There will come a time in your advertising or marketing career when you will think one of the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sick and tired of working these long hours.\u201d Whether it\u2019s a craving to be in control of your life, your career, your finances, or your creative output, many of us daydream about striking out on our own and opening an agency. Yet very few of us know what it takes, and many more of us doubt we could make a go of it.<\/p>\n Joven Orozco thought he could, and so he did. His agency, Jovenville<\/a>, has been around in one incarnation or another for more than 20 years. Today, his 10-person agency (give or take) counts blue-chip companies such as Mattel, the City of Santa Monica, and Disney as clients. Joven took the rare route of almost never working for someone else; instead, he knew, right out of college, that he wanted to have his own company.<\/p>\n (In full disclosure, I\u2019ve freelanced for Joven for almost 10 years and I consider him a friend as well as a boss and a kick-butt creative director.)<\/p>\n I interviewed Joven about his experiences. Besides being food for thought for anyone who\u2019s ever considered leaving the nest, he also reveals insights that can help freelancers get better at managing their own businesses.<\/p>\n Why did you decide to open your own agency so early in your career?<\/strong> The design consultancy also offered me guidance on how to set up my firm, how to run it and deal with clients. The guys who ran it were about 10-15 years older than me, had many years of agency experience and decided to create an agency that was different. Not only did I learn more than I would have working many years in an agency, I learned anything is possible.<\/p>\n Were you ever scared that you might not make it?<\/strong> How did you go after new clients?<\/strong> Positioning is everything. If you\u2019re an expert in a space, there are people willing to work with you, even if you\u2019re not in their region. Most generalist design firms become commodities and are priced out to the lowest bid.<\/p>\n Since you own your own agency, you aren\u2019t just involved with the creative. What other \u201chats\u201d do you wear to keep the doors open?<\/strong> What are the five most essential characteristics for anyone wanting to try something like this?<\/strong> What\u2019s the best part of your job?<\/strong> Are you up for the challenge?<\/strong> To learn more about Jovenville and the type of work you can do when you open your own agency and call the shots, visit Jovenville.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI am sick and tired of working for a total moron.\u201d
\n\u201cI am sick and tired of working these long hours just to make the total moron I work for rich.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\nI figured, \u201cIf I fail, I can always get a job.\u201d In 1995, the design industry was booming, and I had five separate job offers. I was planning on working in entertainment and living the Hollywood lifestyle, but instead, I came across an opportunity in Newport Beach that set me up as an independent contractor inside a design consultancy. The deal was: I would pay rent for a cubicle and they\u2019d feed me work when they were over capacity or needed creative help. I was also able to bring in my own clients and utilize the space as I pleased. It truly was a beauty salon business model!<\/p>\n
\nYes. There have been times when I\u2019ve missed several mortgage payments. I can lose it all any day \u2026 even today. Fear is a good thing.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019ve always done a lot of promotional campaigns for the agency. We\u2019ve become more sophisticated with a fully integrated marketing effort to go after specific niche clients.<\/p>\n
\nVision hat: Determine the strategic direction of the business
\nSales hat: Close new business
\nStrategy hat: Strategy for client brands
\nLeader hat: Encourage staff to grow and be better<\/p>\n
\nRisk-taker, risk-taker, risk-taker, risk-taker, risk-taker.
\nIt takes a certain kind of entrepreneur who can take on certain levels of risks \u2026 I say risk-taker five times:<\/p>\n\n
1. Sometimes you have to walk away from unprofitable projects. That\u2019s hard to handle.<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
2. Sometimes you have to disagree with the client and convince them to go another direction from the approved scope of work.<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
3. Sometimes you have to ask for more money at the risk of losing the client.<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
4. Sometimes you have to reposition your firm because of a decline in your specialized industry.<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
\nFreedom. I\u2019ve been able to design a life\/company that allows us to go home at 6 and not work weekends. We bring our experiences back into our work: It\u2019s really tough to create when stressed out, so we, as a family, always help each other out. There\u2019s plenty of good, profitable work out there, and if a client doesn\u2019t appreciate what good design can do for their business, we just don\u2019t work with them again. So basically \u2026 freedom to do whatever I want to do.<\/p>\n
\nIf you want to open your own agency or business, it may require you to flex beyond your current skill set, but think of the payoff: being able to choose your own clients, make your own schedule (most of the time, anyway), and be in control of your life while doing the work you believe in.<\/p>\n
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