Life on Avenue Z

Ahh... the hectic holiday season

A few weeks ago I wrote about my daily schedule and how I was exchanging actual work time for marketing and follow-up time because I didn't have as much work to do as I had marketing to do.

In the past week, I've landed some really big projects for Avenue Z Writing Solutions. All of a sudden, I have almost no time to work on marketing during the day. I'm actually working on project after project. In fact, I've had to reschedule a meeting with a potential partner, cancel a class I was going to teach and cut back a little on working out. It's been pretty amazing.

Copywriting Guru Peter Bowerman warns in his books that December is frequently very busy with everyone wanting to get projects started/completed before the end of the year. I figured that wouldn't be the case this year since I'm just starting off. I was wrong. He also warns that January is very slow. But if you don't advertise in December for January work, how do you make a living in January?

My problem is keeping up with the marketing while all this working is happening. In sales we learned very quickly that one can never just sit around and finish what's on one's plate. One always has to be on the hunt for tomorrow's dinner.

I'm worried about hunting, but right now I'm trying to juggle all these deadlines.

This is good, right?

A guest post by a helpful resource

Dear readers,

I invited a health insurance agent to write a guest post for Life on Avenue Z. I found talking to him very helpful in light of my challenges in finding a good health insurance policy for my small business as a professional writer.

From David Lindsey...

Finding quality Health Insurance is hard these days...Part of the common stereotype of the past Insurance Salesman has caused thousands to flee exposure to a bad experience in there own home, to trying to sort it all out online. That leaves the shopper working blind.

Just like you would not go to court on your own, or operate on yourself, you need a professional, but not a pushy salesman. Today, I am an educator. In Insurance, the internet should be used to gather information, but it is invaluable to find an expert you can trust who can help you in 3 important areas.

1. You need to understand the market, what the landscape looks like.
   
2. You need to have options/choices of carriers and plans.
   
3. You need to have the subtle differences between the plans/carriers explained in detail.

The most commonly overlooked but most vital is the Annual Maximum Out of Pocket exposure. This is your deductible plus your co-insurance, should something bad happen. Many California plans have Max Out of Pocket exposure of $7500 per year. An overnight stay at the Hospital for observation, or a Outpatient Surgery could run you $7500 making you wonder where is the insurance.

Humbly, I am one of those Insurance Agents, but I am different. I want you to fully understand all of the above, before you make a decision. SO, to avoid being sales-y here, check out my website www.davidlindseyinsurance.com , see what they are saying about me and if you have a need in California, let's talk.

I was invited personally by Beth to attempt to address some of these concerns. We met recently at a Constant Contact seminar, spoke of her needs and here I am. If I can help you improve your situation, I will tell you. If I cannot, I will also tell you. One more thing...you pay the same premium if you go direct or if you go through an agent. The commission is there, so find a professional to earn his fees by helping educate you and help you find the right coverage for you.

The search for the perfect holiday card

I really had high hopes for sending out Christmas gifts to my clients this year, but it looks like I'm going to have to settle for sending cards instead of gifts. I'm having a tough time trying to figure out which cards to send as well.

I want a card that stands out and is fun, but it has to be environmentally sensitive. I'm in love with these cards from Bloomin' Flower Cards. Each holiday card has a snowflake or dove or snowman or tree that is a removable ornament which can also be planted.

But I've gotten plant-able cards before, and I've never planted them. So I doubt my clients will either.

Cards Direct has recycled cards as well, but I don't necessarily like the fact that they offer a line but aren't really an environmentally sensitive company. And besides, many of their offerings have cowboy boots and Western themes. Not my style.

These aren't my style either.

I love these from this Swedish manufacturer, but you have to order 200.

I like these, but I don't want to be too preachy.

My new favorites are here -- a talented artist using recycled paper. Hmmm.... We may have a winner.

Essential tools for the freelance writer

Today is Black Friday when everything's on sale. Here's my shopping list of things you might want to buy to equip your office.

Becoming a professional writer doesn't take very much equipment. You can really get started with the very basics of tools...

1. A laptop computer with a ton of memory and a fast chip. I have a Sony Vaio.
2. Amazingly fast internet access. I have cable.
3. An all-in-one office machine with a printer, scanner, fax machine and copier. Mine's an HP Officejet.
4. A phone with speaker phone (mine doesn't have it, darn it), call waiting, a robust long-distance plan, call forwarding and voice mail. You should also have a cell phone to forward calls to.
5. Microsoft Office (I choose office because it's the most common -- all your clients probably use it).
6. Stapler, tape, pens and pencils, paper clips, etc. These are very cheap at back-to-school sales.

Once you have the basics, you can add a few extras as you see fit. Here are the items on my second tier of needs...

1. Steno pads for notes.
2. A nice portfolio for face-to-face visits with clients.
3. Other note pads for daily to do lists.
4. A highlighter (I have only one -- I love them and need more).
5. Labels for direct mail efforts. I like the Avery Easy Peel Clear Mailing Labels.
6. Thank you notes for clients.
7. Accounting software -- I use a free program called Microsoft Accounting. Works just fine.
8. Organizational tools like color-coded folders and color tabs for the steno pads.
9. A big-screen monitor and separate keyboard and mouse for the laptop.
10. A shredder.
11. Recycled paper (I use both sides).
12. A backup system for files. I use Mozy.com and love it.
13. A time-tracking system. I use Pelotonics, which is also a project management system.

More of my favorite freebies
More about what's on a copywriter's desk

The good and the bad of marketing efforts

As a new freelance writer, I've been making a strong effort to do a large marketing push at least once a week. Here's a summary of what's been working and what hasn't.

• Success: I sent a series of letters to vendors who sell goods and services to the professional association industry. I worked as an association director of education for many years before becoming a sales and marketing professional for a company who sold webcasting services to the association industry.
  
  These letters were fairly personalized, and I got a great response rate. I've picked up at least 3 jobs with this technique, and I've got more meetings scheduled.
• Success: Although I haven't gotten any specific jobs from my eNewsletter yet, I've gotten a lot of exposure. Each week I add probably 10-20 names to my list, and once a month nearly 2000 people get a reminder that I'm here and ready when they are.
• Success: I'm an active member of a listserv in the association community, and I regularly offer resources and ideas to the group. I've gotten quite a bit of exposure this way, including requests for articles and speaking engagements.
• Not So Good: I spent another $300 yesterday buying a list of top companies here in San Diego to send them a direct mail postcard with my services. I've sent several of these out, but I don't seem to get many calls back. The most effective postcard campaign came when I sent out the postcard then sent emails to the people who were going to be getting them (when I had the emails, of course). I met with a designer last week who will probably send me something to spec out soon.
  
  What I really need to do is to add cold calling to these direct mail efforts. Perhaps I'll make some calls today. Ugh.
• Not So Good: I had high hopes that my column on small business issues in a local monthly newspaper would drive traffic to my blog and my site. I haven't even been able to find a copy of the newspaper myself, and I haven't seen a kabillion people stop by.
• Not So Good: I've been leaving piles of my postcard in public places here in San Diego: coffee shops, mailbox office counters, etc. I got a call from one guy who wants to market a product to prisoners, and another guy called me looking for someone who could put together a marketing plan to sell products to Hispanics who visited lunch trucks. Neither of these were really up my alley.

Funny how a synonym to "getting tough" is "growing ba(double L)s"

It's been an interesting week here on Avenue Z. I've had to turn to legal counsel to make a stand against a company that is refusing to pay me monies due. This has nothing to do with my freelance writing business but stems from LBAZ (Life Before Avenue Z).

As a business owner, it's important for me to protect myself and my business from injuries to both my finances and my reputation. As a woman from a primarily Southern culture, these actions completely and utterly contradict my nature and nurture. I can't describe how many times I've written off sums of money, outright slights, complete insults and more. "It's not worth the trouble," I'd think. Or, "I shouldn't move forward because I might be wrong." If I'm totally honest, I'll admit that what I'm really thinking is, "I don't want anyone mad at me."

I can't back down this time. Through my mind is running the self-admonition, "Ziesenis, For God's Sake -- GROW A PAIR." My legal guide told me, "Don't puss out now."

I write this blog from the point of view of a small business owner, not from the point of view of a female small business owner. But my testicular mantra coupled with my advisor's advice to "not puss out" have really brought to mind the characteristics and vernacular that are typically associated with tough business people. If someone backs down, he (she) is a puss, but those who step up have cojones. Interesting, isn't it, that people who don't step up are given female characteristics, and people who fight have male characteristics.

I have been preparing to take this action since the company starting making noises like they were not going to pay me. I had a very tough time committing to making the move I made, but now that I have, I'm prepared to amplify this far beyond the amount of money due. I am not naive enough to think that an idle threat would be enough. But the fact that I'm committed to following through on my plan doesn't mean I don't wish this would all dissolve and get back to normal. I am learning the painful way that it may be possible for me to stay the woman I like to be and to add a significant amount of testosterone to my position as a strong, independent business owner.

What are these things called taxes anyway?

I posted this question to a listserv for consultants to which I belong. I asked about how to get a handle on what to do for my taxes. As a freelance copywriter, this issue continues to perplex me, even though I wrote about it a couple of months ago and got other advice.

Here's a summary of the advice I received...

1. Keep track of all your expenses and income and everything else using small business financial software.
2. Make sure you've got all your licenses.
3. Find an accountant. They're not as expensive as you think, and they'll help you more than you realize. Use a CPA.
4. To find an accountant, talk to similarly sized organizations to find a recommendation.
5. Pay your quarterly tax estimates. Now. No, really.
6. Use free small business resources such as the SBA to make sure I'm on track.

Dead Headshot

Ugh. I STILL don't have a headshot for the article I wrote. It was due Friday, I think, and I know they're going to call and yell soon.

A freelance copywriter should have a professional headshot, in my humble opinion.

I guess I know why this is so hard....

1. I didn't budget to pay $70 to get it done at a studio.
2. The email I wrote to my very recent ex-boyfriend asking for his help in taking this photo was apparently the straw that broke the relationship's back. (I think it sounded too "relationshippy" for him, and he wanted to stop being in a relationship. Or something. Beats me.)
3. I really, really, really hate to be photographed.

 

Here are few of the disasters. Tell me the truth... they are horrible, aren't they?? My bra strap is showing! And others were taken in one of those photo booths at the mall while teenage BFFs waited for the old chick to get out of the booth. And then I decided to put a blanket over the door to get a backdrop, and it looks like a blanket over a door. Holy smokes.

Recurring Revenue is Queen

I learned most of what I know about sales and a true business model from my last job. And one of the things that made my boss' mouth drool was the concept of recurring revenue.

I worked with associations and annual conferences, and there was a conference, err, every year. And you got the same revenue or more every year. Or we did a webinar for someone each month. Or we had a maintenance fee for existing projects that came in every quarter.

The point is that we would land a gig that would become a regular source of income for our company, as long as we continued to provide the service the client was expecting. So the money would keep coming in and we didn't have to chase it every month.

I'm starting to discover that freelance copywriting has quite a few opportunities for recurring revenue. Most notably, electronic newsletters can keep the funds flowing. I happen to enjoy doing electronic newsletters (yeah, I know. I'm just a blast at parties), so this is great news for me. ENewsletters can take me anywhere from 3 hours if I'm just repurposing material that already exists to perhaps 10 hours if I'm creating content as well. If I get 5 monthly newsletter jobs, That'll be somewhere around 25-30 billable hours a month. Right now I have two, plus an email nurture campaign.

A sale on Peter Bowerman's books

Well-Fed Writer Peter Bowerman is having a scratch-and-dent sale on some of his books and resources:

“DINGED” BOOKS/CDs FOR LESS! Save a bunch on less-than-perfect products (but the same great content!) at http://wellfedwriter.com/orderwelltraveled.shtml (books) and

http://wellfedwriter.com/teleseminar.shtml (CDs).

You know, he's visited Life on Avenue Z before... :)