MAY 2022: BUILDING YOUR INDIE BUSINESS
Contents
1
THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: SLOW DOWN TO GROW
PIC Chair Arlene Amitirigala considers the importance of “Make time for deep thinking” as code for “slow down” – and why slowing down is a secret to indie success.
2
18 ROAD-TESTED WAYS TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS
Media training coach Warren Weeks wowed PIC members and friends with his talk on growing your solo communications business. Sue Horner shares his top tips.
3
3X3: WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO LEVEL UP
Priya Bates, ABC, MC, SCMP and IABC Fellow, Carolyn Black and Danièle Dufour tell Jacqui d’Eon, ABC, MC, how they’ve applied one of Warren’s suggestions for business success.
1.
The Independent View
Slow down to grow
By Arlene Amitirigala
I recently caught up with the wonderful Maureen Hosein, ABC, PIC’s Director of Membership. She had just returned from the experience of a lifetime – climbing the famed Machu Picchu. Located in southern Peru, Machu Picchu sits on a 2,430-metre (7,970-foot) mountain ridge.
Maureen said she started on strong footing but then watched other climbers rush past her, full of energy, while she contended with the altitude and physical exertion. Her phone no longer had service and she almost had no more breath. And then, a small quiet voice inside her said, “You need to slow down.” So that’s exactly what she did, slow and steady, all the way to the top. Others copped out and took the train.
It's a tricky one, this concept of slowing down, especially during a season like spring. Like the flowers now blooming, this is a season of growth for us indies. We’re emerging from under the cloud of COVID-19, activity is ramping up again, and the time is right for us to source new business, create more opportunities to do the work we love, and reap rich rewards.
But can we do it without getting caught up in the everlasting rush? Can we slow down?
It’s natural to want to recover what we missed and resurrect projects that were on the back burner. But for some, cups are already brimming over. All the lessons we learned and the vows we made to change our ways of working and be more mindful are being thrown out the window.
Last month, Warren Weeks delivered a phenomenal professional development session for PIC entitled, “Level up your business.” If you missed the session, don’t miss Sue Horner’s recap of his “18 road-tested tactics” later in this issue of The Buzz. Every tip is solid and guaranteed to get you buzzing.
The funny thing is, when I looked at the tips again, nestled in at number 14 was, “Make time for deep thinking.”
It’s not a new concept, but as I read it through a newly polished lens, it became code for “slow down.” Although it’s weirdly counter intuitive, sometimes we need to slow down to grow faster.
For an extrovert born with a busy gene, I find slowing down is a tricky skill to master. But in the life of an indie, I realize more and more that slowing down is one of the secrets to sustainable success.
Here are just a few of the reasons to slow down:
- Slow down to set up your systems the right way and save time in the long run.
- Slow down to negotiate a better contract.
- Slow down to decide if this is a “red flag” client.
- Slow down to figure out if you need to partner with someone else on that big assignment.
- Slow down to create room in your calendar for breaks, exercise and thinking time.
- Slow down to enjoy every single reason why you chose to be an indie in the first place.
If you’re reading this on the fly, pause and contemplate if you need to master that muscle. If you already have it trained to competition-worthy condition, then drop some of your favourite “slow down” tips in a post to our LinkedIn group. We all benefit when we share.
On that note, I encourage you to reach out to fellow PIC members online and on social media to build relationships and stay connected. Our networking and professional development sessions are also a great way to meet others and continue mining the tremendous value in being a member of IABC/Toronto and PIC.
If you have any ideas for professional development topics, possible speakers, or any questions, concerns, or ideas about PIC, please don’t hesitate to reach me at toronto-sig@iabc.to. I would love to hear from you.
2.
18 road-tested ways to level up your business
By Sue Horner
In a fast-paced session in April, media training coach Warren Weeks shared 18 of the “road-tested” tactics he recommends to grow a solo communications business. There was something for everyone, whether you’re a new or established entrepreneur:
1. Consider one-year contracts and maternity leaves
You may have less competition for these contracts since they are less desirable for people looking for full-time jobs. The contract might also turn into a longer term.
2. Consider ‘white label’ work
Go to PR agencies and ask if they need help. Any work you do for a client will be under the agency umbrella, so negotiate to include your work in your portfolio.
3. Drop ‘red flag’ clients
These are clients of questionable reputation or who “suck your time and will to live” with endless revisions, low-value work and “weaseling” you on price. Letting those clients go opens up space for better clients.
4. Have an abundance mindset
If you think work will be scarce, it will be. Warren sees nearly infinite possibilities, saying it’s easier to run a solo business today than ever before. The biggest hurdle is awareness; letting the world know who you are.
5. Get them to call you
Cold calls and emails are generally futile; the trick is to get prospects to call you. Do this by creating content (such as blog posts, podcasts, videos) to differentiate yourself, raise brand awareness and increase revenues.
6. Put out stories
Think of ways to “smush” ideas together. Warren combined his specialty with pop culture, tweeting “Name a movie and I’ll tell you the media relations lesson from that movie.” The resulting 19,449 impressions led to coverage in PR Week.
7. Give away your best stuff
How can you show prospects what you can do? Give away what you know. Warren offered a free consult with nonprofits, which eventually led to new business and $20,000 in revenue.
8. Sell your ‘sawdust’
Look for ways to highlight your skills and show how you ply your craft. Warren often posts his own “boring” boardroom photos, tagged “Real life media training in [city] today.” He always sees an uptick in people asking for estimates. And posting one crisis tip every day for a year on social media led to 1,000+ new followers and 250,000+ views.
9. Market the solution, not the service
Write content or produce videos that solve your customer’s problems. Rebrand your offer after the solution rather than the services. Warren’s course isn’t just “media training,” it’s “The Art of the Great Media Interview.”
10. Specialize
Early on, Warren offered 23 different services, but having more services does not have the effect you hope. “Specialists are sought after and can charge more,” he said. Reflect your specialty in your domain name, website and social media accounts.
11. Have the reflexes of a cat and patience of a polar bear
Reply to a prospect’s first email as quickly as humanly possible; it surprises people and they remember. That’s the cat. The polar bear’s patience means thinking in terms of years. Never burn a bridge, always take the high road and be gracious when a prospect chooses someone else. They may return.
12. Speak at conferences
Every time Warren follows this tip, he gains new work or another speaking engagement. After one small talk, he turned his video of it into a number of shorter pieces, gaining 3,3000+ views on LinkedIn and an engagement to media train a CEO. Warren calls the Canadian Society of Association Executives a goldmine for speaking opportunities, but suggested you Google the conferences your clients attend and send an irresistible speaking proposal.
13. Question your excuses
The first time we have an idea, we run through all the reasons it won’t work (“I’m not good with tech.” “I don’t have time”). Do the thing anyway.
14. Make time for deep thinking
One way to get your brain into a state that welcomes ideas is to get a Fitbit. Warren averages 20,000 steps a day in nice weather, often listening to podcasts or audio books. This led to ideas like starting a podcast, creating an online course, speaking at colleges and revamping his proposal.
15. Digitize yourself
If you tackle just one of Warren’s tips, he said, make it this: Create digital products based on your services (such as books or online courses) that you build once and sell multiple times. (See Jack Butcher’s “Build Once, Sell Twice” course.) Warren’s “deep dive” course and mini crash course on media training have a return of 3,000+%.
16. Raise your rates
Competing on price is a way to work long hours and make little money. Whatever you’re charging, unless people are complaining, you can probably raise your rates. Any time Warren raised his, his closing rate went up, too.
17. Keep iterating
The procrastinator, like the perfectionist, never gets anything finished. Be an iterator, who gets things done and keeps going back and improving them.
18. Don’t give up
People usually throw in the towel right before things are going to take off. Keep going!
Warren also noted that doing great work on a consistent basis leads to positive word of mouth, with social media putting it on steroids. That means treating every project like it’s your last.
As an example, he did a half-day media training session for a company he didn’t know, with just one person attending, but gave it his all. It turned out the person was reviewing media trainers for leaders down the road.
…Two years later, Warren was hired to train the company’s executives before an initial public offering.
…Five years later, he was also hired to train the founder of a partner company.
In all, it led to about $85,000 worth of work – for Shopify and GymShark.
Warren’s session flew past and left participants raving:
- “So practical and useful.”
- “Probably the most informative workshop I’ve ever attended.”
- “Relevant, relatable and riveting.”
- “So many insights for the newbie or the seasoned professional. Definitely got some inspiration for my path forward.”
Our thanks again to Warren! Learn more about him on his website, connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.
3.
3x3: What it looks like to level up
By Jacqui d’Eon, ABC, MC
You’ve made the leap to start your business as an independent. But when it comes time to grow your business, you may be unsure which path to take. Warren Weeks gave PIC members and friends a long list of tactics that work (as shown above), and we asked 3 PIC members 3 questions about the ones they’ve used to expand their businesses.
Danièle Dufour is the owner of D. Communications, a boutique corporate communications firm. She focuses on simple approaches to create impactful internal and external communications that generate successful outcomes.
Carolyn Black is a writer who specializes in education, e-learning and education technology. She loves this specialization because it feels like she’s being true to who she is as a professional.
Priya Bates, ABC, MC, SCMP and IABC Fellow, is the founder and president of Inner Strength Communication Inc., an agency that helps companies enable, engage and empower their employees to manage change and deliver business results.
Of Warren’s suggested tactics, which one have you used to help you build your business?
Danièle: Being new to the independent world, I wanted to build visibility for my services and was also looking to give back using my communications skills. Warren helped unblock my thinking by encouraging us to just try new things [#13 – Question your excuses]. And I did that the very next day. I made an offer on LinkedIn for charities to book a free 45-minute consultation with me [#7 – Give away your best stuff]. I’m offering the consults every Friday during May. This combines both visibility and volunteering objectives.
Carolyn: When I first went out on my own, I billed myself as a writer. I wasn’t getting the clients I wanted nor as many as I would have liked. Once I defined my writing niche [#10 – Specialize], my pitches to prospects started to gain traction.
Priya: It’s ironic that I’ve used speaking as a business growth tactic (#12 – Speak at conferences) because overcoming my fear of public speaking was a battle. In my corporate career, I learned that if I spoke at conferences, my employer would cover my travel costs – a nice perk! As an entrepreneur, I have moved from representing my employer to promoting myself. What I had to learn was how to adapt my approach and “close” the sale of my services.
How long have you used this tactic?
Danièle: I started the day after I listened to Warren! I knew what I wanted to do but I was making the execution complicated. Warren just did it, so I’m following his lead. May is my month to test the concept.
Carolyn: After about a year in business, I did some self-analysis and decided to refine what I could offer. Now that prospects understand what I offer, cold calls are easier and I’m getting more of the work I like to do.
Priya: I have used speaking as a growth strategy since I began my business. Strategically, speaking gets me in front of targeted audiences and enables me to showcase my expertise.
What has this tactic done for you?
Danièle: Now that I’ve put myself forward as a professional communicator willing to help charities, I’m excited about the opportunities I will have to give back and to work with some interesting people. If successful, I hope to join forces with other PIC members to continue and even expand this initiative.
Carolyn: Creating a specialization helped me sell myself to instructional design companies. Once they understood that I was a writer, not a developer, they realized I was exactly what they needed. Now I get involved in writing scripts for videos to storyboards and even tests. It’s opened a world of possibilities to me. Knowing my niche also helps me choose my professional development path. I’m feeling true to myself!
Priya: During the pandemic, I spoke online a lot. Now, not only do I get opportunities to speak, I also get paid to speak. It’s a “pinch myself” moment when I realize how far I have come as a public speaker.
We launched this column to bring the voices of more PIC members into The Buzz. If you’d like to suggest a topic, or want to volunteer yourself as one of the three “voices,” please contact Sue Horner at getwrite@sympatico.ca. As always, our thanks to Gary Schlee, ABC, MC, for suggesting the name “3x3.”
Show off your skills while helping steer PIC
We’re looking for people with enthusiasm and ideas to join the PIC executive for the new board year starting in July. It’s a great way to show off your existing skills or learn new ones while getting to know other members! Here’s where you can help, as either director or co-director with a buddy:
- Membership: Answer inquiries, promote PIC to potential members, collect profile data for new members and submit member list updates to the chapter.
- Programming: Brainstorm topics, book event speakers and venues, set up Eventbrite links.
- Social media: Post to PIC’s accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and provide content for the chapter’s bi-weekly e-Lert.
- Communications: Edit, design and produce the monthly newsletter, The Buzz, help promote PIC meetings and amplify social media posts.
Interested? Email Chair Arlene Amitirigala at toronto-sig@iabc.to or talk to any of the current executive members to find out more.
Save the date!
Happy 80th, IABC/Toronto!
It’s IABC/Toronto’s 80th anniversary! To help the chapter celebrate, post a photo or video on Twitter or LinkedIn, using #IABCTO80. Tell the world why you joined, what keeps you coming back, what makes you proud to be part of this community. Find more details online. You can also volunteer to be part of IABC/Toronto’s 80th Anniversary Celebration Committee. Email Toronto-volunteers@iabc.to.
Changes to the PIC member list due May 24
As a PIC member, you can gain visibility on the PIC member list on the IABC/Toronto website. Send your updates to PIC’s Director of Membership, Maureen Hosein, ABC, at maureenhosein@yahoo.com, by Tuesday, May 24. For new profiles, send your:
- Name
- Company name
- City (to help us know who’s in our neighbourhood)
- Email address
- Telephone number (optional)
- Website and LinkedIn URLs
- Social media accounts, if any
- Business description (up to 80 words).
If you are already on the list, does your listing include your LinkedIn profile? Have you earned an OVATION, Silver Leaf or Gold Quill award you can brag about?
See you on social media!
Build and strengthen your connections, advance your business and network with other PIC members on social media. In case you missed them, recent posts shared on our social media channels include:
- Here are some tips on growing your business – like make yourself visible, know your worth and find your people (ahem, like PIC!) – from 20+ experienced freelancers via Harlow.
- Need to drop what Warren Weeks calls a “red flag” client to improve your life or business? Jill Lynn Design has a simple script to follow.
- Carol Tice has some tips for building digital products, like e-books and courses. Besides helping you level up your business, these can help you work towards retirement, or at least work less.
Who we are
Professional Independent Communicators (PIC) is a special interest group of IABC/Toronto. PIC's mission is to support independent IABC/Toronto communicators through professional development, networking and marketing. The Buzz informs members about upcoming events, shares professional development tips from past meetings and keeps us connected.
IABC connects communicators from around the world with the insights, resources and people they need to drive their careers and their professions forward.
Editor: Sue Horner | Designer: Austine Fischer
Executive team
Chair: Arlene Amitirigala | Past Chair: Nkiru Asika | Membership: Maureen Hosein, ABC | Marketing & Sponsorship: Brent Artemchuk | Communications & Social Media: Austine Fischer, Sue Horner | Programming: Gaby Moreno, Christopher Trotman