Independent Thinking » Professional Development

Is 2011 the Year the Workforce Grows Up?

Daria Steigman — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:15:38 +0000

Over at Small Business Labs, Steve King set out his top 10 business trends for 2011. At number 9: “Freelancers Realize They’re Small Business Owners.” King identifies two categories of contingent workers: those embracing freelancing and those stuck with it because of a lack of full-time job options. He writes:

Both groups will increasingly see themselves as long-term freelancers and realize to be successful they will need to view themselves as small business owners. [Emphasis mine.] This shift in thinking will improve their businesses and result in a stronger, more successful freelance community.

I agree completely with King’s premise. To succeed in business, you have to have a business mind. That falls right into my definition of Independent Thinking, which says in part that “to venture out on your own, you have to be great at your core business and savvy enough to manage everything else.”

But I think his conclusion is wrong.

It’s just not that easy to be a business owner, much less an entrepreneur. You have to understand that it is about more than just picking up projects or handing out business cards at a networking event. It’s about managing clients, marketing, branding, budgeting, forecasting, innovating, learning, business development–and getting the paying work done.

And you have to really want it.

I’ve seen some freelancers be very successful freelancers. Some independent contractors try to be business people and fail miserably. Some business people try business ownership and be completely lost. Looking at the landscape of the unemployed, it’s rare that I meet people who get how to pivot to small business ownership.

Are there some? Sure. But a trend? I’m not seeing signs of it.

Photo by Obliot (Flickr).

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8 Keys to the Perfect Lead Generation Form

Daria Steigman — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:27:55 +0000

Your Web site has great content, but are you using it effectively to generate business?

I’m guilty of this. I know prospects are visiting my site, but I don’t have a strong call to action–so I’m missing opportunities to build these relationships. I’m working on remedying that right now, so last week’s MarketingProfs Webinar on tips for increasing Web conversions was very well timed. Amy Africa offered a lot of great information, including 8 keys to the perfect lead generation form:

Only ask relevant questions (relevant to the user). The aim here is to get someone to fill out the form. Once you have their information, you can always survey them later.
Make sure your privacy and security policy is clear and on every page. Aren’t you more likely to fill out a form if you’re confident that the recipient isn’t going to turn around and sell your name?
Make sure your full contact information is visible in every page view.
Use only vertical capturing fields (i.e., put city, state, zip code, each on its own line so that it’s easy for people to spot if they make an error).
Pre-fill data where you can. I think you’re more likely to be able to do this with an e-commerce site, but it goes to ease of use.
Use the middle column. Africa said that most forms work best in the middle column.
Deploy colors that work. Blacks and reds work best. (Hmm… Since my logo (and secondary site color) is green, I’ll have to make an exception on this one.)
Big buttons help. You want to make sure the “Submit” buttons are easy to find–and to hit.

Finally, I thought I’d reiterate something Africa stressed several times: that relevancy is in the user’s mind. So look at your current contact forms (or the ones you’re getting ready to put onto your site) and make sure they’re quick and easy to fill out–and are only asking for information that your prospects are willing to give.

Photo by Chris Chappelear (Flickr).

Building a Vibrant Connected Community

Daria Steigman — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:47:12 +0000

I had the pleasure of presenting a Webinar for Higher Logic last week on building a vibrant, connected community.We looked at four “in house” things you must do first, and then talked about some strategies for identifying and reaching out to your audience, building buzz, and launching successfully.

Association leaders are struggling with the same challenges as companies big and small. How do you get started? Who’s going to do all the work? Can I use an outside firm as my community manager? How much of my site should be open to non-members?

Tough questions, and few easy answers. Click here to access the complete Webinar.

Does Experience Count Less If You’re Not Paid?

Daria Steigman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:38:28 +0000

Do you value Michael Bloomberg’s experience as mayor of New York any less because he’s only making $1 per year? I’m betting his salary is irrelevant to you. So why do so many people undervalue their own or others’ volunteer work?

This post was prompted by an e-mail I received from Stacey Torrano in response to a column I wrote and the 6 Reasons You Should Serve on a Board post from a few months ago. She was looking for advice on how to market her new role as vice president of her co-op board.

My advice: identify the key business skills you’re using in that role, much as you would for any paid position. And don’t forget to talk about accomplishments.

For resumes, placement is tough, because people typically expect to see a chronology of paid positions. Thus I’d probably put the VP, Co-op Board position into a “Leadership” or “Other Professional Experience” category, depending on the structure of your resume. On LinkedIn, however, I’d consider adding it into the chronology (see my profile as an example), depending on what value it brings to you now and what other positions you need to post.

What advice would you give Stacey?

Sometimes You Need a Blowtorch

Daria Steigman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:15:50 +0000

A friend remarked the other day that my last employer did me a huge favor by throwing me out the door. Otherwise, she said, it might have taken me a long time to find my passion.

She’s right. That one post-graduate-school job wasn’t fun. It wasn’t pretty. Looking back on it, it was actually amazingly bad. But it also led me to where I am today.

That job experience took me out of my narrow jobs box and forced me to reevaluate my career goals really early on–and shoved me down the path of discovering what I really love.

As my business nears 20, I’m taking a little time to reflect on who and what got me here. I might well have ended up a solopreneur eventually — but watching my first plan blow up helped the process along.

What about your career? Encounter any blowtorches along the way?

Photo by vieux bandit. Flickr. Creative Commons License.

Six Reasons to Sit on a Federal Contract Review Panel

Daria Steigman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:37:50 +0000

I recently reviewed proposals for a federal agency. It was a worthwhile use of my time for six key reasons:

I got to see examples of well-constructed proposals and some that were not so good. In the process, I picked up some tips I can apply if and when I respond to a federal RFP.
I was reminded that you can’t assume your readers are jargon junkies. Companies assume their reviewers share a fondness for acronyms at their peril.
Organization counts. I don’t care if a request for proposals is convoluted; your response shouldn’t be. A reviewer is likely to score your application higher if he/she can identify the key elements and follow your discussion.
Results count. Give me examples that demonstrate your expertise and how your work helped other clients.
It takes time to keep up-to-date. Serving as a reviewer gave me a glimpse into how others build their communications methodologies. Even one tiny takeaway is helpful.
My fellow reviewers were really smart people. Each brought his/her expertise to the table, and I learned from their perspectives.