I Don't Like Being My Own Client, starting my own sites Options

[Yoshimi]

I have come to realise that I am my own worst client, what's worse is I do everything I tell clients not to do! Having finally decided to go it alone and start my own consultancy i finally launched my site on friday, I have check Google 20 times to see if I have been indexed yet (seriously, I know this is just ridiculous, but I can't help myself) and i have been checking my emails every hour!

I have a whole marketing plan laid out, and have already had a first enquiry through announcing the launch on a couple of social networks, but this is just killing me; so any advice on how I can avoid being my own worst client? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif)

[Randy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/hysterical.gif) Been there, done that Yoshimi. I think anybody who has ever started a business gets a little whacked out, even when they know they shouldn't be. I'm worse I think. I still get that jittery rush every single time I launch a new site. Or at least a new site that's supposed to actually do something. So you can call me addicted to starting new projects and bringing them to fruition and be pretty close to the mark.

About the best I've found that you can do is find something to keep you busy. If you're talking about starting an SEO consultancy, or any kind of consultancy really, that might mean volunteering to take on a project or two for a local non-profit or small business who couldn't otherwise easily afford your services. Or it may be volunteering to give a talk to a local Chamber of Commerce or other local business organization, or to a local college, etc, etc. Those can both help them and help you, since it's likely to bring you business. The latter will force you to put pen to paper and actually record the things that you consider to be important, which can of course become a tool you can use for years once the consultancy clients start kicking in.

The moral of the story is you simply can't rush things. As much as we'd all like to sometimes. But keeping yourself busy can also keep you from flaking out.

[lenwood]

Man, I am TOTALLY with you there. Seems that we're just geared somehow to watch the metrics, even when we know this brings no meaningful information. I'd recommend spending some time linkbuilding, participating in topical forums and beat the pavement generating interest.

Sales for my services have dropped pretty sharply over the past two months, so I'm doing everything I can to generate work, both for my company and for myself.

[Yoshimi]

Yep all of the other marketing activities are already in progress / in the pipeline. I have even sent out my first proposal, only a week after setting up (I have been building a contact network for years, having worked in sales, and just generally enjoying networking), after the first 5 days the obsession died down a little, and I'm down to checking once a day, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink1.gif)

This reminds me of when you start a new relationship, for a while you count the days, then the weeks, then the months, eventually it's years, then you find you're only counting the years you've actually been married, and rounding down to make yourself feel better lol