The Board

How do you stay motivated as a solopreneur? I've been asking myself that question because I am a people person and, quite frankly, the businesses I run very rarely involved working with others except for my customers. BUT have you considered having a Board of Directors for your freelance life? I have heard this idea... somewhere (forgot)... but many large, publicly-traded companies as well as all not-for-profit organizations have a Board of Directors to help in making decisions and so, why not your business too?

Ok, you might have to do some serious schmoozing to get some people on the board if you don't have the cash to pay them for this but I think it could be an informal group. Maybe just a few specific people you meet up with or talk to each week to discuss your new marketing or product ideas and get some feedback.

I have had a few friends ask me for business advice recently and due to the fact that I LOVE small business, I am totally psyched to help them out. Obviously it's one of my favorite subjects so why would I say no? I'm sure there are many others out there like me.

I love this idea and I'm thinking right now who I should pick. It could even be a group of other business owners that gather each week to drink coffee and talk business. I think it would be worth it. You would stay grounded and motivated (and caffienated).

Saved!

Finally! A good way to save all of the links I find without clogging up my favorites bar or frantically posting everything on this blog!
Thanks SwissMiss

Competitive Patience

I just had an interesting experience. Basically, I got a job without even trying... at least I thought that until my friend reminded me of the time I'd spent building a relationship with my new employer, and doing so with an intention.

I'd been volunteering on projects for the last five years and so when it came time to hire someone they thought of me. It was quite possibly the easiest job I've ever gotten. No application. No interview.

So, I'm starting to think... maybe patience and hard work really can pay off. And I'm profoundly impressed by this notion of building intentional relationships. It's the purest form of advertising and marketing! It might even be the perfect example of branding (a topic I've come to learn is quite vague and difficult to explain - more on that later).

I'm very excited to have a new position where I can be creative and think a lot about advertising, marketing and design and put my energy toward something I'm passionate about!