Julie Marie Irvin of Keystone Resources shared her successes and lessons learned along her entrepreneurship journey at the January 14 IABC Houston ESIG luncheon.

1. IABC
Entrepreneur Presentation

2. Taking Risks
Even considering being an Entrepreneur is taking a Risk most people would not
consider
Being in an Entrepreneur (an Optimist) is taking risks every day & learning from
your mistakes

3. Everyday is Not Rainbows,
Sunshine & Unicorns
Nor is everyday – hell, fire and doom & gloom either

4. Ideas vs Opportunities

5. Ideas vs Opportunities
Target Customer
Personal Fit / Passion
Knowledge of Competition
Business Model
Communication Plan
Market Experimentation

6. What are you going to do?
What are you not going to do?

7. Ideal Client
What are you not going to do?

8. Time Management
The art of blocking your Calendar

9. You are not 100% billable
• Make sure to schedule time for
• Education
• Accounting
• Process Improvement
• Business Development and Follow up
• Networking
• Sleep
• Family Time
• Friend Time
• YOUR TIME
• WORK

10. Systems
System Product(s)
Bookkeeping / Accounting Freshbooks, Quickbooks
CRM / Business Development Pipedrive, Sales Force,
Contactually
Business Health BodeTree.com
CMS for your website MODX, WordPress, Drupal
Project Management Teamwork, Basecamp
Design / Development Adobe Cloud Suite

12. Even though it is just you
Have systems and hold yourself accountable
or have someone else hold you accountable

13. You don’t have to know
everything
Just know people and where to find the answers

14. Build your network
• Lawyer
• Accounting / CPA / Financial Planner
• Banker
• Alliances (PR/Marketing/Video/Social Media)
• Vendors
• Fellow Entrepreneurs
• Business Advisor
• Freelancer(s) – Make sure you vet them before you hire them for the
first job

15. Document & Detail
EVERYTHING

16. Master Services Agreement
Contract, Services Agreement with details
Stay away from SCOPE CREEP

18. My Failure Resume Includes:
Things I did that I thought was brilliant – but really wasn’t

20. IABC
Entrepreneur Presentation