Uncategorized Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Dawn Mentzer, Freelance Marketing Content Writer

It’s OK! 12 Things Solopreneurs Should NEVER Feel Sorry A

Being your own boss has its upsides, but many solopreneurs who I know admit to being the toughest employer they’ve ever had. Really, that’s not...

Help Wanted! When It’s Time for Solopreneurs to Outso

Professional services solopreneurs know the term “outsource” intimately. We’re generally the folks who certain projects or responsibilities are...

Twitter Quick Tip: Set Up a ‘VIP List’ to Manag...

Twitter has become one of my all-time favorite platforms for finding and sharing content, networking, and building professional relationships. As my...

You’re a Star! 3 Golden Globe-Inspired Tips for Soloprene

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,...

4 Reasons Why You Might Be Missing Your Mark as a Soloprene...

Without a doubt, it sucks to work hard on a project only to find that what you’ve delivered doesn’t meet your client’s expectations. But it...

5 Tips for Getting More Mileage From Your Most Valuable Res

As solopreneurs, we try our best not to take for granted our most valuable resources. But do you downplay the importance of sustaining the one...

When to Say “When” – Drawing Boundaries on Volunteeri

Solopreneurs and new business owners, especially those just starting out, can benefit big from volunteering in their communities. Not only does...

The Perks of Crossing the Facebook “Friend” Lin...

As a solopreneur and professional services provider, you are your brand – so your clients can’t help but think of you and your company as...

LinkedIn Tip for Solopreneurs: Go Light on your “Skills &...

More isn’t always better – especially when posting your “Skills & Expertise” on LinkedIn. LinkedIn recently introduced a “Skills &...

Solopreneurs: Two MONUMENTAL Reasons Why You Should Always ...

Beyond the obvious objective of just plain being polite, your responsiveness to inquiries can make or break your business as a solopreneur. “The...

Solopreneurs Campaign Every Day: What to Consider to Win th...

Not wholly unlike presidential candidates, solopreneurs undergo a degree of scrutiny before being selected as providers of choice. Clients do...

The Frugal Solopreneur: How to Keep Living Costs Down While...

Having gone from a cushy corporate salary to what can be a “feast or famine” revenue stream as a solopreneur, there’s one thing that I learned...

Are You on the Right Track with your Social Media Efforts? ...

There’s no arguing that the many social media platforms out there have both subtle nuances and in-your-face differences. But regardless of which...

Cool Tool Alert: Put Your Important Appointments in Evernot...

As solopreneurs, we’re always looking for ways to be more productive and organized. Among the tools galore to help with that: Evernote – my...

Your Business Communications’ Best Friends and Worst Enem

As I’m brainstorming to prepare to present a coaching session on better business writing to the administrative staff of a local institution, I’m...

Would You Have the Guts to Make Your Business Model Walk th...

Not all, but I think most, small business owners at some time reach a crossroads with either their business model as a whole, or specific services...

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 events of the day. Every year, the...

Blurred Lines: Your Professional and Personal Social Media ...

Fact: The lines are blurred between “professional” and “personal” personas on social media. Is that a positive thing? Is it negative? Quite...

Do Hashtags Make a Difference? The Results of My Hashtag Ex...

In an earlier post, I shared my thoughts about using hashtags on Twitter. Rather than completely dismiss their relevance and effectiveness based on...

Kick Your Blog Up a Notch with an Editor: But Consider Thes...

You know what your audience wants. You’ve got the expertise, the experience, and the pulse on what they expect to take away from your blog. While...

2 Things You Need To Deliver In Every Customer Experience (...

Communication and caring: If they’re MIA in customer interactions – especially the ones gone bad – kiss your credibility and your customer...

Solopreneurs: 3 Things to Consider before Saying “Yes” ...

Solopreneurs’ entrepreneurial skills and experience – and our flexibility in scheduling our work – make us attractive candidates for...

3 Ways You Should NEVER Treat Your Customers

Although customers aren’t always right, they are the lifeblood of your business. You need them. And though you think they need you in return, the...

Content is King – But Only With Quality and Consistency

Content has been a hot topic as businesses of all sizes and varieties compete to get noticed and stay top of mind with customers and prospective...

Do #Hashtags Make a Difference?

I’m not a big hashtag user. Yes, I have used them, but generally that’s when I’m retweeting someone else and they’ve used hashtags in their...

2 Tips for Gracefully Declining an Opportunity – Cut ...

As solopreneurs, there is only so much work that we can handle independently at any given time. Certainly there will be “lean” times when you...

Cool Tool Alert: Emailing to Evernote Made Easier

Besides the opportunity to work with a variety of interesting and talented people, there’s another thing that really rocks about freelancing. From...

To “MT” or “RT” on Twitter? That is the Question.

When I first took notice of “MT”s (Modified Tweets) in my Twitter feed, I commented on someone’s blog post on the topic that I really didn’t...

Making Your Personal Likeability Your Biggest Business Asse

When you’re in business for yourself, especially as a professional services provider, it’s evident that people do business with other people –...

Building a Runaway Truck Ramp for Your Business

Runaway truck ramps are one of those “hope I’ll never need to use one” necessities that minimize the risk of a catastrophe. Big rig drivers...

Fundamental Rule for Having a Productive Day as a Soloprene

That Cinderella song, Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone is playing through my mind as I craft this post. Why? Well, I haven’t had the...

Fortune Cookie Friday: “Good news will come to you by mai...

The first Friday in June has arrived – and with it, another Fortune Cookie Friday! Time to explore the wisdom within… “Good news will...

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 I’ve always lived less than...

Making Summer Work for the Home-based Solopreneur: 4 tips ...

In just two weeks, I’ll have my third go as the “school’s out for summer insatiable solopreneur.” As all of you home-based...

United We Stand: Small Business Week and the Solopreneur

It’s Small Business Week! What better time to reflect on the many wonderful aspects of being a solopreneur and to offer insight to people who are...

Fortune Cookie Friday: “Your principles mean more to ...

Friday at last! And time for another Fortune Cookie Friday interpretation of a folded confection’s inner wisdom. “Your principles mean more to...

Tending to Business (and all else): The grass is always gre...

Given the undeniable truth within this particular quote by some wise but unknown person, I can’t believe I had never seen it until just recently!...

Fortune Cookie Friday: “You always bring others happiness

Another Friday…another interpretation of a fortune cookie’s inner wisdom. “You always bring others happiness.” As I think about it, I...

Evernote Epiphanies: To Do List Efficiency

Professionals of all sorts have been raving about the web-based productivity tool Evernote. I, too, have been using it, but pretty much only as a...

Patience: The Ultimate Entrepreneurial Virtue

As an entrepreneur launching and operating a business, you need a lot of things. Among them: a solid business concept, funds, a marketing plan,...

Keeping Up With Connections: Looking for Best Practices!

The Ultimate Challenge It’s what I find most challenging to stay on top of on social media (especially on Twitter and Google+)…reviewing the...

The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past? Not always!

Another Fortune Cookie Friday is upon us! For those of you not yet familiar, every other Friday or so, I take the profound wisdom found within a...

Quality is a Habit

I Saw the Sign (Yes, as a matter of fact; that Ace of Base song is playing in my head!) Driving home from a business meeting yesterday, I saw a sign...

It’s the Little Things That Matter, But Don’t Sweat the...

Time and time again, we hear, “It’s the little things that matter.” And that’s a beautiful thing…well, usually anyway! As a solopreneur,...

What’s Behind Your Brand? Ask Yourself These 6 Key Questi

One of the most difficult things about starting a business is to gain clarity about the basics behind your brand. It seems like it should be the...

2 Rules of Business Communications: Mind your “p”s and ...

When running your own solo business, communication is at the foundation of building and maintaining client relationships and referral opportunities....

Don’t Give Up! – Fortune Cookie Friday Post

It wasn’t too long ago that one of my Fortune Cookie Friday posts focused on persistence as a key characteristic of solopreneurs and small business...

Using Linkedin for Local, Face-to-Face Connections Leads to...

Linkedin is what I consider the unsung hero of social media. I’ve met business owners who push it aside because Linkedin users don’t appear...

3 Simple Ways to Make YOU a Preferred Professional Services...

Clients have options. It’s one of the most wonderful things about our business environment; however, it can also pose a challenge to those of us...

Be nice! It’s Good For Business.

When you run a business, you need to be tough. You often need to take a stand. You need to be persistent. You also need to be nice. While chilling...

“Take a Chance” – Fortune Cookie Friday B...

Not less frequently than every other Friday, I drive to one of our local Asian cuisine eateries, order some takeout, and get my hands on a fortune...

Struggles of Solopreneurship – Prepare!

Along with the opportunities and professional flexibility that come with being a solopreneur, so do struggles. Call them challenges, hurdles, or...

How to Use Hootsuite and Buffer Symbiotically to Improve Yo...

The time it takes to actively engage on social media reigns as one of the top challenges facing entrepreneurs. Besides my own Facebook Page, Twitter...

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 for it – just as there...

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 your ideas about what works...

Solopreneurs: You ARE Your Business – Like it or not!

When you run a micro-business, there’s no separating your personal self from your brand. I don’t mean that you can’t – or shouldn’t –...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Business Advice in an edible wrapper...

Another Friday, another fortune cookie with insight that I’ll apply to being a solopreneur and small business owner. This week’s fortune… “Be...

The Value of Value: Don’t underestimate the worth of ...

As entrepreneurs, one of the keys to survival and success is to provide value to our clients. But the word “value” is often tossed around without...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Business Advice in an edible wrapper...

This Friday’s bit of business wisdom straight from a fortune cookie … “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.”...

The Social Advantage of Being Small: Why Solopreneurs &...

My husband, a Facebook neophyte, recently shared that he’s disappointed with some of his favorite brands’ (e.g. the TV show “Survivor”) pages...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Business Advice in an edible wrapper...

Fortune Cookie Friday is here again with a new bit of business wisdom: “Be receptive to new ideas from all fronts.” It’s easy to be open-minded...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Business Advice in an edible wrapper...

Today’s business wisdom within the fortune cookie that accompanied my take-out hot & sour soup… “Your ingenuity and imagination will get...

Not Enough Time? 5 Steps To Finding Out If You’re As Str...

Not too terribly long ago, I wrote a post about how to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the many responsibilities that come with being a small business...

Starting Your Own Business – What’s Love Got To Do With

Thinking about starting and running a business is a romantic notion. You’re the captain of your own destiny. You set the course. It’s easy to...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Small Business Advice in an Edible W...

Once again, it’s Friday and time again for more business insight from the confines of a fortune cookie. This week’s fortune, courtesy of my hot...

12-Step Program to Overcome Social Media Addiction (humor)

I’m worried. According to this article on Fox News today, “…preliminary data provided to The Guardian suggests the highest rate of...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Small Business Advice in an Edible W...

Fortune Cookie Friday is here again! This week’s fortune translated into advice for solopreneurs… “You are sociable and entertaining.” An...

3 Tips to Avoid Becoming Overwhelmed as a Solopreneur: Be g...

Running your own business can be exhausting – especially if you’re a solopreneur. You wear ALL the hats – marketer, sales manager, customer...

Over-Analyzing Your Social Media Game Plan: Part 2 of 2 –...

My last post hit on how to be flexible in your social media strategy. Being rigid and too “canned” can make your presence stale. Another trap...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Small Business Advice in an Edible W...

And the weekly tradition continues…What incredibly useful business insight and advice for solopreneurs and small business owners might I glean from...

Over-Analyzing Your Social Media Game Plan: Part 1 of 2 –...

Giving serious thought about how you want to approach social media as a solopreneur is important. Getting too caught up in analyzing what you’re...

3 Ways an All Or Nothing Business Mentality Can Sabotage a ...

All or nothing. As a solopreneur, that mentality can be detrimental to your business – and your self-esteem. An all or nothing approach will have...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Advice In An Edible Wrapper – ...

In case you didn’t see my post from last Friday, I started a new end of week tradition: extracting pearls of wisdom from the confines of a fortune...

Reclaiming Your Crayons as a Solopreneur: Adding Color to y...

One of my Google Plus connections made a really rather poignant statement when responding to one of my posts yesterday… “After kindergarten,...

4 Ways Emulating Tupperware Can Seal In Success for Solopre

In general, I have an aversion to in-home product demonstration gatherings, but last night I went to a Tupperware party. Why? Because the hostess...

Fortune Cookie Friday: Small Business Advice in an Edible W...

It seems such a waste. Fortune cookies are the grand finale to our Moo Shoo Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein dinners, and yet we toss their little slips...

Is Force-feeding Tweets Leaving a Sour Taste With Your Link...

I’ve noticed that more and more LinkedIn users are adjusting their settings so that all their tweets automatically show up as LinkedIn status...

Perks and Pitfalls of Working from a Home Office

Solopreneurs and other work-from-home professionals are often the envy of those who need to wake up extra early, pack their lunches and fight traffic...

Who You Know – And Who Knows You: Growing Both to Grow Yo...

As 2012 approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about where my freelance writing business started and where it has taken me over these past two years....

5 Things a Freelance Writer Can Do to Make You Look Better ...

Occasionally, I run into a blank stare when I tell someone I’m a freelance writer. And in all fairness to the folks doing the staring, the job...

The Solopreneur Self-Assessment: Questions to Ask Yourself ...

Being a solopreneur takes more than a business idea, compliance with regulations, and cash to get things off the ground. It’s a state and style of...

How To Keep Up With Small Business Legislation That Could I...

Taxes, healthcare, legal reform, labor laws, the environment, energy, technology, transportation and infrastructure, education, campaign finance,...

On Twitter: No Sense in Following for the Sake of Getting o...

Frank Dickinson published a post a few months ago about engaging his audience on Twitter. Within it, mention of a clever hashtag he used in a tweet:...

New Year Resolutions for the Solopreneur: A More Motivating...

Setting goals and objectives isn’t one of the more glamorous aspects of running a business. But it’s a way to keep yourself motivated and...

Creating a social media strategy for the Solopreneur

Contributed by Ali Goldfield of ADR Social Media Development As a social media coach, I understand how critical social media can be to promoting your...

Don’t Dis Your Downtime: What to do during a wavering wor

It’s inevitable. As a solopreneur, especially one in the freelance professional services arena, there will be moments of “feast” and others of...

The Solopreneur’s Extended Circle of Thanks – Where...

The SCORE Small Business Success Blog just recently posted Giving Thanks by Jeanne Rossomme. It’s a wonderful article that reflects the things that...

As an Entrepreneur, You Reap What You Sow – And So Do Tho...

On Sunday, I traveled out of town for the day to witness my niece’s baptism. During the pastor’s sermon, she talked about taking responsibility...

Why I’m Not Setting Up a Google Plus Business Page –...

Available time wasn’t a luxury for me when Google made the announcement about the launch of Google Plus Pages. Initially, I felt like I was...

Klout is a Catch-22

I admit it – my Klout score worries me. It’s not my actual numeric score of 45 that concerns me -or the fact that it was previously a 51 before...

The Advantage of Being a Self-Motivated Solopreneur

Earlier in the week, I attended a networking/expo function that featured a keynote speaker who focused on “motivation” – specifically how...

Find It and Fix It – Getting to the Root Cause of You...

I’m known to be a bit of a holistic freak. When it comes to my health and well-being, I don’t believe in treating symptoms. A symptom is...

Your Emails: Bring It or Blow It – To Do’s and Taboos

It’s seems rather odd to me that so much is written about the do’s and don’ts of interacting on social media, but the one constant in...

20-Minute Tactical Plan for Tackling Social Media

Time. Finding enough of it is arguably the biggest hurdle facing solopreneurs and small business owners when it comes to their social media efforts....

The Networking Solopreneur – Patience Makes Perfect &...

So much of our communications and access to information is instantaneous. And we like it that way. We don’t have the patience to wait for much of...

3 Low-Tech Planning Tools That Will Never Go Out of Style

Without argument, embracing technology is important for survival as a solopreneur. But there are a few low-tech tools that I can never see myself...

The Game of Chance Approach to Business

Although our annual downtown street fair came and went last week, it’s lingering on my mind. No, I’m not going through funnel cake and French fry...

The Solopreneur’s Work “Day” – 8 to...

I belong to a business roundtable group that is a wonderful source of inspiration, knowledge and usually good advice. The members are all small...

Strategic Volunteerism – Think “What’s In...

The terms “volunteerism” and “altruism” are considered synonymous by lots of people. And inherently there are the...

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