A brief recap of our year, and a quick look ahead

By mid-summer, I knew the rest of 2019 was going to be really busy. But I am still processing what a year we ended up having. I think I had a dozen different out-of-state work trips this year, plus three Harrisburg days (plus two international trips for fun). The PIT airport and I are very well acquainted.

We have to thank all of our local and out-of-state clients for a really amazing year. Our revenue was up about 50 percent over 2018, which is bananas. And I want to thank the team here: Marlee joined us as a Creative Director in February, allowing us to take on totally different kinds of project, and Brett has been with us for nearly two years now as an Associate, supporting me on several clients. I certainly could not have taken on all we did alone!

Just a few highlights from 2019: we led several training programs in Pittsburgh for new and repeat clients, and led trainings in Wilmington, Delaware; New Brunswick, New Jersey; San Jose, California, and Harrisburg. Last month, we helped DigDeep and the US Water Alliance release a major paper on the water access gap in the US, which got fantastic press attention (check out some of the coverage in the Washington Post, NPR, and NBC). In September, were on site for the Alliance’s One Water Summit in Austin, which gathered more than one thousand water leaders for a week of site visits and programming. And back in April, which honestly doesn’t even feel like it was this year, we were honored to be on the campaign team of (now State Senator) Pam Iovino. Pretty crazy that Allegheny has five state senators, and going into 2018 two of them were Republican and all five were men. Now all five are Democrats and two are women!

No, Toggl is not paying me to promote their product. I just like looking at the reports of our hours.

This is totally an operational thing, but since more and more of my friends are launching their own practices I thought readers might find it useful: As the firm grew, with the addition of Marlee and expansion of so many new projects, we decided to get more meticulous about tracking our hours. If you want to get a better grip on how you spend your time, check out Toggl - it’s been pretty great for us, and will be even more necessary to stay organized in 2020.

When I was a little kid, my grandfather kept his loose change in big coffee tins in his office. I’d dump the change out on the carpet and count it, group it by pennies, dimes, etc., and roll them - and I’d do it over, and over, and over. This was a sign that I’d grow up to spend a lot of time with Quickbooks, I guess. If nothing else, sorting through the Toggl reports of how we spent our time in 2019 brings me the same joy as rolling the loose change. If you have a different time keeping app you like, shoot me a note at abigail@scottiepa.com - I’m always interested in hearing about other business owners’ methods for staying organized.

Finally, we have some big plans already in store for 2020. The biggest thing we’re working on right now is a presidential candidate forum for February on infrastructure issues, to be held in Nevada over President’s Day Weekend. More details will be released soon, but we’re thrilled to be working with that team and it is shaping up to be a great event. For now, have a safe and happy holiday break, and stay tuned for more updates from us in 2020!

4 Things I've Learned the 4 Years I've Worked for Myself

Well, we made it. Scottie Public Affairs officially turned four on July 6, 2019, marking the longest job I (the owner, Abigail Gardner) have ever had. Glad to know I like myself as a boss.

Reflecting on the past four years I thought there were at least four worthwhile pieces of advice to share about business owner life:

1. The ability to pick and choose your own clients and projects is actually priceless.

   Besides the (sort of) flexible schedule, picking and choosing my own clients and projects is by far the best part of this job. I’m honestly not sure you can put a price on it because the stress of working with or for people who don’t really value you evaporates. We’re so grateful for our clients because they treat us like real teammates, and sometimes they really become friends. And if I hear from someone from my past who I know is … not great … to work with, I can pass. That is priceless.

2. Know your value and price accordingly.

   I’ve seen a lot of people hang out their own shingle in the past four years as professional service providers, and it seems like a tricky part of getting started is figuring out what to charge. Be careful and don’t negotiate against yourself by setting your own price too low. If you really have the skills to be on your own, charge accordingly. If you don’t have the skills, keep working for someone else for a few more years!

3. Get an accountant.

   Honestly, my accountant, Judith, is my MVP. Keeping me legal and saving me a lot of time. If taxes and bookkeeping are not your strong suit, get a professional to help you and fast. Judith started working with me about four months after I opened my doors because four months was all I needed to realize I wanted professional help.

4. It’s ok to explore other options but don’t let it take you too far off track.

   Late in 2017, I was approached by a head hunter to interview for a big job at a big institution in Pittsburgh. I was interested in the opportunity and the timing to have the conversation seemed right. Unfortunately, I didn’t account for how long those conversations will drag out. I put off hiring when I needed help, I turned down work because I didn’t know if I was closing up shop. In the end, I didn’t get the job and now that big institution is a client, so it all worked out, but I was miserable for months. If I could do it again, I wouldn’t have been so cautious — it cost me (and no one else) to be understaffed and turn away clients. It is ok to explore other options but don’t let the tail wag the dog. If you aren’t driving your business, no one else is!