Today’s post will veer away from the book talk, because as many of you know I work full-time as a copyeditor for the British Medical Association (I telecommute to the London office) and once the commas are checked and the Britishisms are taken out (or put back in, depending on the project) I dream up wild entrepreneurial plans on my own time. Usually they have to do with writing books and writing blogs and corporate writing (which is really lucrative, but kinda dry–last spring I wrote case studies about oil production for a recognizable company <you buy gas from them everyday> and while it was a really interesting challenge, I thought I would die if they threw one more acronym my way. I waded through the acronyms and learned how to write a succinct case study, but I am not sure I can do that for a entrepreneurial living, ya know?), thus I figured I’d explain my process or finding these entrepreneurial plans.
I will just redirect you to a book rec I gave out two weeks ago. Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port is the first stop for this moonlighting entrepreneur (for ANY moonlighting entrepreneur, I should say). And I mean it. I have business plan writing books, sure, but if you’re trying to figure out what work you truly enjoy and what work you aren’t sure you’d like to do all the time, Port’s self-interview process is excellent. It shows you what kind of client you’re looking for, what kind of work you’re looking for (it is not as elusive as you think), and I think Port’s self-examination is quite instructive. I bought the book years ago and then ended up writing those case studies for a client who carved out for herself a nice six-figure business just by thinking outside the box (directed by Port’s book). The synchronicity astounds me!
Port is a bit unconventional. He starts off by making sure you know exactly what kind of client you DON’T WANT to work with. What? I can hear the protests right now. Why not? I have many clients who aren’t sure exactly what they want, but they do know exactly what they DON’T WANT. Get it? Once you’ve got that figured out, it’s like you have permission to excuse those clients, ya know? It’s freedom. For me, at least.
Here’s a tip sheet (oh just buy the book already) I gleaned from Port’s book (I am so not going to copy this verbatim, these steps are hit and miss–go buy the book).
1. What clients and projects do you not want to do?
2. What clients and projects make you feel the most alive?
3. What are your parameters for clients and projects? (Hint: I don’t want this, but I do want this.)
4. If you want those projects, how should you represent yourself to get them? (Personal branding section)
5. Don’t cold call, network. The next event you attend and someone asks you what you do, don’t just say, “I’m a writer.” What should you say? (You really should just buy the book).
You say, “I create alternative realities for people who don’t want to watch television.”
No, I’m not going to tell you all of Port’s advice. Get the book already! It has changed my business in so many ways and made me more sure about saying no to clients and projects that suck my soul dry. Yes, I still write case studies, but I don’t let myself do it for more than a few days at a time.
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