It’s Important

We know vacations are a boon to our mental health, and we might have some awareness that they’re beneficial to our physical health – but chances are vacations are even more important than you realize. Taking part in leisure activities is shown to lead to lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and smaller waists, and one study found vacations lead to a significantly lower risk of mortality. That’s right – taking a break from time to time can actually contribute to your long-term survival!

Interestingly, even if we have an understanding of the benefits vacations offer our bodies, it’s often harder for us to recognize that vacations are actually critical to being effective at work. Do you know that some scientists have found that stress shrinks your brain (an effect that can be reversed after a period of rest)? Even small vacations actually change your brain waves, leading to improved reaction times, clarity and creativity.

So, when you jokingly (or not so jokingly) exclaim, “I need a vacation!” the truth is, you really do.

For me, because I’m truly nutty as a fruitcake and addicted to goal-setting, I often make mental health-related goals for myself that I hope to achieve while on vacation. During some breaks, I seek to jump start my creative juices by trying new things, while other times I pause to reflect on the directions I’m taking my business and my life. This time, I’ll be doing something especially radical: striving to turn my thoughts off almost completely – to be 100% in the moment, with no thoughts whatsoever (no easy feat for an OCD gal like myself, but I’m hoping it will lead to a helpful recharging).

What vacations or mini-breaks do you have coming up this summer, and what do you hope to accomplish (or avoid) as a result? Let us know in the comments, and if you haven’t decided when your next break is, start planning!

Image: Meawpong3405 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For example:
I love to sing — but no one ever accused me of being the next American Idol. I’m more of a sing-a-long at the pub after one too many-kind of singer. No use trying to pursue it any further than that – no one would pay me to sing, so I don’t focus my time on making that happen.

On the other hand, I’m pretty good at large-scale project management: corralling disperse people, companies and information to make a long-term program work or a big deliverable come together within deadlines. Over the years, a number of clients have paid me pretty well to do this activity, and I have the gray hairs to prove it. I’ve discovered that though this can be a lucrative business offering for me, I’d rather work with someone else to manage the truly enormous projects.

What does this mean for you?
These are just a couple of my own personal examples of knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. It’s often a challenge to stay centered and not get pulled away from our areas of focus, but recognizing what to relentlessly pursue – and perhaps even more importantly, when to pass – is critical to avoiding burnout and thriving as a successful, profitable consultant.

If you haven’t lately, be brutally honest with yourself and take some time to think through where you should be focusing. Share your experiences and decisions with us in the comments!

Find a PR Consultant and New Business Leads

Many of us are contacted by companies looking for PR assistance, and we find they aren’t a good fit for our own businesses. In the past, when you didn’t know where to send them, it could create a sticky situation. Or perhaps as a solo PR pro yourself, you’re looking for a collaborator in an area where you don’t have any current contacts.

A new solution is here: the Solo PR Pro Find a PR Consultant public form, and the associated PRO member New Business Leads feature. The fact that new business leads submitted through this form are posted exclusively for the savvy Solo PR PRO premium members provides a key benefit to those using it – it means the organization (or you) won’t be bombarded by every Tom, Dick and Harry looking to make a buck.

There’s no fee for either the submitter or the consultant, and Solo PR PRO does not act as an intermediary. This service is simply provided as an easy way for organizations and independent PR consultants to find each other and begin the discussion/proposal process (both sides are encouraged to do their due diligence).

Show Me the Money, Part Four: Project/Value Pricing, Retainers and More

The Show Me the Money! course now includes almost 80 pages (and counting) of detailed, specific advice on how much to charge and how make your business as profitable as it can be. In the fourth installment, released today, we look at how to move beyond hourly billing to more lucrative arrangements. Checkout the Learning Center to see all the educational materials now available – more added each month.

Some of you may be thinking this is a weird way to do a launch (even a soft launch) – providing all the announced features and a ton of content while there’s still a day left to get in on the beta. Of course, you’re right! We just wanted to make sure our regular readers and community members have every opportunity to see what’s available and take advantage (you can cancel any time).

We have a lot more planned for the membership site in the coming months, so stay tuned and please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments below!

Solo PR pros are well aware that valuing diversity among our colleagues is not just for multicultural clients and initiatives (duh) – and we have the relationships to prove it. It’s a fact that no two people have the same background, and those varied experiences shape our outlook and opinions (not to mention make life more interesting – can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same?!). Embracing varied opinions is one of the keys to better PR and marketing, as we know.

You might not expect a post about diversity from a WASP-y southern gal like me, but perhaps that’s exactly why I need to write it. I’ve never done a “list post” before – they’re always subjective, and the odds are 100% that you’ll forget someone you meant to include. But with that caveat out of the way, here are some of the amazing colleagues who are impacting me each day:

Shonali Burke
Shonali, principal at Shonali Burke Consulting, is an award-winning, accredited solo PR pro and founder of Twitter’s #measurepr chat. Originally from India, she’s a leading speaker on the topic of integrated, research-based, measurable communications that support business objectives (and the fact that she loves Elvis is a bonus!).

Jacqui Chew
Jacqui is the founder and principal at iFusion Marketing, which specializes in helping media and Internet-enabled start-ups connect with their audiences. Co-organizer of TEDxPeachtree and a board member of the Atlanta Press Club, Jacqui is a dynamo whose energy never ceases to amaze me.

Mustafa Stefan Dill
Mustafa, known to regular participants in the #solopr Twitter chat as @MuslimNewMedia, is the founder of Ummah Relations. A former journalist, he specializes in media strategies for Islamic institutions/businesses, and has done so during some highly challenging periods in recent years. I greatly admire his ability to merge his passions with his business – something we can all learn from.

Wesley Faulkner
Wesley’s background is actually in technology, but his strategic smarts and engaging personality meant he was a natural to move into the marketing realm. A fixture on the social media scene since the very beginning, Wesley is now digital strategist for Snoball, a new company that makes social giving easy and fun. Social good has been a passion of Wesley’s for some time, and I’m proud of him for making his dream a reality.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn
Amanda, social PR strategist and online branding coach at Mopwater PR, never backs away from a challenge. In addition to being a Columnist at Black Enterprise, she’s also Co-Founder of the new organization, ColorComm: Women of Color in Communications.  Amanda is one of those generous people who sees a need and fills it, and she’s been an enormous inspiration to me throughout the Solo PR Pro journey.

Jami Reyes
Jami (rhymes with mommy), Principal at Jami Reyes & Co., is a Honduran-born, DC-raised, and Miami-adopted public and government relations consultant. Always one to add some fun to a Twitter conversation, Jami also takes her work seriously and knows how to get great results for her clients.
 

Stanford Smith
Having just recently (belatedly) discovered his Pushing Social blog, I don’t personally know Stanford, but I’m determined to change that. With a fun-to-read writing style and a wealth of knowledge I need to learn, Stanford has reminded me that there are always great new blogs and voices to discover. I can only imagine how good he must be at his day job as VP Marketing/Strategy at Fluency Media – maybe this blog post will be our introduction (if he’s not afraid of my stalker-esque stance!).

Dee Stewart
Dee is the owner of DeeGospel PR, where she merges her Christian faith with her business by specializing in supporting related publishers, music labels, musicians and authors. She started her Christian Fiction Blog in 2005, and under her pen name, Miranda Parker, Dee is the author of the Angel Crawford Bounty Hunter series of books. I love that Dee has built her business around what she finds most important (noticing a theme?), and she’s an amazing person to boot.

Karen D. Swim
As many in the Solo PR Pro community can attest, Karen, public relations and marketing communications specialist at Words For Hire, LLC, is not just a consummate professional, but also one of the kindest people on the planet. An extremely early adopter of social media, she engages in none of the posturing one expects from others in that crowd. Karen’s Twitter bio states she’s “quietly doing work I love for people/orgs I believe in and that inspire my respect” – she has my utmost respect, to be sure.

Dr. Natalie Tindall
Dr. Tindall, chair of PRSA’s Diversity Committee, is a professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University. You may be surprised to learn that she’s also hilariously funny (I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Tindall at an event at UGA in 2008, and her comments from the peanut gallery kept me cracking up the whole time). Dr. Tindall will continue to be one of the leading voices on diversity in public relations moving forward, so she’s definitely one to watch.

Tiffany Winbush
Tiffany Winbush is a NYC-based solo PR and Social Media Strategist with a background in media issues, having worked with Clear Channel Communications. She’s also the creator of Women Making Moves, which highlights outstanding achievements of women in their careers, communities and business. Tiffany has always impressed me as someone interested in helping other pros get ahead, and I admire her generosity.

These are just a few of the literally thousands of diverse leaders in PR and marketing who influence me each year. Who are some of your influencers?

For me, I purposely selected this day to release some new deliverables and features for the Solo PR PRO Premium membership site (including Part Three of the Show Me the Money! course, which includes comparison info on what other PR consultants are charging, and our new PRO Premium members-only searchable database). I’m also taking this opportunity to announce that the PRO Premium site will emerge from beta one month from today, on March 29.

Though a bit cliché, sometimes these little calendar reminders can help remind and prod us to pause, reflect, and take the next step down our career paths. Setting the above Leap Day goals for myself certainly served as an ongoing motivator for me.

What would you like to accomplish by the time the next February 29 rolls around, in the year 2016? What can you do to start leaping ahead today? Be sure to let us know your goals and accomplishments in the comments!

What do you think? What would be in your graphic?
 

I’m always honored to have an opportunity to spread the word about the level of experience, professionalism, and expertise available in the Solo PR Pro community. I truly believe 2012 is the year the majority of those who purchase and hire public relations services will recognize that we’re all strengthened by the availability of top notch talent on a contract basis. It’s my mission to have this as part of the legacy of this blog – you all deserve it!

Do you agree with my premise? Was there anything I missed? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

This post contributed by Content & Community Specialist Heather Rast.

The early weeks of every year can be pretty symbolic. We give ourselves a pass to shirk the poor work habits of just a few weeks prior. Hopes abound that a big red “re-do” button will let us start anew on the lists of tasks gathering crumbs on the edge of the desk. A fresh start to make smart choices, and all that.

By now we know that some well-intentioned efforts falter, just as others prevail. With this realistic point of view in mind, I hope to improve your odds of saying goodbye to some small but significant hazards to leading an independent career, and instead wring a little more out of your annual planning.

Money

Stop avoiding discussions about money. Businesses large and small have to make money, and you have the right to ask for some when giving counsel, discussing plans, and pitching in. Yes, sometimes it can be awkward to inject a clarifying statement (“Sure, I can write up some of my thoughts on that so you can review recommendations against your budget.”) but I’ve found it only gets stickier if you allow your anxiety to grow, impede interest in immersing yourself in the work, or cloud your objectivity.

Time

Chances are, one of the things you enjoy most about being your own boss is the flexibility of managing your own time. Even while client obligations drive some aspects of scheduling, I’ve found happiness in a more fluid concept of “work hours” than I experienced as an employee. Riding tandem with my ability to walk away from my desk for a few hours is a greater importance on time management. Dare I say, when you’re working for “the man,” a bit of time at the coffee machine or digesting the latest mass-emailed joke is of little concern. When you work for yourself, it’s better to avoid those time-sucks and find shortcuts for routine chores. Working 12-hour days isn’t healthy or sustainable, and it can be hard to stop the spiral.

Resources

Hand-in-hand with making the best use of your time is the need for the right tools for the job. In the time I’ve been in business, I’ve tested and trialed my way through a fair number of tools and apps that were seemingly must-haves for solos.

I’m keeping: Freshbooks and Hootsuite.  I tossed: LinkedIn Gold, Scribe SEO, Sprout Social and Zoho Projects.

In my experience the premium LinkedIn subscription didn’t net me better access or more insight. Any number of good WordPress plug-ins can rival Scribe SEO. And while Sprout Social has some neat features for finding potential connections, I’ve found at the mechanics of scheduling outweigh potential data mining. Besides, I use a BuzzStream trick for that. Oh, and Zoho Projects is like having surgery to remove a splinter. Try Asana or Get It Done! instead.

Before reading on, think about your recurring monthly expenses – what are you dragging your feet on cancelling or downgrading? If unnecessary costs add up to $25 per month, that’s $300 a year you could allocate to a more worthwhile line item. Like a new ergonomic chair.

Protection

Now’s the time to stop thinking about business insurance and start retaining business insurance (trust me, I’m admonishing myself at this moment as much as advising you). Do you have life insurance? Medical insurance? So if you understand the concept of risk, why bet your assets and future earnings on any number of simple incidents that could devastate what you’re trying to build?

Planning Ahead

One of our many jobs is that of an engineer. Part of making growth plans for the business includes understanding the fundamentals – and fluctuations – of our earnings. Some of the best dollars I’ve ever spent went to tax counsel and accounting delivered by a professional. While I tried a CPA at first, I quickly realized her company’s methods and billing structure were better suited to a $8 million/year business. I turned to my local SCORE chapter and quickly got a lead on a savvy accountant who takes on the lions’ share of thinking and doing for me, and at a reasonable cost.

These are some recommendations I’d make to any indie aiming to get a leg up on 2012 planning. What would you add? What did I miss?

2011 Has been a great year for Solo PR Pro. We grew our readership (which means we’re helping more indies get the information they need) and participation in our weekly Twitter chat (thanks to everyone spreading the good word with the #solopr hash tag) expanded to include more people in related marketing communications disciplines. Our Solo PR PRO membership site was launched, and we added to our team.

With so many good things happening, it seems fitting to take a look back over some popular content here on the blog to reflect on what’s important to our community. Maybe you’ll re-discover a jewel post you’ve already enjoyed (hey – share it with someone you know!), or read a post where you can offer a fresh, constructive dissenting opinion. Let’s continue to push our smart, vibrant community of independent practitioners with thought-provoking dialogue, and lend our support with sound advice and tips.

We’re glad you’re a part of Solo PR Pro and look forward to helping you achieve even greater levels of success in 2012!

Most popular blog posts of the year

How to charge for social media services
Get It In Writing! A guide to writing contracts for your business
Setting rates: A field guide
Whores, pimps, and the people who love them
What you need to know about PR today
10 foolproof ways to waste money on PR
10 foolproof excuses to network and reconnect
Cost, price, and value – there is a difference
How to build a name for yourself
PR stands for pack rat: The highly ineffective habits of storing our work
44 Tools for the PR consultant’s toolbox

This post was written by Heather Rast.

It’s that time of year again. The time where independent consultants think about this year’s work and how to move into the new year with sound footing.

Over the last three years, we’ve had several blog posts and Twitter chats related to reducing tax liabilities and managing expenses. Below are some highlights from the most-loved posts and the Solo PR Pro community.

Collecting on unpaid bills

Ensuring you’re paid for the work you do is a critical step to solo success. As you look to do this more effectively in 2012, a few top tips from our March 2010 #SoloPR Twitter chat on this topic include:

• Build collection term language into your contract
• Follow up repeat requests with notice that bringing in your attorney will be your next step to resolving the collection issue
• Screen new clients very carefully; request a deposit for services up front
• One accountant’s position: an LLC can write off tangibles, but not debts related to unpaid invoices for services

Tax and expense help

In a past post for for laid off workers, we shared these tips that apply to anyone:

• Be sure to track any and all expenses while performing work independently. Every parking stub, mile driven, and notebook purchased can help lower your tax liability.
• Be careful not to underestimate your taxes while solo. You’re now responsible for the full amount of FICA instead of half (when employed, your company paid the other half). This can be a rude wake-up call if you don’t set aside enough of your solo earnings for taxes when its received.
• Not sure how long you’ll stay solo, because it wasn’t part of your master plan? You can still earn income consulting if you operate under your own name and use a Schedule C when filing your taxes.

Passing along expenses to clients

During a recent #SoloPR chat, we discussed how to bill expenses to clients, and participants shared the following advice:

• Have a monthly “Administrative” line item for retainer clients that covers consulting-related expenses. Those expenses are built into the hourly fee charged project-based clients.
• Some advised that every expense is different. Some are direct billed, others split between clients, while still others are considered the cost of doing business (and accounted for within the rate).
• Consider passing expenses along as a clear, detailed line item on the invoice after pre-arranging in advance for the expense in the contract.

Accelerate Expenses

• Consider “accelerating your expenses” by buying things you know you’ll need (and can afford) now instead of early 2012. By doing so, you’ll enjoy the tax break of the expense now. Investments like desks, an ergonomic chair, a secondary computer, or new printer can be bought now so that the expense shows up on the 2011 ledger. If you pay for them in January 2012, chances are you’ll have incurred no interest on the credit card charge plus have received the tax break.

What are your favorite year-end strategies? Let us know in the comments!