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Thoughtful, No-Cost Gifts for the Writers, Freelancers and Entrepreneurs in Your Life

December 7, 2009 — 3 Comments

Many—okay, the majority—of advertisers would have us believe that this holiday season will special because you finally found someone that perfect sweater, scarf, jewelry or gadget. Yet, the holiday memories that stick with me the most are the ones filled with sentiment: the amazing pistachio biscotti that a friend made for those of us working on December 24; the hilarious, personal letter sent by a college friend living thousands of miles away; the white chocolate chip and cranberry cookies I make for my honey this time every year.

If you’re looking to do something thoughtful for a writer, freelancer, entrepreneur and/or small business owner in your life, these five ideas will require two things: your time and sincerity. Cost: zero dollars. Value: priceless.

  • Referrals. Giving genuine referrals is the equivalent of giving gold coins—and I don’t mean foil-wrapped chocolates. Even if the person on your list appears to have plenty of business and/or projects, he/she will appreciate your gift. When I’m at my most swamped, I’m still thinking about generating the next new client or contract I need to secure.
  • An unsolicited testimonial*. Surprise your favorite entrepreneur, freelancer and/or writer with a testimonial via e-mail or LinkedIn. You can make it especially powerful by being specific and providing concrete examples about what makes the recipient rock. Wrap this present with a bow by including permission for him/her to use your words publicly. *Clients, vendors and co-workers—people who have first-hand experience with the gift receiver’s work—are the best givers for this one.
  • A positive review. This is especially valuable for local entrepreneurs and small business owners who have store-fronts. Use a site like Yelp to share why this business is so great and why other customers will love it, too. If the writer in your life is published, post a review of his/her book on Amazon.com or other book-related website.
  • Spread the word. Does your favorite freelancer, writer or business owner have a website? A blog? Send him or her more site visitors by posting a link on your favorite social networking site, like Twitter or Facebook. This promotion can send new readers, subscribers and even potential new customers to the recipient. Another, even more personal option, is to send a link and “why you should check this out” e-mail to your network.
  • Your time. This gift is as unique as you are. It can range from giving several hours of your skills in business development to an evening of babysitting to an hour or two of filing. If your entrepreneur has a store-front business, you can volunteer to cover the store so that the owner can take a day off or enjoy a special dinner. Any time you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Are you a writer, freelancer or entrepreneur who has received a special, no-cost gift? What was it? Is there a thoughtful, zero-dollar gift that you’d love to give or receive? What is it?  Please share in the comments below.

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/welovepandas/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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Spotlight On: Independent Business: Big Shoe Games, Lisa Foster

November 10, 2009 — 4 Comments

I met Lisa Foster in an online personal essay writing class more than two years ago and we’ve kept in touch ever since. In addition to being talented writer who can turn out hilarious and heartbreaking prose, Lisa is a game developer. Since she recently launched her own company Big Shoe Games, I thought Lisa was the perfect entrepreneur to spotlight. Why Big Shoe Games? Because, Lisa says, “I want to spread the good cheer and fun times without smashing, stealing, or shooting anything.”

What inspired you to start Big Shoe Games? Big Shoe Games Images
I worked for years in visual effects and it bothered me the content was so violent I could never show my young daughter what it was mommy did for work. I bargained heavily to get on ‘James and the Giant Peach’ and I’m so glad I did (she loved it!). I was a single mom and generally the hours in visual effects are really long—they brought cots in for us on ‘Hideaway’ and I had to have a crib put in my cubicle for ‘Virtuosity’. So I got into games.

It became the same thing there. I was often at work at 2:00 a.m. with my daughter sleeping on a blanket beside me. And the violence was just as gratuitous, and often worse—women were always portrayed as sex objects in sometimes misogynistic themes. I felt like I was being part of the problem. I knew I loved to play games, but there weren’t any games out there that were interesting to me. Where were the games that women played? Surely you didn’t have to annihilate others to have fun. I was told that women don’t play games. So I got out. I produced a fun and educational animated children’s show that no one wanted to pick up because, as some of the networks told me, “they are not in the business of educating children.” Apparently children’s shows are only about selling toys.

I became pretty disillusioned with entertainment in general. Then I played ‘Diner Dash’, a casual game that involves running your own restaurant. Bingo! This was fun and not violent at all. I began playing these types of games and had a lot of fun with them. I did realize, though, that sometimes they missed the mark. These game development companies, although now targeting women, were 90% male. No offense, guys, but men don’t know what women want in relationships half the time. It’s just possible, a woman might have a better inside track in knowing what we want in games.

So I got together some of former colleagues, and we designed a time management game. We’re in production now and it’s due out this summer. This is a game that women will love!! I’m thrilled to finally be able to deliver a product that is fun, positive and relevant.

In the meantime, I have partnered with all the major casual game distributors so can offer other games to the public that represent our ideals. Big Shoe Games is all about non-violent games that appeal to everyone other than the 18-25 year old male demographic. I have a couple of nephews in this last category, so I’m hoping even they will get into it.

What sets Big Shoe Games apart from other games sites?
Big Game Shoes web logoIt’s a real mess out there because game developers don’t sign exclusive contracts and distribution, deals can be a little haphazard. A certain game can show up with some online distributors but not all, and some of those distributors will only carry certain versions. You can’t go to one major distributor and get it all. For instance, Big Fish might have a game you want to play, but only the PC version, or iWin has the Mac version but it’s two dollars more and GameHouse doesn’t have it at all.

Because we have partnered, we can offer more content than any one of them do on their own. And we can choose which publisher to go with for each game, so the customer doesn’t have to shop around–we choose the lowest priced title and in addition, the longest demo playing time. The industry norm is a free 60 minutes of play but some distributors offer only 30 minutes. On occasion we’ve been able to offer 80-minute demos. We present all the specials that all the distributors are offering so we’re really a one-stop shop. There is no quality non-violent game that a player can’t access from our site and we present the lowest priced retailer, always.

We also candidly review games, and warn you when a game is lacking or just plain awful, which is something the major distributors are not going to do. And we offer a Mommy Rating because, although most games are family oriented and can be played with your small children, some are best for kids 10 and up, and a few are just for adults, like ‘CSI’ or the Women’s Murder Club.

I believe we are unique in that we give 10% of our proceeds to charity.
There’s more to this story!

Entrepreneurial Marketing: A Trilogy

August 3, 2009 — 7 Comments

One of the reasons I love to interview entrepreneurs here is because I so strongly relate to them. I consider myself an entrepreneur just as much as I consider myself a freelance writer. Target Apple. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®My grandparents loved to promote their wares (antiques and jewelry) at flea markets and they owned a few companies at various points in their lives. They were definitely the first entrepreneurs in my life!

What’s the one challenge that all entrepreneurs face? Marketing. Whether you love marketing yourself or consider it your biggest struggle, it’s key to your survival. This isn’t something that only writers must do – every business owner and creative freelancer must master getting in front of potential customers.

With that in mind, I’m doing a special three-part post, geared at marketing for non-writers. Of course, that doesn’t mean writers can’t use these tips. If you’re reading these posts and have tips to share, please do so in the comments!

Part One: Social Media Marketing: LinkedIn

LinkedIn_LogoThe key to successfully leveraging social networking is to know where your customers – and prospective customers – are. For example, it’s a fairly widespread opinion that teenagers are not on Twitter. If teens are your target market, then you’ll be wasting your time trying to connect with them there. Here are a few sites to help you research: socialmeditoday.com, emarketer.com, and socialenginewatch.com.

Since LinkedIn and Facebook are two of the most popular sites, I’ll provide marketing tips for them both. From the seminars I’ve taken and the research I’ve read, it’s fairly likely that at least some of your customers are on one or both of these sites. Today, let’s focus on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn

Strictly professional, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for building your network and staying in front of them. Make sure your take time to fully create your profile and secure recommendations. Those are the basics. If you need help getting started, go directly to Help.

What most people don’t realize is that LinkedIn can help you market yourself on a weekly basis through the “Network Update” email that most members opt into. Are you subscribed?

To check:

  • Go to “Account & Settings” (upper right hand corner)
  • Choose “Receiving Messages” (under Email Notifications)
  • Under “General” look for “Network Updates” and make sure you have clicked on the option for “Weekly Digest Email.”

Okay, so now you’re subscribed. How do you market yourself with LinkedIn’s own email? Easy.

At least once a week, answer the question “What are you working on now?” It’s located on your home page, directly below Network Updates. (See the screen shot below.)

LinkedIn-Screenshot_What-Are-You-Working-On

These updates are included in the weekly Network Update distributed by LinkedIn each week. If you need help remembering to do this, set a weekly reminder on your calendar.

Tips for making the most of your LinkedIn updates

  • Keep it positive. Having a really bad week? Force yourself to find something good to share. For example, a project I was really inspired by was postponed indefinitely because of the client’s budget. It was a big disappointment. My update that week? “Jesaka has an unexpected opening in her schedule for next month. Let’s talk about that revamped website copy you keep meaning to do.” Someone did contact me to do just that.
  • Be specific, but don’t name names. While some clients may love being in your spotlight, others may prefer you keep their projects confidential – even if they don’t spell it out. Being specific is a great way to show potential clients the kind of work you’re doing. Example: “[Your name] just booked four weddings in June as the photographer. Brides-to-be say they love my use of outdoor lighting.”
  • Share your accomplishments. Were you just mentioned in a magazine article or interviewed for a website? Share the link in your update. Maybe you weren’t named, but your work is featured somewhere (e.g. you took a couple’s engagement photo or did the hair for a local designers revamped website design). Share those links, too. No links? Still share. Example: “[Your name] just finished creating a table setting and menu design for a women’s business networking luncheon.”

Groups on LinkedIn

Joining groups on LinkedIn is another way to expand your network. It’s also a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field. Here’s how to make the most of your involvement with groups.

  • Be sure to join a local group. I’m a member of two Denver-based groups and I find them both extremely valuable. It helps me stay up on business trends in Colorado and hear about networking events close to home.
  • Look beyond your industry. If you design dog collars and you only join LinkedIn groups for dog collar designers, you aren’t going to expand your customer base. Sure, it’s a good way to network with your peers, but are they going to buy your dog collars? Probably not. In this case, joining group for veterinarians and retailers would be a fantastic way meet potential new business contacts.
  • Show your expertise. You can do this by participating in group discussions and answering questions posed by other members. You can also post your own questions – just do so with caution. For example, if you ask something basic, such as “how much do I charge for my service?” that could brand you as a newbie. A better approach would be to post a short item about industry trends you’ve spotted and invite others to share their observations.

What has worked for you on LinkedIn? What’s your favorite tip for this professional networking site?

Part Two of this post will feature other social networking sites, including Facebook.

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