Part time extremes

As a working manager of a restaurant change full-time and doing computer work part-time, you begin to realize just how your limits are stretched.

I used to do the computer work full-time and the restaurant part-time, but it's amazing how things change.  That being said, I lost a significant amount of clients in a way that was unplanned and it hurt my ego and my wallet.  From that experience alone, I have the top three mistakes I made running a self-employed business (unranked).:

1.  Lack of communication
I hardly talked to my clients when the transition began from full-time to part-time.  I barely notified any of them when I was late on any of my tasks.  I was blatantly, in my own face, going against my own principles and practices when I first started as a self-employed computer business and I did nothing to stop myself because I was afraid what I would hear from my clients. 

Lesson:  Communication is key in any relationship and success.

2.  Killing my own integrity
By not communicating to any of my clients, I killed my own integrity, not just with them, but with anybody they may interact with concerning my quality of work.    Not only that, in the self-perceived desperation of trying to help everyone all the time, sometimes my projects would be out of the scope of my own experience, which then would take the project beyond the time constraints.  Had I been straightforward with myself, I'd probably have more successes.

Lesson:  Don't overpromise and under deliver.  Promise what you can do, be honest with yourself as to what you can't.

3.  Failure to respond to changing times
Businesses evolve even though they've been around for years.  Technology evolves too.  I failed to find new technology to apply to the clients' needs or supposed needs.  I did not keep things fresh. 

Lesson:  Keep in touch with your clients and see what they may want.  Coach them to start thinking of evolving their business.

When I ponder this, I realize the ONE thing that was the overriding factor in it all:  Fear.  Fear of strategizing a withdrawal from some of my clients and fear that financially things would fall apart if I did lose any.  That alone ruined a lot of relationships in the long run.

I have been able to revive a few and I've grown passionate about their operations and honest about mine.

I have faith I can keep this up and faith that I can avoid the mistakes I've made in the past.