A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Libby Gill on my Head over Heels Radio show about her book, You Unstuck: Mastering the Rules of Risk Taking in Work and Life. Reflecting on that discussion this week, I realized that there are so many ways we get stuck in our personal lives and in our businesses. I guess it’s part of the human condition to get “stuck in our ways”, … [Read more...]
Customize Your Pitch
Why do we hate those nagging telephone calls from strangers telling us to buy something? Why do car salesmen have a bad reputation? The reason, I believe, is that the sales techniques they use are impersonal and we often feel that something is being forced on us that we do not want or need. The fact of the matter is that even if we do need the product or service that’s … [Read more...]
The Value of SMO-Greater ROI than SEO
I was asked recently about SEO and its importance for my home-based business. SEO? Is Search Engine Optimization important for my business? To be honest I'm not really sure. I think SMO is more valuable. What is SMO? It's Social Media Optimization. And for my home-based business I'm much more interested in the ROI on my social media efforts. [ROI? That's Return On … [Read more...]
It takes a Beginner to write a Beginners Guide
I envy those people to whom numbers come naturally. In elementary school, arithmetic was not my strong subject and to this day I can't figure out how I got an "A" in my high school algebra class. My mother, however, was a genius with numbers - she had a successful home business offering bookkeeping and payroll services and doing taxes for folks. Mom didn't progress beyond … [Read more...]
Are Business Principles important for the Solo-Preneur?
Ever heard the phrases, "standing on principle" or, "following principles," or "adhering to principles?" Have you considered that how you run your business is based on your idea of business principles? And have you considered that you are the architect of the principles upon which your business is built? Most businesses of more than 10 employees have organizational … [Read more...]
What is Your Business Committed to?
Are you committed to your business? That's an obvious "yes" or you wouldn't put out the welcome mat each morning. What is your business committed to? This is a different question. Is your business committed to fulfilling your initial start-up vision? Is your business committed to fulfilling a perceived need? Is your business committed to something beyond the framework of … [Read more...]
It’s a wide world of Business and Industry
They say to have the most enjoyment in deriving income is to either do what you love or do what you do best. In this difficult economy, however, that's easier said than done. Sometimes to make ends meet people are starting home businesses by finding a need and filling it. Some people are using what innate skills they have and building a small business out of that. I'm … [Read more...]
3 Rules for Business
There's a popular saying that goes, "Rules are meant to be broken!" After all, isn't that how one breaks out of the proverbial "box?" How could you possibly think outside the box if you're constantly following all the rules that demand you stay in the box? In the art classes I've taught, many times students would ask me about the "rules." The "you should always" things. … [Read more...]
Consistency is one part of a healthy business
What stands as the infrastructure of your business? If you are a solo-preneur, a home-based business owner or even just a small business with a partner, then the infrastructure isn't an organizational structure, rather it's how you do your business. Something holds your business together and keeps it going. I posit that one of the underlying structures for tiny businesses is … [Read more...]
Being in Business is Risky Business
Having a business of your own is a bit like being a creative writer. A creative writer loves to ask and answer the question: what would happen if....? What would happen if: the title character were a woman instead of a man the title character were 75 years old and slightly deaf the title character had a side-kick who was independently wealthy all the action took … [Read more...]