Answers for: Running a Business

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What’s Your Business Model?


Article by C.J. HaydenIf you have enough clients to keep you busy, you must be making a good living, right? Well, not necessarily. Some of the busiest professionals around aren’t earning enough to pay their bills. Read more (members only)

Automation is Not a Four-Letter Word


Article by Joan FriedlanderIn recent years the purpose of automation has shifted from increasing productivity and reducing costs, to broader issues, such as increasing quality and flexibility. ~ Wikipedia Read more (members only)

Can a solopreneur ever take a vacation?


Q & A by C.J. HaydenWhen summer time arrives, all your clients and customers start going on vacation. But what about you, the solopreneur? Do you ever get to take a vacation? Read more (members only)

Have You Created an Impossible Business?


Article by C.J. HaydenIt’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 service professionals often start a business believing that all they need to do is charge a “reasonable” fee and sell “enough” Read more (members only)

How do I know if a business idea is right for me?


Q & A by C.J. HaydenEntrepreneurs are creative people, and frequently come up with new ways to do business. So many, in fact, that you need to choose wisely about which ones are worth your while to pursue. Making the right choice requires more than just determining profitability, Read more (members only)

Turning Your Services into a Product


Article by C.J. HaydenOne of the biggest challenges in selling professional services is that what you are offering is intangible. Your product can’t be seen, touched, or tasted. Until your prospective clients experience what you do, they have no way of knowing if it will turn out, whether they will like it, Read more (members only)

Sample Referral Fee Agreement


Tool/Example by C.J. HaydenDo you find yourself frequently referring business to other professionals? When these referrals are likely to be reciprocal, you’ll probably want to give them freely. But what about those situations where you refer clients to someone who isn’t able to return the favor? Read more (members only)

Let Go to Grow


Article by Joan FriedlanderEntrepreneurs and consultants who fail to appropriately allocate their time and delegate tasks spend hours on activities and projects that drain their energy. They lose their creative edge; they can become frustrated and downright grouchy. Ultimately, by hanging on to tasks, Read more (members only)

Sample Coaching Agreement


Tool/Example by C.J. HaydenIf you offer coaching services paid for by the month, it’s a good idea to have a written agreement with your clients that spells out the terms of your arrangement. This sample agreement was designed for business coaching clients, but can be modified to suit any type of coaching. Read more (members only)

I can do almost any kind of work in my field; why specialize?


Q & A by C.J. HaydenWhen you have a wide range of skills, it’s tempting to market yourself as someone who can do just about anything in the area of computers, writing, design, or whatever your area of expertise is. Unfortunately, the most difficult service for a professional to sell is the one called “anything.” Read more (members only)