2014: One of the Hardest Business Years Ever!

I started my business 23 years ago with a baby on my lap in my one bedroom apartment in Long Beach, NY.  Our apartment faced the Atlantic Ocean and as I sat there making media calls for my clients, I thought about how lucky I was to finally own my own business. Many people would have thought that 1993 was a hard year to have a business but I say it was 2014 that was one of the hardest business years ever!

Through my tenure in business, I have faced national disasters like 9/11 and hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy that all had an impact on my business. Actually, even the polar vortex had a major impact on my business. No one wants to make decisions when it’s sub freezing out!

When November 2013 came, my CFO approached me that we weren’t going to end the year on a strong note. We had lost a couple of major clients and weren’t getting more clients in fast enough to sustain the agency. We were spending money on things that brought us exposure but not business.  So we were treading water and didn’t know if we were going to sink.

It was a long, hard four months of cutting fringe benefits, salaries and firing myself. Although I didn’t have a job, I worked harder than anything to make sure that my staff was back up in business. I felt responsible for their lives and for their families and I knew that I had to do something drastic and refocus my energies.

I looked at all my expenses and tried to find ways to cut them. My landlord was incredible. He was there for me every step of the way and helped me as much as possible.

Through the process, I lost two amazing people but kept three other talented people who promised me that we would get through this together. I started to utilize my LinkedIn connections, my friends on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus and without hesitation, I asked for referrals.  At first, I felt embarrassed. How can I ask for referrals?

As the referrals were coming in and I started meeting people, I felt better about it.  (I guess it’s okay to ask for referrals.)

For years, I felt like I was treading water with no real plan.  This experience opened my eyes and made me realize how much I love what I do and I love my clients and my team.  I realized that by pushing forward, making connections and pursuing new business opportunities, I could make it out alive!

The first few months were rough, but once the summer came, we were back in business, gaining new clients, getting new work from existing clients and hustling to make things happen for our clients.

As we end the year, I just want to say that I appreciate those who stood by me — my family, my HJMT family, my clients, my business associates, my landlord, my banker, my lawyer, my accountant and my friends.  It was a humbling experience to go through but an important lesson was learned — appreciate what you have because when it’s no longer there, you will miss it!