Here’s a little story for you. Once upon a time, an editor sat at her computer and looked over her client list. Over the years, she had carefully kept track of who referred each of her clients, or how else each had followed the crumbs and arrived on her virtual doorstep. She was amazed to find this: after nine years in business, almost 75% of her clients had been referred to her by some other happy camper. One client had referred 14 other clients to her. Others, when they were satisfied with the work done for them, had the editor do work for each of their children. Still others sent their office colleagues or friends, some of whom in turn sent their colleagues or friends. Yeah—by now, you have guessed I’m that editor. And I am pleased to say these connections are the number one way I have been able to build my business. This is not just because I live in a small town where everyone knows my name. Many of these referrals have come from all over the country, and lately from … [Read more...]
How I succeeded in business…without really trying
If you’re a small biz owner—or if you are just thinking about opening a business--you need to know this important piece of info: almost 50% of all businesses fail within their first five years. >Gulp<. How did I ever survive? Lately, I have been thinking about this, because I have done some mentoring with college alumni, other young editors just starting their own businesses, and a small business group I once helped to lead. Folks are always asking me how I got started and to share my suggestions for success. Here’s a few. Take a workshop. They don’t have to cost too much, or take too long. In fact, when I first started, I took a free SEED workshop from my local Small Business Development Center that was only a couple of weeks long. I learned how to write a business plan and to figure out what to charge for my services, and I got to meet and talk with other entrepreneurs like me. Network, network, network. And did I mention networking? Yeah, I know. You’ve heard it … [Read more...]