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      The 9 Most Common Email Mistakes—And How to Recover When You’ve Made One

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      When it comes to workplace catastrophes, a horrible email mistake sent to the big boss might trump them all. A spelling error, misused word, or God forbid an email sent to the wrong person can make you look unprofessional, and if it’s bad enough, can even put your job in jeopardy.
      Sending an email that was supposed to go to a friend to a superior—or worse, your whole office after accidentally clicking “reply all”—can leave you frantically looking up the cheapest tickets to another country, sifting through name ideas to give yourself for your new identity.
      Whether you’re emailing back and forth with a potential employer or with the boss you’ve known for years, a certain degree of etiquette is required. Here are the most common professional email mistakes to look out for before you make the mistake yourself—and how to mend the mistakes you do make. (You’re not the first person to do it and certainly won’t be the last.)

      1. Sending a misdirected email
      Depending on the content, a misdirected email can range from slightly embarrassing to job-ending.
      As hard as it is to remain calm and panic-free, stay calm and gauge the situation. Is it something slightly embarrassing, like talking about happy hour plans to someone who wasn’t on the invite list, or is it a worst-case scenario, like sending an email about your boss to your entire office?
      Gauge the situation and develop a plan of action for damage control. As hard as it can be to not go and immediately apologize to everyone who got the email, hold off. Things get lost in people’s inboxes all the time (and things can take a while for people to open) so don’t draw more attention to it than necessary.
      However, you should immediately apologize if you sent it to a boss. Rather than sending out a mass apology email, seek out your boss and give them an in-person apology. Let them know that the email wasn’t intended for them and you’ll be more careful in the future. Once you do this, assess if more damage control needs to be done. If your boss accepts your apology, move on and try not to dwell on it—everyone makes mistakes, and you can’t undo it no matter how much you want to. (But it’s a good rule of thumb to never send emails bashing anyone on your team, no matter who it is really intended for.) If the email you sent contained confidential info for someone who wasn’t meant to see it, make sure to alert your HR immediately.

      2. Not having a clear, concise subject line
      While you might be in the habit of sending emails with no subject line or informal ones to the coworkers you’re friends with, make sure that when you’re sending an important email that the subject line gives them a look into the contents — if it’s about an invoice, make the subject line “June Invoice”; if it’s about a project, title it with the name of the project and a short explanation of the update.
      Having a clear subject line is not only more professional, but it makes the receiver of your email more likely to pay attention to it.

      3. Being too informal
      Obviously, some offices are more formal than others. If you’re starting a new job, start off on the formal side and adjust accordingly based on how people are emailing you. Once you get a feel of how people communicate with each other, try to fit the mold — nobody wants super formal emails in a casual setting or vice versa.

      4. Using your personal email address
      Once you get your work email address, make sure to stick exclusively to that. When you’re going back and forth with your boss or a PR contact, you don’t want to accidentally send it from [email protected]

      5. Not including a signature block
      Signing your emails with just your name isn’t technically wrong, but having a professional signature with your first and last name, contact info, job position, and if possible, your company’s logo is more professional and will make it easier for people to seek you out if they need to.

      6. Going overboard with the exclamation points
      This is a huge problem for females and is something we discuss frequently in our office. Women can be paranoid that not ending a sentence with an exclamation point can sound off as rude or critical (guilty), but that isn’t the case — and using too many exclamation points can have the reverse effect and make you come off as unprofessional.

      7. Forgetting to proofread
      Before you hit send on any work-related email, reread the contents and triple check who you’re sending it to and whether or not you hit “reply all.” Even when you’re in a rush, try to give it a quick scan to avoid any catastrophes or embarrassing moments.

      8. Frequent Grammar Mistakes
      In work emails, it’s common to reuse the same words and sayings over and over. Make sure you don’t fall victim to these common errors.

      Follow-up vs. follow up
      I have sat and debated this countless times before sending an email to someone I just interviewed with, convinced that if I chose the wrong one, I’d blow my shot at the job. While that almost definitely isn’t the case, this is a good one to know.
      Follow-up is a noun and adjective. Hyphenate when used before a noun.
      I sent her a follow-up email.
      Follow up is a verb.
      I contacted the manager to see if I could follow up.

      So…
      Email subject: Follow-up to interview
      Hi XXX,
      It was great chatting with you yesterday. I just wanted to follow up…

      9. Relying on these words and phrases
      There are certain words that are fine in real life but come off as harsh or unprofessional when they’re used via email. Try to avoid using these phrases.

      “Sorry to bother you” — in a work-related scenario, you aren’t bothering them! It’s your job to communicate with your superiors and co-workers, so this isn’t necessary.
      “Let’s touch base” — this is overused in corporate settings. Try to swap out for something else, especially if you’re looking for your boss to pencil you into their busy schedule.
      “I think” — if you know something, don’t assert yourself less by stating it with “I think” before it. Take away the safety net and continue your sentence without this.
      “Hey” — once you’ve honed in on your office culture, it’s totally fine to use this in casual emails (I can’t even count how many times I use it a day in our office). But until then, don’t begin your email with “hey ___” and address them more formally.

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      5 Reasons Why Your Career Does Not Define Your Identity

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      For as long as I can remember, I’ve always associated my self-worth in conjunction with my job. Whether it was because of how our society views certain positions or because of my pride, I made sure to work hard enough to get a job that I (and my mom) would be proud to identify with. To say “I work for [employer]…” or “I am a [job title]…” made my heart fill with excitement. So when I finally accepted my dream position that was far from the involvement of serving tables, I felt like I earned the right to let those words slip off my tongue to show the world that I did, I made it. But even when my dream scenario came to fruition, I eventually realized that I was no longer in love with the job, which thus resulted in a life-changing moment.
      I was eventually let go from the company that I was only holding onto because of its status. While I felt burnt out and lacked the enthusiasm to work for them, I didn’t listen to my gut and decided to hold onto the position because I loved how I felt accepted by others when I’d mention my position in conversations. It was an addiction I wasn’t willing to let go. I felt like my identity was closely tied to this job, and if I’d lose it, then I was a nobody and I would have no proof of all my hard work. However, when I was let go, a new high took over: relief. While one part of me wanted to hold on to something that wasn’t making me happy for prideful reasons, a weight was lifted off my shoulders because I was finally following my truth.
      For most people, this experience would tear them apart: if they’re let go from a job, it means they’re incompetent and their self-worth has taken a nosedive into the pools of hell (yes, I’m being dramatic). However, while it did hurt a little to receive the news, I was more hurt that I didn’t initially follow my heart and, instead, allowed someone else to control my fate. I soon realized that my self-worth isn’t defined by a nice-sounding job, it’s defined by my values, my truth, and what happens beyond the typical nine-to-five timeframe. Yes, it was nice to be associated with a well-known company and, not going to lie, sometimes I miss that “accepted” feeling. But deep down I know that my career doesn’t define my identity, because the only approval I need is my own.
      If you can relate to any of this, here are five reasons why you shouldn’t define yourself by your career or job — because, honestly, your self-love is totally worth way more than that paycheck or job title. 

      1. Because having a well-known job isn’t your only success.
      Working for a renowned company does look good on your resume, but it’s not the only thing that you should consider to be successful. Success can be rarely measured by someone’s job or wealth. The true definition of success derives from the ability to do something that you truly love, to be able to care for others, to overcome your greatest fears, or to find blissful happiness. One person’s definition of success could look completely different than someone else’s. And that’s totally okay. Because in the end, you should always aim to be yourself and not replicate what you believe to be considered successful just because of someone else’s journey.

      2. Because your truths and values are the only things you should be defined by.
      Wouldn’t it be lovely to not be judged based on your profession? Immediately when we meet someone new, we want to know their name and what they do for a living. Why? Isn’t there another way to define a person? Yes, it’s great to know what they’re passionate about, but shouldn’t we just ask them that upfront?
      Your identity should be defined by what you love, what you dream of, what you value, and who you cherish. Think about it: Your true friends and family don’t care about what kind of job you have or how much you make. All they care about is your happiness. Treat yourself as you would want your friends to treat you, because you should value your happiness before any job, paycheck, or boss. Period.

      3. Because most jobs are a temporary state and can change at any moment.
      While life is known to be filled with uncertainty, most of us believe we have complete control over our circumstances. Today you may identify yourself as a hardworking architect, but four years from now, you may want to be a dairy farmer, milking cows for a living. You just never know what kind of experiences you may go through and how they’ll change you. Essentially, nothing is permanent. Life is full of surprises, and there are more things that make an impact in your life than your career.

      4. Because this is something you do and not something you are.
      Whether you work as a cashier for a store or as an illustrator for an advertising company, these are things you do — they don’t define you as a person. There are plenty of ways to identify yourself, especially if you’re not in love with your job. For instance, in addition to your career, you could also be known as a mother, a lover of puppies, a video game enthusiast — anything you admire or hold value to is a part of you and your identity. At the end of the day, you should be known for the things you love to do and be, not for the type of positions you’ve held.

      5. Because other people won’t remember you by the job you have, but by how you make them feel.
      How you decide to treat others and express yourself is glued to your identity way more than your jobs ever will be. When other people talk or think about you, the thought of your career might come up, but your personality and character will resonate with them more. You’re on this earth for so many other reasons aside from having a job. Maybe you’re meant to help someone else through their own journey, or to make a difference in your town and inspire others to do the same. You’re doing yourself an injustice if you only identify yourself by your career. Try to open your world and help others to do the same. The more we realize we’re more than our jobs, the happier we all may be.

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      So You’ve Decided To Quit Your Job—Here’s How To Do It Like a Pro

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      There’s nothing like some good old-fashioned anxiety when you have to confront someone about something. It only gets worse when that “someone” is your boss and that “something” is quitting your job. 
      I don’t blame you—it isn’t fun. Maybe you’ve never done it before, maybe you’re leaving after a short amount of time, maybe you have no clue how to leave on a positive note when you hate everyone and everything about your job… the list goes on. The good news is, you have this amazing chapter of your life ahead of you to look forward to, and you are in control of this situation. So with your head held high, embrace this position, and let your team witness your professional beauty and grace.
      With some help from the experts, I’ve found that there’s a simple and effective formula to go about this process smoothly in a way to make everyone happy. Here are my tips on how to quit your job so professionally and artfully that you’d consider adding it as a skill to your resume.

      At what point should I notify my manager? 
      We’ve all heard about the famous “two weeks notice” (no, not the Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant movie—we’re not trying to replicate that situation here). Two weeks is generally an ample amount of time to begin a transition period for many employees shifting out of their current roles. 
      However, it doesn’t hurt to give an earlier notice (of maybe three to four weeks instead), especially if your role is more senior with higher-level duties that need some extra time to hand over to others. It’s also important that you don’t notify your boss too far in advance—you don’t want to awkwardly linger and waste anyone’s time (including your own!).

      What’s the best way to tell my manager “I want to quit?”
      Most HR professionals agree that a face-to-face meeting is the best way to go in this scenario. Krystal Yates, an HR consultant turned career coach, advised that this in-person conversation is the best route, but things (like geographic restrictions) can often come in the way of that. “If in-person isn’t an option, a phone call is the next best way,” Yates said. “A written resignation should be a last resort and used as the primary form of resignation only if all other avenues are unavailable.”
      It is important to note that if there is serious negative history between you and your manager, it is OK to take this conversation to their superior or an HR representative.
      Aside from being professionally courteous, a formal letter is needed for HR. Jodi RR Smith, a nationally recognized etiquette consultant said, “A resignation letter needs only three pieces of information: 1. Your last day. 2. Contact email, address, and phone number. 3. Your signature.” Keep it short and sweet!

      So how do I approach this conversation?
      You’ve set up that meeting with your boss and now are biting your nails in anticipation of having to have this conversation. You might be overcome with anxiety (if you’re anything like me and hate confrontation in any shape or form), but I’ll have you know that there is a simple, pain-free way to go about this.
      The first thing to remember is to keep your emotions at bay. Yes, you might have some grudges, and yes, you might want to burst out in tears—but remember that this conversation will be the beginning of the end to this part of your life, and there are far better things to come. “As an employee, come in prepared with what you’re going to say and be confident in your decision,” Natalie Morgan, the director of HR at CareerPlug, said. There are undoubtedly going to be emotions on both sides of the table, and staying calm and collected is essential.
      Smith emphasized that it’s super important to keep your wits about you. She said to make sure you “don’t yell at anyone, destroy company property, or disparage the organization to the media or to the clients,” since what you ultimately do reflects on you. Though these all sound like common sense, sometimes our emotions can get the best of us, so it’s important to try to keep ourselves a few steps ahead of them.

      Source: rodnae productions | pexels

      Should I tell my boss why I’m leaving?
      While you don’t want to say too much, you also don’t want to leave your manager questioning the reason for your departure. Morgan noted that “a resignation conversation isn’t a time to present a laundry list of grievances, but [most managers] do expect to know a general reason. You’ve gotten an opportunity at your dream job. Your role has changed and no longer feels in line with your career goals. You want to move into a new industry. You didn’t feel you were a good fit with the company culture and vision.” Again, the key is to keep it brief, honest, and professional.
      Many companies offer an exit interview, and those situations are great for voicing more candid feedback.

      How should I involve my team and coworkers in this? 
      Oftentimes, we become best friends with some of our coworkers (à la Lorelai and Sookie) and want to tell them about everything first. This is understandable, since many of us feel like we have that one trusted confidant, but it’s important to still be cautious when dealing with something big like this. 
      Adam Calli, an HR consultant and founder of Arc Human Capital, noted that things can and do go wrong. It’s important to not divulge too much information about your upcoming resignation to your coworkers (especially while you are still waiting to finalize an offer from your new company), since people can often let details accidentally slip up in work gossip. Trust me, that’s not the way you want your boss finding out you’re quitting.
      “Be patient and keep it to yourself,” Calli added. “You can tell them as soon as you give your official notice to your company, even if that means walking from your boss’s office directly to your friends’ desks!”
      Once the information is out in the open with everyone, it’s important to show your gratitude for your managers, coworkers, and team as a whole. Maybe these were some of your favorite people—maybe not. But, remember that the way you end your time in this role is what everyone is going to recall the most. It’s truly a small world out there! With the internet and social media, you don’t who will keep in touch, stay connected, and keep tabs on you and when, how, and where you might run into someone! 

      What will those last couple weeks look like?
      Ideally, your manager will inform the rest of your team about you leaving shortly after you hand in your notice. This will begin your transition period. Your coworkers might have a hard time with your departure emotionally because they’ll miss you, or professionally because they’re taking on your workload—so it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep this process as smooth as possible. 
      “Wrap up projects, communicate what is still outstanding, and offer suggestions for coverage if appropriate. It’s ultimately your manager’s and the company’s responsibility to make a plan here, but act in good faith and get the ball rolling where you can,” Morgan advised. The golden rule, of course, is to treat everyone how you would hope to be treated—if it were you taking on your former role, wouldn’t you want things to be in place and be squeaky clean? 
      When your last day of work arrives, treat it as a checklist you need to mark things off of:

      Clean out your desk (disinfectant wipes and all!).
      Make sure you have turned in any company devices.
      Make rounds to talk to all the people you’ve worked with, and thank them for their help.
      Meet with your manager one last time to say your final goodbyes and express gratitude.
      Attend your exit interview (if there is one scheduled).
      Start connecting with your now-former coworkers on LinkedIn!

      When is a good time to ask for a reference?
      It can be an awkward situation wanting to leave your job, but then also wanting your boss to write down nice things about you for future jobs. Honestly though, so many people leave their positions every day and want a reference or letter or recommendation—it’s completely fair! You worked hard and most definitely deserve to be recognized for that, and should be able to show future employers how great of a catch you are. But as always, it’s all about the timing.
      Morgan recommended saving asking for a reference until your last day, either during an exit interview or your final meeting with your manager. Make sure you communicate your gratitude for this position and opportunities you’ve received, and reiterate what you’ve learned from them. This way, you’ll be parting on good terms, and it’s going to feel easier to ask if they’d be open to writing a letter of recommendation or being a reference for you in the future. 
      Waiting until the end will help your manager will see how well you handled this whole process, and it will add a whole layer to your character that they can refer back to when writing a recommendation. Your grace will speak for itself!

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      7 Steps To Create a Marketing Plan That Actually Works

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      Build it and they will come. It’s a well-meaning sentiment. But when it comes to running your own business, it misses the mark a bit.
      As you already know, you can’t simply set up shop and cross your fingers that people find you. Instead, being a successful business owner means constantly marketing and promoting your business in hopes of getting more eyeballs on your product or bodies through the door.
      But, the words “marketing plan” are enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. It sounds overly technical and completely daunting, doesn’t it? However, I assure you, it isn’t as intimidating as you might think it is—and you definitely don’t need to have a degree in marketing in order to figure it out.
      Follow these seven simple steps, and you’ll be armed with a marketing plan that is sure to help you take your business to the next level!

      What is a marketing plan?
      Before you can jump right in with creating your plan, it’s important to have a solid understanding of what exactly it is. Typically included as an expanded piece of your overall business plan, a marketing plan is just what it sounds like: a document that details everything you need to know in order to successfully promote your business.
      Some large corporations have marketing plans that are hundreds of pages, whereas a small one-person business might only have a handful of pages. There’s no exact length for this sort of document, as long as you’ve included all of the necessary information.
      Additionally, it’s important to note that your marketing plan should span one year. This is enough time to reach those big, long-term objectives, and short enough to remain flexible when your circumstances and goals change over time.
      Now that you know the nuts and bolts, let’s dive into the details. Here are the steps you need to take in order to piece together the essential elements of your business’ marketing plan.

      Step 1: Know Your Business
      You needed to do this exact same thing when working on your business plan, so this first step shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, nobody knows your business quite like you do.
      Think of this section as your opportunity to provide a general overview of your current business operations, as well as your internal and external environment. How long have you been up and running? What’s your business structure? Are you an LLC or a partnership? Do you conduct business online or through a storefront? What sorts of products and services do you offer?
      Within this section, some companies also choose to do a SWOT analysis—which details your strengths and weaknesses as an organization, as well as any opportunities for growth, and threats that could hinder that progress. It’s a great way to get a snapshot of your current situation in a way that’s helpful and completely manageable.

      Step 2: Determine Target Market
      “Target market” is likely a phrase you heard repeated in any sort of marketing class you ever took or article you’ve read. And, for good reason—it’s a key element for coming up with effective and successful marketing strategies.
      In this portion of your marketing plan, you should list anything and everything you know about your ideal customer. This includes basic demographic information, such as gender and age. But you should also dig deeper into their behaviors and decisions.
      Why do they buy from you? What challenge or pain point are you solving for them? How do they spend their free time? What outlets do they turn to to get information? Gather any intel you can find, and include it in this section. Knowing your customer inside and out will be helpful when identifying marketing tactics and strategies.

      Step 3: Analyze Competitors
      Wouldn’t it be nice if you operated in a vacuum and never had to worry about any competitors infringing on your space or stealing your customers? Unfortunately, business doesn’t work that way. Chances are, there are already companies out there doing something incredibly similar to you—meaning you’ll need to work that much harder to stand out.
      Don’t get intimidated! This is something every business owner deals with. So being armed with all sorts of knowledge about your competitors will be helpful in finding ways to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
      Start by describing—in detail—the product or service you offer to consumers. This is your chance to expand on the basic overview you provided in the first section. Then, spell out how your product or service measures up to the existing competition. What positions you as the one source clients or customers should turn to? What makes you different? As you might imagine, you’ll be able to leverage this differentiator to effectively market your business.
      Taking a magnifying glass to your competitors can be disheartening—particularly if they’re really thriving. But it’s an important step to not only gather all of the information you need, but also to demonstrate to any potential investors that you’re aware of your competition and prepared to tackle that challenge head-on.

      Step 4: Set Goals
      Here comes the fun part—spelling out your marketing-related goals for the year. What objectives do you want to accomplish? Are there specific targets you want to hit?
      Depending on your current situation and ambitions, goals can range from lofty and grandiose (such as doubling sales or increasing market share) to smaller, more bite-sized ambitions (like getting 100 new Instagram followers on your brand’s account or starting a blog for your business).
      The important part is to zone in on the milestones you want to reach throughout that year, whether it seems possible or not. Don’t cloud your mind with logistics just yet—this comes in the next step.

      Step 5: Outline Strategies
      Now that you’ve outlined exactly what you want to accomplish, it’s time to detail the strategies you’ll use to actually reach these objectives.
      I recommend taking each goal separately, and listing the related action items directly underneath it. This allows you to see exactly what needs to get done in order to push yourself toward that accomplishment. It’s also a great way to get a handle on whether or not this goal seems realistic or if needs a little adjusting. You want your goals to be motivating and far-reaching, but not so difficult that they’re just discouraging. 
      Let’s stick with the example of getting more followers on your business’ Instagram account. Here’s what this could look like:
      Goal: Gain at least 100 new followers on Company XYZ’s Instagram account by December 31.
      Starting Number: 458
      Action Items:

      Be more active in the space by posting at least three new photos every week.
      Engage with users by responding to comments on photos as well as commenting on photos posted by similar, relevant accounts.
      Research industry and community-related hashtags that we can utilize in our own posts to attract more organic traffic.
      Host an Instagram contest for our followers.

      See? It’s not nearly as complex as you think, but it still provides a tangible, helpful roadmap to set you on the right track to accomplish your goals.

      Step 6: Set a Budget
      If you’re anything like me, this is the part you dread the most—the numbers. I’ve never been a math whiz, and just the word “budget” is enough to send me running for the hills. But, as you already know, it’s a necessary evil when it comes to running your business.
      In your full-blown business plan, you detailed the entire financial side of your business. But in your marketing plan, stay focused strictly on marketing-related activities. How much do you plan to spend on marketing and promotion throughout the next year, and how much will the action items you listed above cost you? Most importantly, where will this money come from?
      Budgets aren’t fun, but it’s important to be honest with yourself here. You’d rather discover you need to tweak or tailor something to make it affordable right now—rather than six months from now when you’ve already forked over your credit card!

      Step 7: Get to Work!
      There you have it! These are the steps you need in order to create a marketing plan for your business—you just need to put them all together. As mentioned earlier, marketing plans vary from basic and simple to comprehensive and complex. And remember, as with everything else, it really depends on what’s best suited for your own business.
      But regardless of whether you plan to end up with a document that’s two pages or 200, these steps should help to get you started! More

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      Everything You Need to Know About Pricing Your Services

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      Deciding what to charge (and how to communicate your pricing once you’ve decided on it) is one of the most difficult parts of owning your own business or freelancing. Even thinking the word “pricing” gives me a little shudder. Finding that perfect balance between pricing what you’re worth and attracting the right clients is a key component of your success. I know how challenging it is to set and stick to a pricing structure, but it doesn’t have to be.
      Follow our steps below to untangle the world of pricing and finally feel confident in setting (and even raising when necessary) your specific prices. We go over everything from how to dive into your data and determine costs, to the best way to display your pricing on your website and embed forms (easily done in our go-to website platform, Squarespace) to help you determine your client’s budget right when they initially reach out. Ready to get started? Let’s do this.

      Start your free Squarespace trial today (no credit card required) and use code ‘EVERYGIRL’ for 10% off when you’re ready to publish your website.

      Pricing Your Service-Based Business
      Service-based businesses are especially tricky when considering pricing. You have to take into consideration your value, your direct costs, and your indirect costs. This is different from selling a product directly, where you can do something like a cost + model and price in your skill and value on top of some concrete expenses.
      Instead, pricing your services is a lot about perception. As with most things in business, the best way forward is to start with your customer, then work backward. What role do you fulfill for your customer? Think through exactly the pain point or need that your service solves for them. You will want to reflect on if your service is something of a commodity, or if your deliverable is an anchor in their own business plan or personal needs. For example, is it on the more task-oriented end or is it on the highly creative and customized end of the spectrum? Remember that your expertise is the main heft of your services and it is so easy to downplay our own expertise. Resist! Think of it in terms of this analogy: cutting the wire is just one small part of your services. Knowing which wire to cut is the main heft—your expertise and experience are what your customers are investing in. Don’t sell yourself short. 

      Source: Mathilde Langevin | Unsplash

      Comparing Your Offering and Telling Your Story
      You’ll also want to spend a lot of time doing market research. Ask your industry peers and attend (virtual!) conferences and mixers to understand how they think about pricing. Especially in creative industries, people are less direct about exactly what they charge. However,  you can almost always get good insight into how they think about what they charge. Knowing who your competition is in the space and exactly what their offering looks like is a key part of pricing research.
      Telling a story around your offering and clearly articulating your value proposition is critical. Why would a client come to you versus someone else? What is differentiated about what you offer? So much of communicating pricing is communicating value through your brand. Ideally, you want to be in the market for repeat clients or clients who will refer you forward to new business. This means that through your pricing you’ll also want to communicate the collateral benefits of working with you. Does it mean a perfect track record of on-time deliverables? Access to a community of other like-minded clients? Other free resources down the line? Again, think like your client—when they get to work with you, what else do they get besides a concrete deliverable?
      Make this information easily accessible to your future clients and customers on your website. We love Squarespace’s pre-made website templates for small businesses, which can help you organize this information if you’re not sure where to start. Clearly articulate and list exactly what you offer and take the guesswork out of your services. Highlight areas where you are different than your competitors and really hone in on your specific niche. 

      Try establishing credibility with free client resources. For example, if you’re a brand designer, write a few evergreen blog posts on the different pieces of your brand process (how clients will use a logo, submark, alternate logo, brand pattern, etc.). Think about questions you regularly receive from clients and turn them into blog posts. This will save you time in the long run as you won’t have to answer every question individually, and you’ll establish your expertise for future clients at the same time. 

      Structuring Pricing – Project vs. Hourly Wages
      For a service-based business, pricing primarily works around time. One of the ways to start thinking about pricing is giving yourself an annual wage, and then work backward. If you are targeting to make a certain amount per year, what does that break down to monthly? Then go further and think about what that means in terms of hours you’re looking to put into this business—especially if you have other work or business streams. Once you have a general idea of this, you’ll have to do some tinkering.
      So much “invisible work” goes into the hours spent in a service business far beyond the exact project for a client. You have time building your network, building your website, acquiring new clients, and following up—the list goes on. You also have to think of the opportunity costs of the time you spend doing this that you’re not doing something else. For brand new business launches, this can be significant. Lastly, you’ll want to really evaluate other fixed costs like new technology you need, or even adding team members to help with additional tasks.

      Source: @alainakaz

      Project or Hourly Pricing?
      The decision to price by project or hour often comes down to industry. What do your peers do? Are you served by replicating that, or is there an advantage in acquiring new clients if you did something different? For businesses just starting out, a fixed price for a project can be a great way to gain exposure and build your portfolio. The client knows the total cost upfront, and you can take all the time you need to get up the curve learning new aspects of servicing them.
      For more established businesses, hourly may be a good fit. Hourly may also be your preferred method of pricing if you know that deliverables can have wild swings in your time commitment. This approach, however, requires a lot of upfront communication with clients, and to clearly and transparently track your time.
      Pro tip: Even if you’re not working on an hourly pricing model, track all your time. Seriously, all of it. It will help you immensely in determining how long tasks are taking you—from client-facing tasks to the invisible business tasks like updating your website or creating marketing graphics to post on social media. Start tracking how many hours you are routinely working every day, week, month. Getting a handle on this data will help you determine what is working from a time-perspective and if you need to do something differently.

      Should I Make My Pricing Public?
      There are a number of pros and cons to making pricing public. Offerings that are highly customized often don’t lend themselves to public pricing because so many factors will go into consideration in shaping the client’s final outcome. However, you see many higher-end creative services note that “Pricing Begins at $XXX” to give clients a sense of where they could start discussions.
      This type of transparency is really useful. It does two things. It lets your clients benchmark an offering so they can appropriately budget. It is also respectful of their time. They know you’re straightforward and that you’ve got a sense of your value. And, it keeps you from answering inquiries solely to question price. (Highly price-sensitive clients are probably not long-term clients for many creatives.) Clients eventually need pricing information, and you may be missing out on some engagement if you’re not willing to give them a bit of a benchmark.

      Alternatively, if you’re more on the task end of the spectrum, or even a creative whose work tends to be repeated in modules (think, photographers who work in 1-hour blocks), then transparent pricing can work in your favor. You can also think of offering a single discrete product with a very straightforward price. For example, 20-minute, single-location headshot sessions that result in two digital prints for $X. We love the commerce functionality available in Squarespace that allows you to add a physical, digital, or service-based product to your site. Creating a product for some offerings (rather than letting clients inquire directly) will help speed up your process and let you skip any price questions or haggling attempts. 

      When adding pricing to your website, consider using an embedded inquiry form (so easy to set up via Squarespace) that allows clients to check their project budget from a pre-determined list (i.e., Under $500, $500-$1500, Over $1500, etc.). It allows for price transparency while also showcasing price flexibility according to project scope. 

      The Spectrum of Public Pricing
      Lastly, you may want to consider giving a more nuanced view of your pricing publicly. For example, you may display on your site some bands of pricing on specific projects that you know you do routinely (e.g., Single logos, $250 – $500). However, depending on the client you are trying to attract, you may also want to include some promotional pricing language.
      This could look like, “Ask us about specials for new clients!” Or, “Discounting available for women-owned businesses and non-profits.” You could also include details on how clients can pay you, if you offer payment plans, or other ways that the contract process works. At the end of the day, all of these pieces work to get you closer to the client and remove barriers to sealing the deal!

      Start your free Squarespace trial today (no credit card required) and use code ‘EVERYGIRL’ for 10% off when you’re ready to publish your website.

      This post is sponsored by Squarespace, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. More

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      You’ve Been Asked To Take a Pay Cut—What Do You Do Next?

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      It’s fairly common to fantasize about the day your boss calls you into their office and finally offers you that well-deserved raise. Maybe they even throw in a corner office. What’s less common, and what some people may not even realize, is that your boss may be able to ask you to take a pay cut. 
      Why does this happen? One strategy some employers use to retain as much staff as possible during periods of economic downturn is to ask their employees to take a pay cut. This is a conversation no one wants to have, but it is one you may have to face if your company is struggling in light of recent events. If you do get asked to take a pay cut, you don’t want to be caught completely off guard. While it may never happen to you (fingers majorly crossed!), we’re going to answer a few questions that will help prepare you in case you are approached about taking a pay cut one day. 

      Understand what taking a pay cut means
      In short, taking a pay cut means your company will start paying you less to do the same job. While in very rare scenarios, a company may do this if an employee is underperforming; but in light of the pandemic, some companies are doing this simply to keep as many of their employees employed as possible while they fight through a difficult economic period. 
      In a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center, a third of respondents reported that either they or someone in their household had to take a pay cut in April of this year. Another study by the Conference Board found that 537 public companies have cut their top managers since the Covid-19 pandemic began. While it’s difficult to anticipate what a pay cut will look like, as every company will take a different approach, one study that reviewed changes at 22 public and private technology companies discovered that non-executive employees experienced pay cuts by an average rate of 10 to 15 percent in recent months.

      Do I have to take a pay cut?
      Maybe. If you are “hired at will,” which most employees are, then they can lower your pay or reduce your hours, as long as they don’t drop your pay below minimum wage. Workers with employment contracts may be in a different boat, but chances are an employer won’t ask someone with an iron-clad contract to take a pay cut. 

      Know your rights
      Your employer has to notify you before reducing your pay or hours, and a pay cut cannot be done discriminatorily—things like race, religion, gender, or age can’t be the reason for the cut. If you’re protected by a bargaining agreement or employment contract, they can’t lower your pay, so make sure you review your contract carefully.

      Source: Sincerely Media | Unsplash

      My employer asked me to take a pay cut… what now?

      Ask how long the pay cut will last
      Unfortunately, a pay cut can go on indefinitely. Chances are your company won’t have a clear-cut answer for you, but you still need to ask how long the dip in your salary should last. They may know that big contracts will be paid out in six months’ time or that once social distancing comes to an end that they can bounce back. You need to have a conversation about this, but don’t expect any promises made—and don’t bank on any that are.  

      Ask for something in exchange
      If your pay is going to be cut, now is the time to negotiate for more vacation days or more work-from-home days (not super relevant right now, but secure them for the future!). Something you can consider asking is if you’re able to work fewer hours in exchange for losing compensation. 

      Ask the right questions
      Do not be afraid to ask questions! You have every right to know exactly what is going on, why it is happening, and how you will be affected by these changes. Here are a few questions you deserve answers to, so make sure you ask them. 

      Why are you doing pay cuts?
      How many of my colleagues are being impacted by pay cuts?
      When will it take effect?
      How long is the cut anticipated to last?
      Are you taking away or lessening my 401(k) match?
      Will my health care costs rise?
      Are any benefits going to change?
      Is there the potential for more pay cuts to happen in the future?
      Will my hours and responsibilities remain the same?
      What are the company’s long-term plans for recovery?

      Decide what you want to do long term
      The coronavirus pandemic has caused so many companies to struggle, not just logistically but financially as well. As of September 2020, Yelp found that almost 98,000 businesses on their platform had permanently shut down during the pandemic. Companies that choose to do pay cuts instead of layoffs are trying to keep as much of their staff employed as possible, while also attempting to avoid plummeting morale for their staff. If a pay cut is too financially difficult for you, then you’ll want to start looking for a new job that can compensate you the amount that you need now. You need to prioritize your financial health and career, and you shouldn’t feel bad about doing that.

      Source: Mathilde Langevin | Unsplash

      How to turn down a pay cut gracefully
      In some cases, your employer may be informing you of a pay cut; in other cases, they may be asking employees to take pay cuts in order to help the company. If this is the case, pause for a moment. You don’t have to give your boss an answer right away. You can tell them that you need some time to digest the news and can schedule a time to talk another day. That will give you time to take a breath, talk things over with a partner or parent, and formulate a thoughtful and polite response. 
      If you do decide to reject the pay cut, you do not need to get into the details of your personal finances. You can simply say that while you understand the company is going through a difficult time, taking a pay cut isn’t feasible for you right now. If they push the issue further, you may want to involve your HR rep in any future conversations about the topic. More

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      This Week Only: Our Best-Selling Photoshop Course Is Back!

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      Our best-selling online course, The Essential Photoshop, is back for this week only! Plus, our comprehensive online course on how to edit photos with just your phone and a special one-time bundle offer. 
      In The Essential Photoshop, you’ll learn all our Photoshop secrets—from how to edit your photos for peak light and vibrancy to how to create show-stopping graphics that will grow your engagement. We use Photoshop every. single. day. here at The Everygirl and we seriously couldn’t live without it. With guided video, screen recordings, worksheets, and Photoshop templates, we’re guiding you through exactly how we use this multi-faceted program. You’ll finish the course with a solid understanding of how to leverage Photoshop for a more visually stunning brand or business.
      In Mastering Photo Editing on Your Phone, you’ll learn how we style, shoot, and edit photos with just a phone. Playing with filters is fun, but sometimes you need to overhaul a photo and a filter just won’t cut it. In this course, you’ll learn the separate core elements of photo editing, so you can edit any photo with ease. All you need to take the course is a phone with app capability. 
      Ready to get started? Grab either course for this week only or take advantage of our one-time bundle offer and get them both at a major discount! 

      What’s included in this course? 

      The Essential Photoshop
      This course is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide through Photoshop—from creating your first layer to advanced editing and graphic techniques. Each module contains multiple video tutorials walking you step by step through each part of the program, so you can learn at your own pace and rewind or review as much as you need. 

      Mastering Photo Editing On Your Phone
      We start the course with our best tips and tricks for actually taking your photos. Even though editing can cover a lot of sins when it comes to photos, it always helps to set yourself up for success when shooting. We go over how to create balance in the composition of your shots and our process for taking our fave photos—like outfit flatlays, exterior shots, and interior vignettes. 

      Next, we take you through all the edits we routinely make on our photos—from brightness to contrast to removing imperfections. You’ll see guided video tutorials and pro tips from our guest instructors Lauren Taylor and Ali Stone. Plus, you’ll learn our favorite apps for making specific edits—like Snapseed and Tezza—as well as the order we make our edits for the best results. 

      Looking for a more one-and-done solution? 
      If you want to edit your photos on the fly and need a one-click editing solution, grab our pack of exclusive Lightroom presets, available now! With nine different edit styles from ultra bright to moody to warm and soft, you can edit all your interior, exterior, and flatlay shots with one tap of a finger.  Learn more about our presets and grab yours here. 

      What do I need to take the courses? 

      The Essential Photoshop
      You’ll need access to Photoshop to take the course. We recommend using the Adobe Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, which you can purchase and download here. Adobe also offers free trials of the program for up to 30 days. 
      Besides Photoshop, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a pen and paper to take notes. 

      Mastering Photo Editing On Your Phone
      In this course, you’ll learn the separate core elements of photo editing, so you can edit any photo with ease. All you need to take the course is a phone with app capability. All the apps we use and teach in the course are either free or less than $2.99. 

      Frequently asked questions

      When do the courses start? 
      Both courses, The Essential Photoshop and Mastering Photo Editing on Your Phone, are entirely pre-recorded, so you can start them whenever works best for you! Upon purchasing, you’ll have immediate access to the full courses, including video tutorials and worksheet downloads. 

      What if I have questions while I’m taking the course?
      Each course comes with access to a private Facebook group to connect with other attendees and ask questions. You can also always reach out to [email protected] and we’ll be happy to assist. 
      Both courses also come with lifetime access, so you’ll be able to refer back to the materials, tutorial videos, and downloads as often as you’d like.

      Do you offer a payment plan? 
      Yes! We recognize our online courses are an investment, so both are available to purchase with a payment plan split into three monthly payments. If you have questions on the payment plan, reach out to [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help! More

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      Career Bucket List: 7 Achievable Goals To Set For Yourself This Year

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      Even though it may feel like 2021 is flying by, we still have plenty of time left this year to work toward some major goals. If you’re looking to give your career a boost, why not put some pen to paper and start crafting your career bucket list? There’s no reason you need to limit your bucket list to travel and recreational activities. We spend so much of our time at work that putting the time and energy into building a career that fulfills and excites you can be just as thrilling as skydiving or traveling to a new continent. 
      To give yourself some guidance this year, let’s walk through a few examples of goals you can put on your career bucket list in 2021. Of course, this is just a jumping-off point. It’s your career, so you’ll need to figure out what achievements and changes are important to you to work toward this year. 

      1. Start a side hustle you’re excited about
      We chose our words carefully here, the reason we think starting a side hustle “you’re excited about” is a good thing to potentially add to your career bucket list is because you should have fun with your side hustle! We all know that the hustle culture we’re living in has gotten a bit toxic in the past few years, so it’s important to only take on a side hustle if it won’t jeopardize your wellness. One major way to make a side hustle feel fun and like a profitable hobby instead of an extra job is to choose something you’re really excited to do. You should want to work on your side hustle, not feel like you have to. If you think a side hustle is something you should add to your bucket list this year, try to choose one you’re really excited about. Not sure how to get started? Here’s what to do if you end up pursuing a side hustle this year! 

      2. Find a mentor
      Careers are tricky and as supportive as friends and family tend to be, you can’t always turn to them for advice if they’re unfamiliar with your industry or job. Finding a mentor that has experience in your chosen career path, in your industry, or at your current company, can help you gain objective insight that comes from experience. This isn’t to say that people who provide mentorship support are career genies who know all the answers, but as they’re generally further along in their careers, they can speak from experience on some of the struggles you may be going through. 
      If you don’t see any of your existing relationships evolving into a mentoring opportunity this year, it’s always okay to be upfront about your search for a mentor. People are generally happy to help. Reach out to someone you admire on LinkedIn and ask to meet for coffee. If all goes well, you can request to continue consulting them about career issues. You can also ask someone you respect at your company if you can come to them with career questions from time to time. Being upfront will help make sure you’re on the same page. For more tips on finding a mentor, read this helpful article!

      3. Be a mentor
      On the flip side, if you’re in a place in your career where you can give back to someone who is younger or new to your industry, then reach out and offer to lend a helping hand. So many people are afraid to ask for help, so if you feel like you can provide guidance and support to someone who needs it, you can make the first move. You can always consider joining an official mentorship program that helps teens find their way or can simply offer to have coffee with that newbie in the office who likes to ask a lot of questions. Will becoming a mentor give you a career boost? Maybe, maybe not! Even if you don’t benefit directly from your mentoring efforts, helping others is always a good thing to do. 

      4. Master a new skill
      As nice as it would be, you’re not going to get a raise or promotion every year, no matter how good you are at your job. As tempting as it is to focus on short-term goals, sometimes you need to pivot to devoting your energy to longer-term ones. Mastering a new skill this year will allow you to work toward goals that may be a bit farther off, while gaining the satisfaction of achieving something in the here and now. Take an online course, sign up for a professional certification program, or ask your manager if you can spearhead a new project that is a bit out of your wheelhouse. Gaining new skills now will make your larger goals easier to achieve and can be really fun and engaging. Here are a few ideas for in-demand career skills you can aim to build this year!

      5. Find work-life balance
      We’re all for hustling hard and busting your butt to meet your goals, but we’re also really big fans of taking a break when we need it. You can’t burn the midnight oil night after night, so make sure you’re working toward your career goals in a way that supports your wellness. There is a line between working to live and living to work, and that’s finding a work-life balance you’re happy with. Evaluate your commitments, your schedule, and your personal goals this year to see how you can find a balance that helps you feel your best. If a raise is off the table at work this year due to budget constraints (a familiar story for many in light of recent events), ask for help achieving work-life balance instead. Think—a more flexible schedule, more work-from-home days, or time off each month to volunteer for a cause that’s important to you. These tech tips are also a great starting point for finding more work-life balance!

      6. Plan your next big career move
      Hopefully, your career will span many happy years, so there’s no need to feel the pressure to achieve all of your goals right now. As cool as all those 30 under 30 lists are, they’ve set an unrealistic standard that we have to be at the peak of our careers in our twenties. Let’s push those thoughts aside and focus on the long game. If you can identify what you want your next big career move to be, you’re off to a great start. Finding clarity and direction for your career is a major achievement. Start thinking about what you want to achieve in 2022 and beyond, so you can start planning the steps you need to take to get there. Need some help setting career goals? This guide can help!

      7. Invest in yourself
      Let’s end this list of career bucket list suggestions on a purposely vague note. While we can’t tell you what should be on your bucket list, we strongly suggest adding “invest in yourself” to the top of the list. What investing in yourself means will vary depending on your needs and goals. For some, it might be going back to school. For others, it may be leaving work early twice a month to go to therapy. Maybe you need to commit to going to bed earlier or want to hire a career coach to help you during your upcoming job search. Whatever you need, give it to yourself in 2021, and we’re confident your career will benefit as a result.  More