This episode is called A Little Respect, and we’re talking about Client Relationships.

We’ve got a contribution from creative force of nature Jodie Newman at The Business Allotment and as always we shout out an indie business owner we think is ace. One thing that came out in the discussion is just how much running an indie business relies on having processes and boundaries in place. We also touch on the danger of falling into the classic “employee mindset” trap. But we also talk about how to surprise and delight your clients, which Jodie is especially great at.

Please follow, like, review, whatevs…

Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and AudibleThanks for listening,

Mel & Ben

PS: #TacticalBumlickerFind our producer and theme composer Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and our indie business club page is on LinkedIn too.

This episode is called All Together Now and we’re talking COMMUNITIES.

We’ve both been part of various communities as freelancers, and in this episode we mention…

Freelancer Magazine including its virtual co-working sessions and The Marketing Movement on LinkedIn by editor Sophie Cross.

You Are The Media including the annual event Creator Day by Mark Masters (who features on the episode).

Being Freelance, the community and podcast by Steve Folland.

The usual beg to please follow, like, review, whatevs…

Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and AudibleThanks for listening,

Mel & BenFind our producer and theme composer Ant Henderson on LinkedIn - you’ll hear he’s taken absolute audio liberties during the “Your Friend And Mine” segment 😏

And our indie business club page is on LinkedIn.

Ben McKinney and Mel Barfield discuss strategies for attracting clients during economic downturns, emphasising the importance of diversifying marketing efforts, posting on LinkedIn, and avoiding relying solely on one platform or approach. They also discuss the value of authenticity, consistency, and specificity in leveraging social media platforms for business growth, and share tips for managing challenging clients and projects, including taking a step back to assess situations objectively. Finally, they touch on various aspects of freelancing, including marketing oneself, managing clients, and finding work. Fractional CMO and Hat fan John Lyons gives his advice on how indie business owners should market themselves. Mel and Ben give an indie business owner a much deserved shout out. https://barfieldandmckinney.substack.com/ https://www.indiebusinessclub.com/ Produced by Ant HendersonTheme by Ant Henderson

Ben McKinney and Mel Barfield discuss pricing strategies for freelancers and small business owners. They emphasise the importance of understanding value propositions, having a sales process, and being confident in pricing. They also addressed gender disparities in confidence and pricing, with findings from Ben's call for writers revealing a consistent gap in rates charged by men and women. Mel and Ben also covered intricacies of pricing and payment, including managing client expectations, negotiating rates, and receiving upfront payment. They stressed the importance of setting fair prices, balancing flexibility with capacity, and prioritising the client's needs. Tom Garfield provides his take on pricing, and Mel and Ben give an indie business owner a much deserved shout out. https://barfieldandmckinney.substack.com/ https://www.indiebusinessclub.com/ Produced by Ant HendersonTheme by Ant Henderson

Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney have been learning all about podcasts.

Especially about how microphones work. And how they don’t.

First sound guy (and sound guy) Ant informed Ben his microphone was back to front. Then Ant insisted an episode be re-recorded because Mel’s mic was “way too hot”. All good fun though.

This episode is “What’s The Story” - a shorter introductory episode to give some background to the podcast. Mel and Ben detail how indie business club came about and try to give one another's back stories. With mixed results.

You can follow the podcast on…

SpotifyApple podcastsAmazon MusicAudibleAnd follow indie business club on LinkedIn for random video snippets too.

A podcast for independent creatives. Packed with tips, advice, and food for thought for freelancers, founders, and business owners in creative industries. Hosted by Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney.

Hi, Mel here,

Ben and I went back to our roots on Monday by using whatsapp voicenotes to record our recap. Hence the varying audio levels… SORRY 😬

This was the last Barfield & McKinney in its current form because as of next month we’ll be recording proper podcast episodes under our new name…

Indie Business Club Podcast

Which will be properly audio produced by lovely Ant Henderson, who’s also created us a bespoke theme tune. There’s a heavy 00s rock/indie influence as you’ll hear.

Thanks to everyone who voted on our logo, there was a clear winner in option B (hooray, my preference too!)

We’re working on the website, hopefully we’ll be ready to launch it soon.

Back to the recap. When we spoke about balance, we concluded that (as with almost every topic we cover) it depends on where you draw the line.

If you draw a line at all. Some people (me, I’m some people) advocate looking at it as one big mess of life. We both had some lightbulb moments though, which is a happy by-product of us doing these chats.

Ben - oh dear, I need to find balance again especially with baby 3 on the way.

Mel - lockdown life is partly responsible for my blurry lines between work/life.

Do you have a good sense of balance between Business You and Family/Friends You?

We’re now planning our first few episodes of Indie Business Club, so let us know which topics you’d like us to cover by replying to this email. 😊

Speak soon,

B&M

Find us on LinkedIn here:Mel BarfieldBen McKinney