I remember when I started Arment Dietrich. I was way too young to be starting a public relations firm. I had no idea how little I knew and how much growing up I had to do.

But not one to do things the easy way, I figured the school of trial and error would show me the way (plus that whole problem with authority thing that kept getting me in trouble with employers).

And show me the way it did. Not only did I have NO idea about the business side of things, we went through the Great Recession while I was learning and it nearly put us out of business.

I remember reading things about running a business. I even joined Vistage to help me learn how to do it.

But nothing quite hit me smack in the face like good old experience and failing so badly I almost had to go back to work for someone.

I also didn’t have a mentor or the foresight to ask someone in the business for help. Call it pride or stubbornness or plain, old I didn’t think anyone would take the time.

So last week, when I wrote about the importance of tracking time and my dear friend Kate Finley asked some additional questions about running the business of a PR firm, I decided I would share some of the answers with you. (more…)