a company’s visibility and revenue. Do you see Good As Green eventually moving in that direction or will you keep the focus on the core business at hand? At this time, I’m not particularly sure about that, but I am receiving a lot of orders for my Smoky Beet Burgers. This area is still new to me and there are lots of challenges, but it seems to keep Good As Green profitable in-between pop-up events. I’m still perfecting this, but people really seem to love it. My main focus, though, is on my pop-up and other events.

HBCU agriculture or HBCU 1890 schools that operate farms seem like a natural fit for your company. In what ways do you think you could find collaborative ground with them? I hadn’t thought of it until this question. I love bartering and collaborative efforts, especially with HBCUs. I will definitely look into it and gladly accept advice about it!

What do you believe HBCUs can do to spur more innovation and entrepreneurship while their students are in school either as undergraduate or graduate students? I am not particularly sure about other HBCUs, and I’m sure they do also, but Howard highly encourages entrepreneurship. Most of our courses required independent projects. As a Broadcast Journalism major, I had to learn ALL the aspects of broadcast production, not just on-air work. I learned about radio production, video production and editing, script writing, and the running of a newsroom. This especially came in handy when I ran my own projects. I would be out on assignment, lugging a camera, microphone, and other equipment, while students from other schools had a crew/team. It definitely came in handy after school! Honestly though, I wish the institution was more supportive of the alumni.

How do you deal with rejection? I reject rejection. I don’t believe in the word “No” when it comes to something I’m passionate about. It’s just not a good fit for you in this particular situation at this particular time. That’s all it means to me.

When you have down time how do you like to spend it? When I have down time, I love going on food adventures because I’m greedy and I don’t consider it “down time,” because I schedule it into my day, but I really enjoy working out. I wish I could travel more. I’m working hard at spending more time with family and friends. That seems very rare when you are running your own business!

What was your most memorable HBCU memory? I really wish that I lived more in my moments at Howard! I had such great times with great people! I loved hanging out in the Caf’, Bisonette practice, and hanging out on the yard. Of course I loved when Homecoming came around. I believe the most memorable moment at Howard was meeting Debbie Allen and standing next to her. She was actually my inspiration for choosing Howard! At the time, I was in many dance and performing arts programs, so I believed I was going to walk in her shadow. I also admired her direction for A Different World, so when she was standing next to me, I secretly lost it! She was sweeter than I imagined and I was grateful to receive some of her wisdom.

In leaving is there any advice you have for budding HBCUpreneurs? I would definitely encourage budding HBCUpreneurs to never give up. It will be challenging and you will always have to decide on a new direction or reinvention, but stay true to YOUR vision. Once you take that leap, it’s a continual learning process that you won’t understand until you actually do it. All the research in the world won’t be comparable to the actual experience. It is important to engage your supporters. IT IS OKAY TO RECEIVE HELP! That’s one of the biggest lessons I learned. We have a great network within the HBCU community, so let’s support and patronize each other’s businesses! Also, It’s OK to promote yourself. You MUST because if you’re not excited about it, who else will?

To follow Najla and Good As Green, check out the company’s social media and contact information below:

http://www.GoodAsGreen.net

Instagram: @GoodAsGreenEats

Twitter: @GoodAsGreenEats

Facebook: @GoodAsGreenEats

Phone: 347-871-1220

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The Forgotten Mission – HBCUs Account For Less Than One Percent Of America’s College Research Spending

Posted on November 14, 2016 by | Leave a comment

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“Many think that the principal mission of universities is to transmit knowledge; they miss the key point that teaching and research are inseparable. American universities must continue to discover new kinds of knowledge and new ways of thinking.” – Dr. Eric Kandel

In 1896, Booker T. Washington invited George Washington Carver to head Tuskegee Institute’s Agriculture Department. For almost five decades Carver would set himself in stone as the greatest scientist and research ever to grace the halls of an HBCU. To this day he and his accomplishments are the measuring stick by which all HBCU research and scientists are measured. Yet, the fever by which Tuskegee invested in Carver and his research seems like a distant memory in HBCU lore and strategy.

HBCUs have always been known for promoting their values of community service and teaching, but oft left out of the conversation is the research portion of our institutions. The importance of research can not be overstated. As mentioned in the article The University of Power & Wealth that research and an environment of campus entrepreneurship to commercialize that research has produced companies like FedEx, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Time Warner, and Dell just to name a few of the more well known companies. Not just companies, but products like Gatorade, which was invented at the University of Florida in 1965 and from which the university still receives royalties north of $10 million annually from Pepsi. There have also been inventions that simply serve the societal good like oral contraceptives and the seat belt that were created by college research and ingenuity.

HBCUs comprise approximately 2.3 percent of all colleges and universities in America. However, they make up only 0.7 percent of the research and development spending by American universities. Just to get to its representative amount of 2.3 percent would require R&D spending to increase from its current $500 million to $1.5 billion. Unfortunately, almost every conversation had with HBCU leadership and alumni would lead many to believe the answer to fixing our financial problems is through sports. A recent report by the NCAA showed that only 14 of the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools made money from campus athletics. That profit is primarily thanks to television deals through their conferences that HBCUs have little hope of obtaining at scale. That is not to say they can not be profitable, they can, but not following the playing book of their counterparts. For a more intimate perspective let us look at the University of Texas, the school with the one of the most valuable football programs in the country. It produces $109 million in revenue according to Forbes. Sounds great, right? Sounds like the answer to all of our prayers. Because when you are dehydrated even a bit of spit your way will appear to be a glass of water. Meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh, America’s top grossing university hospital, produced revenue of $11.87 billion or 109 times the revenue that the University of Texas football program produces annually. In fact, even the University of Texas’s most valuable asset is its hospital, which generates almost $5 billion in revenue annually and has unbridled power in the city of Houston’s Texas Medical Center, the largest of its kind in the world.

Currently, HBCUs as aforementioned produce approximately $500 million collectively in research expenditures annually. There are 40 HWCU/PWI schools that individually do $500 million or greater annually and 8 of those 40 conduct $1 billion or greater annually according to the National Science Foundation. The gap between the top twenty HWCU/PWI and HBCUs when it relates to research continues to grow with the most recent data showing for every $1 that HBCUs spend on research, their counterparts are spending $52.

This is not to say that HBCUs are not doing prominent research, they most certainly are. Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, a physicist, alum of Alabama A&M University, and who was a professor at Tuskegee University and now serves at Morehouse School of Medicine, received a $1.1 million grant for a pioneering technology that can kill cancer cells with lasers. That is just one of many prominent discoveries happening within HBCU research, but there are more fields and much more that needs to be taking place from history, economics, STEM fields, and many more. HBCU research should be touching every facet of African American and African Diaspora life. Yet, the commitment and infrastructure to do so is significantly lacking to close the gap.

We have examples of brand new stadiums that cost an HBCU $60 million, but two-thirds of that cost  was paid for by increasing student fees. Where is the same commitment to research? What would it take to build the first HBCU into a billion dollar research institution?

  1. VISION – This is as abstract as it is tangible. Either alumni or a president needs to commit to research as an integral part of the institution and what their plan would be to grow a strategic plan of making it a larger part of the HBCU’s DNA. One way to go about this is to bring in a president with a research background who truly understands and values both STEM and Humanities research and the possibilities it can open for an institution willing to invest in it. We explored a list of a potential HBCU presidents with at least six of the choices having solid research backgrounds in everything from technology to archaeology. These are the type of people who know what it takes to build the infrastructure and develop a strategy as it relates to building a research juggernaut.
  2. RESEARCH PHILANTHROPY – Also known as targeted giving. We see this when alumni are asked to become boosters. Athletics on most college campuses, HBCUs included, has had more targeted giving than other departments. It works primarily because alumni feel the giving is tangible. Give to athletics and your teams win is the tagline. HBCUs must lay out a similar vision and tagline for research. Alumni need to know why they need to give to research and what exactly it is building – see number one. Virginia State University Economics alumni have taken matters in their own hands created an endowment for their department of which a percentage is directly to be used for economics research. It is vital that alumni know what their donation is going to be used for and how much it will take to accomplish the objective.
  3. ALL HANDS ON DECK – By this we mean that research must be present throughout the entire campus. Who on an HBCU campus should be conducting research? Everyone. Quite literally. Freshmen upon entering should know that in order to graduate they will need to have completed some type of supervised research. More students are taking longer than four years to complete undergraduate these days so they may as well add this component while they are matriculating. It may go a long way to keeping them focused as well. According to Science Magazine it also has become a vital piece of obtaining employment or improving graduate schools, “undergraduates participate in research all the time; in chemistry, 72% of graduates had some research experience, according to a recent study sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In environmental science, the study found, 74% of undergraduates had research experience.” However, it can not stop with the undergraduates or even the graduates, faculty and staff must be involved. Remember the Gatorade? The groundskeeper department may create the next amazing product that can go from college grounds to residential  homes across the country. Make everyone invested in it.
  4. STOP ACADEMIC INCEST – This is strictly for HBCUs with graduate schools.  Far too many HBCU undergraduates who graduate from HBCUs with graduate schools who do not have a job lined up or still not sure what they want to do just park themselves in the school’s graduate school as a placeholder. For those HBCUs, they do not mind because the student keeps supplying them with tuition revenue for a few more years. This is short sighted and apathetic. If the majority of your graduate school is made up of your own undergraduates you are doing something wrong. Students do not benefit from it because they never get new perspectives. Remember, HBCUs are not a monolith of intellect. Students themselves benefit from a change of scenery and institutional DNA. The same goes for the institutions. An infusion of new intellectual capital, more sharpened, and the cream of other HBCUs alumni raises the research prowess.
  5. THE PIPELINE – Last, but not least – the pipeline. This means that HBCUs must be connected. HBCU must make it a point to push their HBCU undergraduates into HBCU graduate schools (just not their own). If the HBCU is an undergraduate institution, then it must ensure its alumni are choosing HBCU graduate schools if they are considering furthering their education. For instance, Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M, two public HBCUs in Texas, have within their own state six private HBCUs that are undergraduate only. Alumni from both institutions are coming together to create scholarships through the HBCU Endowment Foundation that would provide scholarships from the six private HBCUs to those two HBCU’s graduate schools. A vital means to keeping the cream of the intellectual capital from the pipeline within it. A key example of the pipeline is the aforementioned Dr. Hadiyah Nicole-Green (pictured below) who attended Alabama A&M University for undergraduate and has become a faculty at Tuskegee University and is now at Morehouse School of Medicine.

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These are just a tip of the iceberg that HBCUs must do to improve the research prowess of our institutions from undergraduate to graduate and throughout the campus. Colleges and universities importance in creating and impacting societal, economic, and political research can not be understated of the acute importance it prevails. HBCUs can find long-term financial security in more research and increasing their value to African America and to the world in general. We do not need to produce another George Washington Carver, but an army of Carvers. If we are to be present in the institutional landscape for another century, then we must ensure that research is an important part of our foundational pillars we build upon.

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The HBCUpreneur Corner – Huston-Tillotson University’s Jasmine “Bobby” Oliver & VYRL Co. Design

Posted on September 13, 2016 by | Leave a comment

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Name: Jasmine “Bobby” Oliver

Alma Mater: Huston-Tillotson University, Class of 2015

Business Name & Description: VYRL Co. Design began from an honest place of desiring to have an opportunity to explore all that it means to be a creative entrepreneur, but also to showcase recent photography and web/graphic design projects that I have done. VYRLCoDesign.com became a space of passion, honesty, and inspiration where you can see a deeper side of a creative black-woman entrepreneur living, traveling, and pursuing a beautiful and fulfilling life that inspires others to do the same.

What year did you found your company? I first began as VYRL Media in 2010, then sometime in 2015 I started dabbling into design and the name evolved into VYRL Co. Design.

What has been the most exciting and/or fearful moment during your HBCUpreneur career? The most exciting and most fearful moments itself are when I realize that others are paying attention to my work and start asking me to do more challenging projects. Each and every project has allowed me to come out with a learning experience that I can take onto my next project.

What made you want to start your own company? Financial independence. Let’s be honest, this is probably the biggest reason people get into business from get-go. Which is a good thing! However we define ‘financial independence’ – retirement funds, unlimited cash potential or having the money to buy/do what you want….. entrepreneurship can allow you to achieve it. Another reason, I wanted to start my own company was because I had a hard time finding many places where myself, an African American creator/creative, could go to after graduation. So I figured that I would start small, build my own company and eventually hire other designers like myself.

Who was the most influential person/people for you during your time in college? Jeff Wilson and Clara Bensen. Jeff, the dean of our college, and Clara Bensen, local Austin writer.

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How do you handle complex problems? Creatives are wired uniquely. As such, I think we have to navigate the world in a slightly different manner than non-creatives. How I handle complex problems is by trying to slow down. This is one I’m still trying to work out. While i think that multitasking can be useful, sometimes it does more harm than good. This causes my creativity to plummet as well as my mood. So as a resolution I try to get a firm grip on my schedule. And I only take on what I can do. Next I prepare for disapproval. I don’t know about you, but for some reason, I’m always looking for validation. I suspect this has something to do with a lack of self-confidence. However, it’s important to recognize that some people ‘just don’t get it’. I am a Cancer sign which means I am a very emotional person. So I also try to keep my emotions in check. I have this habit of always dissecting my thoughts which tends to lead me to second-guessing myself. So, what seems like a good idea today, feels like a disaster later. Plus, I’m overcritical of myself. So I tend to try to remind myself that not every thought needs to be evaluated.

What is something you wish you had known prior to starting your company? I wish I had known how much entrepreneurship consumes your life. This has became something that has consumed my thoughts. You start with an idea then a hailstorm of ideas on how you could possibly execute the idea begins… and it never ends. You just keep thinking and doubting and thinking and execute.

Many African American companies and organizations suffer from a poor digital presence. Why do you believe there is not more investment in this by African American entrepreneurs and companies? I’m not particular sure about this. My guess is economics plays a part. It would be interesting to know how many of our businesses get e-commerce business. That certainly could play a role in how serious they take their web presence. If they are not getting much of their business from the web, then they may not think it is worth having much invested in it. However, these days the web is serving as the store front most customers encounter even before they get to your brick and mortar. A strong presence though is not cheap and as I stated, economics may play a major role in the lack of investment in this area. Do I as an entrepreneur invest more in my product or my web presence? It is a decision we are faced with more than other groups unfortunately.

Digital designers certainly get influence from a myriad of different places. What are some of the things that you believe influences your design personality? Things that influence my design personality kind of derives from my first experience as a photographer. I have always noticed that I was drawn to clean spaces and I’ve noticed that in my photography that I was always drawn to photographing in unison with landscape and architectures. I love clean lines.

What do you believe HBCUs can do to spur more innovation and entrepreneurship while their students are in school either as undergraduate or graduate students? I would love to see HBCUs encourage students to step out more and challenge them to find their passion, their why, and assist them in starting their own business even while in school. Not only should HBCUs provide the fundamentals, but provide them with hands-on tools and resources to develop action plans.

I’ve also noticed that many HBCU’s do not have many arts programs. I want to see more photography and design programs that are infused with business.I would be super geeked if I had seen a “Visual Identity and Creative Branding” course on my curriculum.

How do you deal with rejection? Bah! Rejection. It’s easy to say ‘don’t take it personally’ but it’s not so easy to do when you put your heart and soul into your work. I am still learning how to deal with rejection quite honestly so I don’t have an amazing answer but what I can tell you is that I try to respond to it by experimenting with new influences and making my work more unique.

When you have down time how do you like to spend it? I try to stay as far away from my desk and computer as possible. I love being outdoors so I may go on a quick trip to Conroe or Austin to visit friends for a day or two, go running with my dog, check out the museums downtown or simply do nothing. There are days well I feel mentally exhausted and I’ll opt to a movie on my iPad in bed and order a pizza and gather some snacks for easy access while in the bed. I’m keeping it simple these days.

What was your most memorable HBCU memory? Being apart of the student organization, Green is the New Black at my alma matter (HTU). GITNB is a organization that was created tin 2013 that tackled both environmental issues and race. We had events, raise funds and were advocates of environmental awareness in areas that weren’t particularly apart of the “sustainability conversation”.

The biggest moment was when I was even won first place prices for a $85,000 grant from Fort HBCU Challenge against much bigger named HBCU’s.

In leaving is there any advice you have for budding HBCUpreneurs?

Be focused. Very obsessively focused.

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Three HBCU Cities Rank Among World Economic Forum’s Best Cities For Women Entrepreneurs

Posted on August 23, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Everyone wants to thrive, but what makes some places better than others? According to the World Economic Forum, it is a mixture of technology, culture, capital, market, and good old fashioned talent. The study was limited to 50 cities globally and for women overall, so it should be noted that there of course will be limitations of what constitutes “best”. We will be providing some additional commentary as it relates to each city’s capacity for HBCU women.

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1. NEW YORK CITY

HBCU(s) in city: Medgar Evers College

City Analysis: The city that never sleeps certainly is hard to argue with in terms of the five pillars of entrepreneurship. In the Dell Women Entrepreneur Index it ranks number two in culture, number one in capital, number one in market, and number four in talent. No other city shows up in the top five of each pillar like New York, who shows up four times. However, it is not all sunshine when it comes to being an entrepreneur in the Big Apple. It is also listed as the city most expensive in the world to start a business, something that would obviously disproportionately impact African American women since African America is the poorest group by median net worth. Ultimately, there is no doubt though that New York City presents a breath of international opportunity in one of the world’s most global cities.

7. WASHINGTON D.C.

HBCU(s) in city: Howard University; University of D.C.

City Analysis: America’s capital affectionately known as Chocolate City. It shows up as number three in talent and number five in capital. The number seven city in the world for women entrepreneurs leads all states and territories with percentage of the population with a graduate degree which bodes well for a strong talent base. Some of the headwinds facing entrepreneurs in D.C. is their primary customer being Uncle Sam. With a culture of shrinking the federal government it would be of value for women entrepreneurs to focus on ways to help the government run more efficiently. The cost of living in Washington D.C. is also a barrier and having enough disposable income to actually get a business off the ground could be a real challenge in America’s third most expensive city by the cost of living index. However, where the heart of political power lies there is money nearby and if the right connections are made, then opportunities abound.

12. AUSTIN

HBCU(s) in city: Huston-Tillotson University

City Analysis: Austin has become the tech capital of the southern United States. The capital of Texas, also the economic bellwether of the south, it has seen a heralded growth over the last decade in terms of technology development. A large reason it shows up as number four in the world in the technology pillar for women entrepreneurs. This Texas city is more affordable than the previously mentioned cities, but not by much. The boom has led to massive gentrification in the African American neighborhoods there, so the feeling of community maybe hard to find for an HBCU woman in the city. Huston-Tillotson’s presence there while important is acutely dwarfed by the flagship of the state, University of Texas. Annually the city is home to the SXSW conference which brings even the big whigs from Silicon Valley and other tech giants from around the world. The city can be lonely culturally, but if one can navigate it opportunities for women entrepreneurs without forsaking poverty are available.

 

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How To Work With Friends as Clients, and Not Kill Each Other In The Process

Posted on July 25, 2016 by | Leave a comment

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By Jasmine Oliver

As a creative, it is inevitable that at some point in our career one of our close friends will either approach us for help with their project, or we will see how our skill sets could benefit their situation.

These can be tense situations to handle as there is more than just money on the table, a friendship is at stake as well.If these situations aren’t handled properly, you could lose a client and a close friend.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

1. Never work for free

One of the biggest mistakes that can ruin friendships and your business is volunteering your work for free. While we have the best intentions and want to help our friends, we are doing them an injustice if we don’t charge for our services.

If you’re a graphic designer looking for real-life advice and long-term success, The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Clients by acclaimed designer Ellen Shapiro is the book for you. Not only does she reveal the secrets behind getting the clients you want to recognize your name and brand, but she also discusses how to land those clients and create a positive and productive working relationship with them.

When you volunteer your work for free, you are putting that project at the bottom of your priority list.

Paying your bills will always come before doing free work for a friend.

Despite your good intentions, when times get tough you will end up pushing their project aside to get money in the door.

When you don’t charge your friends, you are disrespecting them and their business. This grave mistake has personally cost me several friendships over the course of pursuit to being a freelancer.

Every time I volunteered my work with true genuine intentions of helping the other person, but as paid clients picked up I had to prioritize my time on what was going to pay the bills.

Ultimately, my friends felt disrespected. They became very upset that I pushed their project aside and our friendship has never been the same ever since.

Never work for friends for free, its not worth it.

2. Only work with a friend if you truly believe you can provide value

Approaching friends as potential clients can be an awkward thing. Sometimes you may see a friend who could desperately benefit from your services.

But how do you approach them? Instead of thinking of approaching your friends as ‘trying to make a sale,’ try to think about it this way.

If you can really provide value to your friend, then you would be doing an injustice to them by not offering to help them. Never look at friends as just a source of income, only work with them if you truly believe you can benefit their situation.

3.Keep things professional

BAHHHH!!!! This part is hard, especially when dealing with friends that you even consider family. I know. I get it. Trust me.  When working with friends, it is essential that you keep things professional. You must treat your friends with the same professional care that you use on all of your other clients.Go through the same process and handle them just like you would with any other client.

Getting loose or unprofessional about the process with your friends is a quick way to bring uncertainty and doubt which can hurt the project and the friendship.

4. How to talk money with friends

Talking about the money, honey. Talking about the details with friends can be weird at first. As a result, many freelancers totally avoid this topic and end up with a loose scope or awkwardly dance around the money subject.

Instead of avoiding the topic, you need to face this head on and make sure everything is clear up front.

An easy way to do this is through e-mail. Having the money talk with a friend over the phone can be quite awkward, but doing it via e-mail tends to make it a bit less scary.

Whenever I send over my budget and proposal via e-mail I always give my friend the option out. I will say something along the lines of “If this project is out of your budget range, then no worries. I value our friendship more than this project and I won’t be offended if you say no.”

While that may not be the best sales tactic, it is essential in preserving the friendship.

5. Separate friendly talk from client talk

Another struggle for many friends is that working together can often mean that many once great friendships begin to diverge into a constant talk of the project at hand.

Set boundaries.

If you are out one evening having a good time, make it a rule to keep your work stuff out of the conversation. Or you can schedule regular work calls and keep those focused exclusively on the project at hand so that the rest of your life can go as normal.

Setting boundaries helps keep your friendships intact as the project moves forward.

6. Trade Agreements/ Bartering

Often friends can’t always afford to work with each other, but a trade of services may be something to consider.

Personal training in exchange for marketing.

Food in exchange for web design.

Accounting in exchange for business coaching.

Trade arrangements aren’t a bad thing, but the key is to make sure that you still structure those deals just like you do with any paid project.

Set clear expectations as to what each party will receive and put it in writing.

With trade agreements it is easy for one person or the other to feel cheated or undercompensated for their time. Get clear about what is being traded so that both parties feel equally compensated.

The bottom line

Working with friends as clients can be an enjoyable and profitable process. But you must handle these relationships with care because it is more than a project on the line, your friendship is at stake as well.

Jasmine Oliver is the creator behind VYRL CO. DESIGN. It is here that you will find a catalog of what inspired me, the struggles of growing as a creative and the joys, a place to share travels, and explore the journey of pursuing a beautiful and fulfilling life as a graphic/web designer and commercial photographer.  This rerun is with the consent of Vyrl Co. Design and may not reproduced otherwise. Visit her blog by clicking here.

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