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"Tips for Success": -Media Inc. Article by Melinda Partin

Three years ago I made a career change to pursue my interest in film and video production. I worked for free interning and learning the ropes for about a year, opened my own production company, and phased taking on small contracts as well as working on my own projects. The reality is that building a clientele from the ground up has been difficult, especially in the uncertain economic environment post-Sept. 11.

I decided to look for role models, guidance, and inspiration about running my own company in a tough economic climate in a town (Seattle) that traditionally doesn't have a lot of work in my chosen career field.

I chose three women who are running their own companies with enough budget and work to have a team of eight to more than 20 employees. I talked to each of them about their path to the work that they were doing, and how they continued working as I watched more and more of my friends applying for unemployment as their companies downsized or closed shop.

Each of these women started their companies in a very similar fashion. They started their businesses with an established business relationship. Wendy Tinker of Tinker Productions in Seattle ran her print production business on the side until she had enough work to quit and be her own employer. Pat Johnson of JohnsonSheen in Portland worked in large and small advertising companies and on the client side in the marketing department of a large company before contracting with her former employer. Melinda Partin of Worktank in Seattle was a multimedia producer for a large company, then left and did the same thing.

How are they finding work now? While they all seem to have been affected by the economy, none of them had to scale back. Tinker even ventured into a new market by starting UpSellUSA, an incentive-based learning program. Although they each had slightly different answers, it seemed that they each had client loyalty and got creative about expanding their client base.

Partin partners regularly with other companies and just started sharing space with Quesinberry 'amp; Associates, a graphic design company, as a way of "sharing resources and providing complementary services under the same roof". Interestingly, Johnson said that although her company was "working harder to preserve profits" as companies downsize, she has been picking up new clients because of her reputation for good work.

Both Partin and Tinker said that they had recently increased their number of employees to meet work volumes.

So how do you find work in Seattle or Portland? If you follow the lead of Tinker, Johnson and Partin, know what you want, talk to as many people as possible, do your work well, build personal relationships with people you want to work with or for, and don't let up.