Don’t Wait for Tax Time to Look at the Bottom Line
A curious thing happens to self-employed professionals and creatives in the spring of every year. They wake up one day and realize they'd better figure out how much money they made last year so they can file and pay their taxes. But wait, shouldn't a business owner...
Do You Ever Think Your Work Isn’t Good Enough?
As a self-employed professional or creative, you're creating new stuff all the time. You may write blog posts, design courses, produce marketing copy, craft speeches, create designs for clients, devise strategic plans, or dozens of other possibilities. It's a good bet...
Have You Created an Impossible Business?
It's easy to think that any business can be successful if you work hard enough, but there are many situations where this just isn't so. Consultants, coaches, and other self-employed professionals often start a business believing that all they need to do is charge a...
Finding It Hard to Begin a Project? Start in the Middle.
One of the most painful moments for any self-employed professional or creative is staring at a blank page or screen, trying to figure out where to begin a project. Robert M. Pirsig, in his classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, gave practical advice about...
Follow-Up Is Simple — So Why Isn’t It Easy?
Doing a good job at follow-up is a piece of cake. You just capture every lead or potential referral partner you run across, then place a call, send an email, or both. If you don't make a sale right away, you calendar them for the next follow-up and do the same thing...
Can Good Writing Happen on a Timetable?
When you hear the advice to set aside time to write, do you worry about whether you'll be able to produce quality writing on a set schedule? What if you didn't get enough sleep the night before, or you're worried about another priority at the time, or you're just not...
Is It Time to Get Help with Your Business?
As a self-employed professional or creative, you're used to doing most things on your own. But there will likely come a time when the assistance of others could help your business grow, and help you feel less stressed. Here are some questions you might find yourself...
Become a Fearsome Writer
Writing holds the potential to provoke a considerable amount of fear. We worry if we can turn into completed prose the vague thoughts in our heads. We're anxious about what our readers will think of what we've written. We're afraid we'll never be able to produce our...
Avoiding the Feast or Famine Trap for Your Business
It can seem like it's the destiny of the self-employed professional to exist in a constant state of feast or famine. Either you are working day and night to keep up with client demands, or you're wondering how much is left in your savings account and whether the phone...
Do You Need Inspiration to Write?
The Nobel-Prize-winning writer William Faulkner published 19 novels, 125 short stories, 20 screenplays, one play, and six collections of poetry. How on earth did he manage to stay inspired? Here's what Faulkner himself said: "I only write when I am inspired....