The Insatiable Solopreneur™

Succeeding and Surviving as a Solopreneur

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15 Jan 2013
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You’re a Star! 3 Golden Globe-Inspired Tips for Solopreneurs

You might never dress in Dior and adorn yourself with Cartier bling. And you might never find yourself walking a red carpet. But as a solopreneur, you do (believe it or not!) share some things in common with the famous personalities that were abundant at the Golden Globe ARed carpet imagewards. Here’s how you can use them to your advantage…

Like it or not, you’ve earned a degree of celebrity status.

As a business owner, you’re out there in the public eye. Just because the paparazzi aren’t chasing you around every corner, doesn’t mean that people aren’t paying attention. Being in business expands awareness of you as an individual within your community. And thanks to social media, you could very well be making a name for yourself in circles well beyond the place you call home.

Use your celebrity status (no matter how great or how small) to build a positive brand image. Be helpful, interesting, giving and responsive to your audience. And set out to be role model for other solopreneurs and members of your community. Be real. Be optimistic. Be accessible.

How you perform is constantly under critique

Just like the actors at the Golden Globes, your work gets reviewed by an audience. And the individuals within that audience (your clients, your blog subscribers, your social media connections) have differing tastes, frames of reference, and levels of tolerance.

Not only do you need to do your best work at all times, but you need to be cognizant of the unique wants and needs within your diverse fan base. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to please all of the people all of the time, so get a grip on who you need to focus on satisfying the most (Hint: Keep your target market in mind!).

Appreciation and gratitude build adoration

When Golden Globe winners express genuine gratitude for the accolades received and appreciation for the people who helped them along the way, they give off warm fuzzies that make adoring fans even more adoring.

That can go a long way for solopreneurs, too. Be generous in acknowledging others for their recommendations and referrals. Reciprocate when people share your blog articles and comment on your social media posts. Spread the word about vendors’ services. You have so many easy and cost-effective ways to show your appreciation and gratitude readily available to you. Use them!

What other ways do you find yourself in the spotlight as a solopreneur? What challenges have you met because of becoming better known locally and online as you’ve been building your business?

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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11 Sep 2012

September 11 and the Solopreneur

September 11, 2001 touched all of us. We all remember precisely where and when we first learned of the unfolding American flagevents of the day. Every year, the month/day 9/11 takes us back. We reflect. And then we move onward and get back to business. Business as usual.

But we can learn some lessons from 9/11 and instead strive to do business even better…

  • Don’t let adversity kill your spirit – Being in business for yourself will be incredibly difficult at times. Keep motivated by your vision of what you want for your business and keep working to achieve your goals.
  • Look for something positive in even the worst situations – There’s something to be learned and gained from any experience.
  • Helping others gives strength – Being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you should only look out for Number 1. Coaching a new business owner (even a competitor), giving some free guidance to a client, referring a prospect to someone for services, etc. are ways to create good will and build relationships in a business environment that is sometimes “every man for himself.”
  • Evil exists, but good outweighs and outlasts it – Although you’ll occasionally cross paths with a client who doesn’t respect your time and talent or a malicious online discrediting by a jealous competitor, most others you encounter will be upstanding, ethical people. Don’t let bad experiences with one or two people lead you to believe that everyone aims to drag you down to lift themselves up.

And above all, exercise persistence and resilience for a brighter tomorrow!

What other lessons from 9/11 can we apply to living and working as solopreneurs?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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31 May 2012

Thrill Ride: Adrenaline Rush of Being a Solopreneur

Earlier this week, I experienced a blast from the past. This video on Facebook is particularly nostalgic for me because Roller CoasterI’ve always lived less than a two-hour drive from Hershey, PA (a.k.a. The Sweetest Place on Earth). Being “Hersheypark Happy” as a kid was all about the euphoria that came from riding the loop of the Super Dooper Looper roller coaster and losing your lunch on the Rotor (Sadly, both the lunch AND the Rotor are no longer with us).

Although more tame, being a solopreneur has its thrills, too, doesn’t it? And it should! What’s the point of being in business if you’re not getting a rush of adrenaline every now and then from what you do?

I get mine when…

  • a new prospective client calls me.
  • a new prospective client emails me.
  • a new prospective client contacts me via social media.
  • a long-time prospect does one of the above to move forward on a project.
  • one of my blog posts really resonates with my audience.
  • I start a new project.
  • I get an ongoing project.
  • a client expresses delight over my work.
  • a client becomes a repeat client.
  • I connect – really connect – with other professionals whom I’ve met via social media and in person.
  • I prepare a proposal.
  • I prepare an invoice.
  • I receive a payment.
  • I get the opportunity to meet new prospects face to face.
  • I get the opportunity to talk with other solopreneurs to share challenges and best practices.
  • I keep in mind how fortunate I am to have such an amazingly flexible schedule and the support of family, friends, clients and colleagues.

Yeah, definitely not the dips, turns and upside down adventure that is the Super Dooper Looper, but these are the simple things that get me up and motivated every morning.

Now you! What about being in business for yourself gives you a thrill? Please share what gives you your entrepreneurial adrenaline rush!


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

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13 Apr 2012

Don’t Give Up! – Fortune Cookie Friday Post

Fortune cookieIt wasn’t too long ago that one of my Fortune Cookie Friday posts focused on persistence as a key characteristic of Hurdlesolopreneurs and small business owners. This week’s nugget of wisdom from within my fortune cookie centers on a similar quality…

“It is not in your character to give up.”

If anyone tells you it’s a breeze to be an entrepreneur, they’re flat out lying to you. It can be fulfilling beyond anything else you’ve ever done professionally, but it’s hard work. Times get tough and there will be moments when you think – if only for a fleeting moment – of throwing in the towel. But as a solopreneur, “It is not in your character to give up.”

So many variables can plant the seed of self-doubt when you’re building a business.

  • Competition
  • Long hours
  • Clients with unreasonable expectations
  • Marketing challenges
  • Financial constraints
  • Prohibitive regulations

All challenges deserve your time in evaluating how they’ll shape your business’s future, but don’t ever enter into assessing them with the thought that you might give up. Instead, view obstacles as hurdles, not road blocks.

Hurdles can be jumped over.

Road blocks stop you short.

After doing due diligence, the possibility exists that a challenge will be deemed insurmountable. But don’t ever adopt an attitude of expecting that to happen. When up against adversity, tell yourself: “It is not in your character to give up,” before you research to find if  you’re faced with a hurdle or a road block.

What small business hurdles challenge your positivity? Have any obstacles ever shaken your confidence as an entrepreneur?


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

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09 Apr 2012
2 Comments

3 Simple Ways to Make YOU a Preferred Professional Services Provider

Clients have options. It’s one of the most wonderful things about our business environment; however, it can also pose aWinners Podium challenge to those of us providing professional services. When clients have choices in service providers who are perceived to be relatively comparable in quality and price, how do you make them choose you over your competition?

Well, you really can’t make them do anything, but there are some ways to stand out and improve your chances of becoming the preferred professional services provider.

  • Provide more value by listening & going the extra mile – This doesn’t mean giving away services for free! It involves being in tune with your clients’ needs and finding some way to offer something of value beyond what they’re paying you for. It can be as simple and cost-free as sharing a link to an article with information to help them overcome a specific business challenge. The point is to do something for them that you wouldn’t have to do.
  • If you mess up, make it right – Nobody’s perfect. We all wish we could be, but that’s hardly realistic. If you make a mistake, accept responsibility, apologize and find a way to make it up to your client. An acceptable resolution will look different to different clients so be sure you’re proposing what will resonate most with them: a discounted rate, free future services, re-do of what you just did, gift card for good will, etc. I believe most clients recognize and accept the imperfect “human factor” in who they do business with. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to deliver excellence, but when you fall a little short, your client will likely understand – and maybe even feel a greater affinity for doing business with you if you make it right.
  • Be present, even when they’re not doing business with you – Thank you social media for making it possible to interact with our clients in a non-invasive, non-intrusive way! “Like” your clients’ business Facebook pages, follow them on Twitter, connect with them on LinkedIn, circle them on Google+, and subscribe to their blogs. And do your best to demonstrate your support of their endeavors by commenting on and sharing their posts. Always take the opportunity to show them that you care beyond the last business transaction.

How do you make your business a stand out? What makes clients want to do business with you more than your competition?

No time or talent in-house for your marketing and public relations writing projects? I can help! Call me at 717.435.3559 or send an email to dawnmentz@gmail.com. 


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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31 Mar 2012
2 Comments

“Take a Chance” – Fortune Cookie Friday Business Advice

Not less frequently than every other Friday, I drive to one of our local Asian cuisine eateries, order some takeout, and Fortune cookieget my hands on a fortune cookie. My reason? To translate the bit of wisdom inside into some sound business advice for solopreneurs and small business owners.

This week’s fortune:

“You will take a chance in the near future.”

You’ll notice it’s more of a prediction rather than guidance, but I can’t think of anything that’s more fitting to entrepreneurship. Taking chances can’t be avoided when starting and managing a business of any size.

As an entrepreneur, you plan, you project, but you can never really know that your business idea will succeed until you’ve actually taken the leap, launched it, and are living it.

DiceI don’t advocate taking unnecessary risks if your due diligence turns up all sorts of red flags that wave signs of probable failure, but no business start-up is a “sure thing” no matter how good it looks on paper. There are factors – both within and outside of your control – that can make it or break it.

To increase your likelihood of making it, embrace the element of chance that comes with being a business owner. Recognize what could go right – and what could go wrong; then think through how you’d handle each scenario should it become reality. Above all, don’t let a fear of taking chances isolate you from acting on opportunities.

Remember, you’ve always got those lucky numbers on the flip side of your fortune to tip the scales in your favor!

Your turn! What are some of the biggest chances you’ve taken as an entrepreneur?


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.
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29 Mar 2012
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Struggles of Solopreneurship – Prepare!

Along with the opportunities and professional flexibility that come with being a solopreneur, so do struggles. Call them Boxerchallenges, hurdles, or obstacles, but regardless of the nomenclature, they require extra effort and energy to overcome.

Struggles come in different sizes and varieties. They can impact one or more aspects of your business at a time. Dealing with struggles can be exhausting for independent entrepreneurs because while you’re busy fixing what’s broken, you’ve got to keep all else “business as usual”.

Some struggles you’ll likely encounter at one time or another as a solopreneur…

  • Juggling prospecting, work for clients, and administrative tasks
  • Technology fails (I can’t do squat without my laptop!)
  • Shortening the interval between proposal and signed contract
  • Too much work
  • Too little work
  • Unexpected expenses
  • Clients with unreasonable expectations
  • Unreliable vendors
  • Lack of self-motivation

The list could go on and on and on.

Although struggles happen, that doesn’t mean solopreneurship is more trouble than it’s worth. The best defense against struggles is to anticipate the things you might be up against and have some idea about how you’ll tackle them when they arise. So you’re not left scrambling in the moment when a struggle ensues, know in advance where you can go to get information and assistance (IT experts, specialty blogs, community resources, business colleagues, etc.). There’s no better way to manage the unexpected than to expect it!

Now you! What struggles have you faced as a solopreneur or small business owner? How do you keep things afloat while you’re putting out fires?


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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23 Mar 2012

4 Tips to Help Non-Writers Become Better Writers

Not everyone is a writer. There are plenty of intelligent, amazingly brilliant people who just don’t have the knack Writingfor it – just as there are writers who don’t have the same skills that those intelligent, amazingly brilliant people have.

Writing well, however, is a skill-set that can help entrepreneurs succeed. Writing is about communicating – and the better you are at it, the easier it is to convey your knowledge and capabilities to prospective customers and business partners.

So, if you’re a self-proclaimed “non-writer”, what can you do to improve your prowess at putting pen to paper (or keystrokes to screen)?

1. Organize your thoughts. – Before you start writing (emails, blog posts, letters, whatever…), make sure that you first have a good understanding of:

    • your purpose for writing.
    • the key points that you want to share.
    • the action or response you want from your audience.

 Make notes and keep them nearby for the sake of reference to help you stay the course when you start writing.

2. Use email and Word spell checkers, and then check again! It sounds like a no brainer, but I still see a lot of emails and other communications that obviously have not been screened for basic spelling errors. Run a spell check and make necessary corrections. Then recheck your writing again with your own two eyes (or someone else’s). Incorrect use of words like “their” and “there” or “hear” and “here” might be missed by the automated tools.

3. Use active voice more often and passive voice more sparingly.

    • Active: Dawn shared the proposal with the prospective client.
    • Passive: The proposal was shared with the prospective client by Dawn.

As you can see, active voice is more direct, commands more attention and just plain sounds better most of the time.

4. Vary your sentence structure so you don’t sound robotic. The example below shows 2 versions of a short paragraph. One with the same sentence structure throughout and the other with variation in how the sentences are constructed.  Which “sounds” better and more professional to you?

“I have attached a proposal for your review. It shares the project scope, terms, conditions and pricing. You are welcome to call or email me with any questions. I can be reached at 717.435.3559 or dawnmentz@gmail.com.”

“I have attached a proposal for your review. Within it, you’ll find the project scope, terms, conditions and pricing. If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me at 717.435.3559 or dawnmentz@gmail.com.”

No matter what you’re writing, create a draft and then revise it once, twice or several times to make it ready for prime time. If you know someone who is adept at writing, ask them for their thoughts and suggestions. And – of course ;) – you can always hire a professional freelance writer/editor to create or revise communications that need to flow flawlessly and make the best impression possible.

What’s your biggest challenge with writing? Any other tips to share with “non-writers”?


Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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21 Mar 2012

Your Way or the Highway is No Way to Do Business

Part of growing as an entrepreneur is to listen and learn from others who have – or are – walking the walk. You have yourHighway ideas about what works best, and they have theirs. Chances are you don’t agree 100%.

So, you’re right and they’re wrong. Right?

WRONG!

If you take a “my way or the highway” stance without acknowledging the merit in others’ thoughts and approaches, you’ll quickly alienate them. Sometimes you have to agree to disagree and recognize that maybe there’s more than one right way to manage certain aspects of a business. What works for you might not work for someone else, and vice versa.

Just yesterday, I commented on a blog post by someone well-known in social media circles. I actually agreed in general with what he shared in the post, but I expressed a different mindset about two of the points he made. After I had presented that in a very positive and non-confrontational way, he proceeded to twist my words and represent what I wrote in a totally different light. I commented again to clarify my position…no response.

Wow! Although I had initially intended to add this person’s blog to my RSS and follow him on Twitter, he turned me off so strongly that I may never read any of his other posts. Clearly, it was his way or the highway. I’ve decided to take a detour.

The point is it pays to listen with an open mind when you and someone else don’t see eye-to-eye on best business practices. It’s an opportunity to learn, re-evaluate how you approach your business and build good will.

Travel the right road by showing respect; it’s a far better option than driving your reputation off a cliff .
What types of disagreements have you had with experts and entrepreneurs over business practices? How do you approach disagreement without stepping on toes?

Dialing 8 Project

Consider joining the Dialing 8 Project! A forum for learning, sharing & getting the most out of your social media efforts for your small business.

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16 Mar 2012

Fortune Cookie Friday: Business Advice in an edible wrapper – Be Alert!

Another Friday, another fortune cookie with insight that I’ll apply to being a solopreneur and small business owner.Fortune Cookie Friday-Be Alert

This week’s fortune…

“Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur.”

Rather than approach this particular bit of wisdom too narrowly, I’m going paint it with a broader brush. “Recognizing your prime” is more about being constantly aware of opportunities than it is about identifying when you’ve reached your potential.

In business, what good would it do to say to yourself (or others), “Hey, I’m really at the top of my game RIGHT NOW.”?

Yes, you should be confident. You should let prospects know why they should buy from you and not your competitors. But don’t place limits on your potential by believing that here and now is when you’re as good as you’re going to get.

As a solopreneur or small business owner, you’ll find opportunities to improve your skills, expand your knowledge, and grow your business around every corner – if you remain alert and aware. Pay attention to other entrepreneurs around you. What best practices are they using that you could apply to your business? What mistakes are they making that you should avoid? What online tools are out there that can make you more efficient?

Alert and aware! Be on the lookout for opportunities to learn and become better, but don’t ever consign yourself to believing that you’re the best you can possibly be at any given moment.

What do you think? Are we there for just a short while, or can be we at our prime multiple times in our lives? What makes the difference?

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