Jul
13
Business Strategy - Calculate What You Want to Earn
Filed Under Blogging, Business, Development | 1 Comment
As coaches and consultants in solo businesses we all want to make a reasonable salary. There are certainly benefits to working on your own but sometimes getting down to paid work can be hard when there are so many other enjoyable activities to be had.
You know what I’m talking about:
- coffee
- lunches
- drinks
- blogging
- reading
- researching
All those things we like to do and convince ourselves to do because it will pay off in the end. But in the meantime, money isn’t coming in and we wish it was.
So, in my “reading and research” I came across a really great site Freelance Switch. Which, according to the subhead is a “Community & Resource for freelancers of all varieties - designers, writers, programmers, illustrators, photographers …”
There’s quite a bit there already but the post that caught my eye from Digg was “10 Essential Habits for Freelance Workers” and there’s plenty more where that comes from.
And a very kewl tewl (cool tool) is the Rates Calculator which allows you to calculate what you need to earn to support the lifestyle to which you want to become accustomed to. (Read that slowly.)
It’s something (calculating your hourly rate) that all consultants and coaches do from time to time and this was a simple yet reasonably comprehensive way to do a quick reminder of why you charge what you do.
Go check it out. Great site.
Jul
13
I have read a lot about successful people ands what they do. I have always had an inkling that a lot of their success is not just based on their activities but their personal views and motivations around those activities. So I am endeavouring to get in their and find out what’s driving them making them tick.
The first interview is with the head of Bam Creative, a Web Development Company in Perth, Miles Burke.
Miles is an exceptional business manager as has recently been awarded the 40 Under 40 title which recognises leaders in their field under the age of, well, 40!
So I got with Miles and interviewed him, not about his business and what he does, but about who he is and why that might contribute to his success. It’s over at a site Miles set up called Creative Suit. (Yes it’s Miles site, but the interview was my idea!)
The answers to the 10 questions are unedited and I find them quite insightful, some of the because of their simplicity.
The plans are to interview more successful people around these same 10 questions so if you know of anyone who would be happy to be interviewed (via skype or email is fine) In person is good too if they are in Perth.
The interview will be at Creative Suit for 90 days and then can be redistributed (which means I’ll add it here.)
Enjoy!
Jul
12
Subtitle: Well Whaddya Know? - It’s ALL Marketing!
Speaking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless 
) and the subject got on to promoting yourself as a solo entrepreneur. And that it can be tough for some. For the extroverted among us it is less of a hindrance (but that comes with other issues) but for the Introverted it can be a real pain this self promotion thing.
So it got me thinking about what I know.
- Is it valuable?
- Would people want it?
- Would people pay for it?
And then I was listening to John Mayer’s “Waiting for the World to Change” and it kind of fell into place.
In John’s song (Only his real friends call him John! 
) there is a line that goes:
“cause when they own the information, oh they can bend it all they want”
Now I’m not using that line to be cynical but I think it adds a dose of reality to how we promote ourselves in the business world.
Until people get to know us only we own our information. I’m not saying we should bend unwisely, but some of us do bend it, in a negative way. (In fact, we probably all bend our own information in some way.)
The good old “fake it till you make it” comes to mind. And, truth be told, isn’t that what we do with every new venture?
And that means, in the end, it’s ALL marketing. Whether you market well, or whether you market poorly, you market. We all do.
So how can you market yourself well:
1. Tell the Truth: This isn’t just the opposite of lying, it is deeper than that. It means be up front about what you can do. Figure out what it is you do and then create a message that encapsulates that well.
2. Know Your Outcomes: When people work with you what do they get? What change for the better do you bring about? Establish these in your own mind first so you can convey they confidently to a prospect.
3. Use the Right Language: Everyone talks, not everyone communicates. Knowing what you want to say and knowing how to say it are two completely different things. What words do you use? Are they positive words or negative words?
Example of what I mean here:
“I can get your staff to stop taking unnecessary breaks and ruining your productivity.”
~versus~
“I can help your staff remain motivated and works towards the results you’re after.”
Okay, simple example but hopefully it makes the point.
4. What You Know is Old - But They Don’t Know That!: Every generation starts from scratch. Time management, people skills, communication, leadership, technical skills, professional accreditations and the list goes on. People are learning that every day. The stuff you know by rote. Don’t under value that just because you have known it for years. The key is to communicate it in a way they will want to listen.
5. How Do You Make Life Easier?: A lot of what you know, you know to be easy - for you. A lot of people will market their stuff because they are good at what they do. Not bad. My experience has been:
- How do you solve my problem?
- How do you make things easier for me?
So you need to know the answer to those questions before you meet with someone.
6. Learn Body Language: Did you know that 55% of your communication comes from your body? Good! So how are you managing that in your meetings with prospective clients? Don’t get paranoid about it but simply be aware of your posture and the conversation. It will tell you a lot about what’s going on
7. Refine, refine, refine: (I needed a 7th point but it bears stating) that any promotion is not set in concrete. I prefer the term ‘wet cement’. That is, it can stand up on it’s own but you can move it when you need to.
In the end, it’s all marketing - until you get to actually do the work, and it doesn’t stop there either but your work quality will become your marketing tool.
The point for those who gag at self promotion, just remember, good or bad, you’re always marketing yourself. So be kind to yourself.
Jul
10
How to Build a Better Blog - List 1
Filed Under Blogging, Development, Management, Success | 3 Comments
I admit it, I’m cheating a bit here.
I’ve listed a few blogs that have posted on how to build a better blog. And I’m going to keep adding to the list.
Why? Well, firstly, because I want to know how to build a better blog and I know there are hundreds thousands millions of others out there who want to know as well. So over the next few weeks, I’ll be hunting good blogs for good ideas to create good blogs. If you’ve written a piece on how to build a better blog let me know and I may add it.
May? you ask.
Well, yeah. I only want to add great info, so the post has to be at least 3+ months old. So it’s more than just a good idea or just good theory - it has to be proven to work. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Okay, here we go folks!
Brian Bailey’s Leave It Behind Blog - post is now over two years old but has some good tips for those just starting.
Problogger’s 31 Days Project - probably the all time classic and Darren is certainly in the “A-League” regarding blogs.
Neil Patel’s Pronet Advertising - a good start list for better blogging, be sure to read the comments below the post.
Alister Cameron - a good article on the specifics of how Alister grew his traffic. He also lists all his plug-ins, so you;re getting quite a deal of information here. Wade through it, it’s worth it. (”wading” isn’t mean to mean it is arduous!)
The Simple Dollar - December 2006 was a big month for Trent Hamm. 31 Posts on how to grow a blog! Buy the man a beer!!!
SEOMOZ - a great post from ‘06 and one you can follow with confidence. Note that some of the tips here aren’t simply ‘implement and succeed’, such as “Write Title Tags with Two Audiences in Mind”, this is an ability that may take time to develop, it is nevertheless good advice we should follow.
Okay, that’s it for now. There are dozens of others. If you know any, drop me a line.
Jul
4
Quickie #2 - Say Hello to 5 People Each day
Filed Under Business, Development, Success | Leave a Comment
We are so busy these days there’s hardly anytime to do the important things. And one of those important things is connecting with people - family, colleagues, friends, staff.
Over at Merlin Mann’s 43 folders (www.43folders.com) you’ll find Merlin’s commentary on his efforts to de-clutter. Not a bad idea and, when it comes to de-cluttering, there are plenty of ideas around. Have a look at his site - you may want to give it some time though, there’s plenty of interesting stuff.
Today’s quickie relates to de-cluttering our relationships. I have taken steps to make sure I send out birthday cards this year no matter how much time I don’t have. If you send me your birthday details I’ll send you one too. No, really, I will!
Okay, this effort came to me when I was managing a large 24 hour call center. There wasn’t much connection between me and the team and I was feeling uncomfortable. I generally just walked from the lift to my office and got on with work.
But this small change made a huge difference …
Instead of walking directly to my office, I went the other way (the long way) and said hello to as many people as I could. I didn’t stay at a workstation to chat, just walked passed, said hello and kept going.
Changed the atmosphere immensely.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(And yes, send me your birthday details and an address (physical for a traditional card, email for an e-card) and I’ll be sure to remember your big day! Oh you don’t need to tell me your age!)