Being a business owner is a lonely profession at times. When
it’s busy, it’s a breeze. Just do the work. When it’s time to get new business
or change direction, I often freeze. I don’t like making cold calls – although
I’m getting better at it. Networking tends to be an effort that generates
business down the road – sometimes way down the road.
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| A road in northwest Washington state. Photo by Liz Cezat |
What’s a business owner to do? There’s LinkedIn, Twitter and
Facebook. While I have landed a few projects from those venues, I find social
media to be more valuable in terms of learning new information; forming new
ideas; connecting to new friends, associates or clients; and just having fun by
posting and viewing people’s comments. I like to read inspirational blogs and
quotes for a motivational kick.
Before change can take root, it seems like chaos must first
occur. It’s time to implement my second quarter strategy, which is to add some training engagements while continuing to write for business and nonprofits.
For this service, I will start contacting human resource departments,
associations and nonprofits. I aim to expand my base of work rather than shift
it entirely. I love to work with my graphic designers on annual reports,
newsletters, brochures and websites for business and nonprofits. But, it’s
vital to get out of the office and interact with others.
I’m reviving my seminar/training offerings with a session on
“How to write better e-mails.” My expertise comes from being a communicator and
writer. I want to share my knowledge with employees and others who have
difficulty writing e-mails. Next week, I am meeting with a prospective client
who has been talking with me about this program for about a year now. I trust
that we will move forward.
Then, I need to set up my new iMac, upgrade the software and
get ready to ride a speedy machine. That will be a beauty.
I find that envisioning my desired result is often the “kick
in the pants” that is needed to move forward and try new things. Wish me luck –
which is another way of saying, “Do the hard work of focusing. Take the right
action steps. Make great people connections. And, above all, stay confident and
positive.”
“The business of small business is no easy feat.” You can
quote me on that.
Feel free to add your comments about how you handle being at
the crossroads and deciding what action steps to take.
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