In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights some of the most popular tweets from the chat:

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, weigh in on the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

1a. What news release/news wire services get your high ranking? Free or for a fee. What has worked for you? #solopr

1b. Do you ever get inbound media interest solely from an announcement over the wire these days? #solopr

2. How do you handle a client that thinks they can control the media’s coverage (the angle, or picking the shot, for example)? #solopr

3. Does your work slow down at any point in December? If so, when? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. What tool, if any, do you use for online bookmarking/sharing? #solopr

2. If low-profile prospect asks for references from your high profile clients, & you don’t want to share contact info, what to do? #solopr

3. Will you send a snail mail, ecard, enewsletter or other holiday greeting? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

During the October 12 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed new business for 2012, working from a home office, charging for trade show work, and renegotiating client contracts. Specifically, the following questions were addressed:

1. What are you doing right now to get more business for 2012?
2. If you work from a home office, are you pleased w/the set up and how it looks?
3. Client is trade show. How do you charge for three 10-hour days?
4. Client recently hired someone, now says out of money- seeks to renegotiate contract $, w/same responsibilities. What to do?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

In that time, there have been some opportunities missed because of the public nature of our various channels. Many of you have also stated this – there are things you’d prefer not to send out to the whole world, but you’d be happy to exchange this information with others in our community.

To meet these needs, we’re happy to unveil the premium Solo PR PRO membership site, now in public beta (at special beta pricing). Specifically for us, this premium PRO content offers road-tested deliverables and downloads, a members-only Forum, a special upcoming Show Me the Money! series on setting rates, and much more.

Why do we need a PRO membership site? I did a quick video to explain the reasoning, and some of the benefits:

If you can’t view this video, watch it on YouTube.

Though some of the Solo PR PRO membership site features won’t be available until after the first of the year, we wanted to go ahead and share this beta content with you at a low initial rate (locked in for life for those who sign-up early), which will increase slowly over time for new subscribers as more content is added. That way, you can start putting the current content to use as you plan for 2012 (never too early to start!).

What does it cost?
As indie consultants, price is always a key consideration – as it should be. Though we’ve seen membership sites that cost $50 a month or more (and they have generic content that often doesn’t apply to indie consultants like us), we’re doing our best to keep costs low so everyone can participate.

The deal: While we’re still in beta for the next few weeks, you can join for just $14 a month, and be a Charter member! The cool part is: you’ll lock in this monthly rate for as long as you maintain your PRO membership (but, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, you can cancel any time). We’re also offering a money-saving Annual Subscription for just $120 for the year. In addition to the price break, the Annual Subscription offers the tax benefits of purchasing now for the year ahead.

For more details of all the offerings and to sign-up, just visit: Become a PRO Member.

We’re excited to offer something that can help you be more efficient, effective, and profitable in your business, and we fully expect that this content (especially the fee-setting info) will help many PRO members increase their profits by thousands of dollars in 2012. That’s the mission that will drive everything around this effort.

If you have any questions, just let us know in the comments. Hope you can join us!

1. Does it ever make sense to pull an all-nighter? Why or why not?
2. When do you say “I can’t” or “I don’t” and when/why?
3. What role do we have in minimizing or amplifying non-client organizational blunders, before they become a crisis?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF format for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

1. How do you pass expenses/subscriptions to your clients – in your rate, separate administration fee, direct expense line, other?
2. Do you make use of your personal social network for business purposes?
3. When does crossing the personal/professional line go too far?  Can you alienate your non-PR friends?
4. Do you have a method for building an email list from web site visitors?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF format for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Are You A Highly Social Animal?

Do you love to hang out by the coffee machine at work and chat? People who receive energy from working in close proximity with others for extended periods of time may have difficulty adjusting to life with limited external stimulation. Sure, even solos use the phone, attend meetings, and jump into social media discussions. But those in-between spaces are when solos are most productive, and likely feel the most fulfilled. For solo-oriented pros, water cooler talk may be the source of more frustration than relief from afternoon tedium.

Does Networking Make You Cringe?

After the point above, this one may sound counterintuitive, but successful solo pros are capable of quickly, easily slipping into networking mode for new business or when a job calls for it. If in-person events make you want to hide in the bathroom while downing your double-fisted drinks, you may want to re-think hanging out your shingle. Networking is an absolute must for developing a client base and building a web of acquaintances in key positions.

Do You Prefer To Take Anothers’ Lead?

No judgements here – this world of ours requires all types of people to run it, from dreamers to planners to doers. Achieving success on your own means, by definition, that you’re comfortable setting goals, making recommendations, and defending decisions. The person on point is you.

Are You Looking For A Smooth Ride?

Think about the picturesque 9-to-5 gig where good people show up, do good work, and go home to their personal lives. Yeah, well, being solo can be the complete opposite of that.  If you don’t want to work crazy hours while juggling 9 bouncing balls and have your mind race at all hours (“Did I remember to send that conference report?”), then you may want to re-think going solo. Or have the budget for a virtual assistant, at least. There’s probably not a solo out there who doesn’t have days when he/she wished for a clock to punch.

Are You Financially Capable?

Nothing says “you’re on your own now ” like managing the books, paying vendors, and following-up on late receivables, and it also brings the practical necessity of positive cash flow into sharp relief. If you carry high balances on your credit cards, squeak by paycheck to paycheck, or have a spouse in a precarious job situation, you may want to resolve core issues before trying to venture out on your own.  Combined with a financial cushion in the bank, the ability to delay the instant gratification of impulse purchases is a key skill for the successfully self-employed.

If You’ve Got the Goods

The most successful solos are people whose work is talked about. They leave a trail of happy clients and co-workers behind them, and have done this for most of their careers. Long hours, clattering away at a keyboard, often fly by before we realize it’s time to close down  for the night.

If you answered no to the questions above, and want to be in charge of your own destiny, you can do it! Whether you start your business now or in the future, it’s never too early to start planning.

If you’re an indie consultant, what do you think are the key qualities we need to possess? Any potential pitfalls those considering consulting should keep in mind?

1. In last weeks’ newsletter, we discussed client budget plans. Seeing budget increases/decreases?
2. Today Klout changed its algorithm (bit.ly/rCSLOZ) and made many scores drop.  Anyone have clients concerned with this?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

1. At #prsaicon, @chrisbrogan said impressions don’t matter, it’s *leverage* to get ppl to share your stuff. What do you think?
2. How has the mix of your #PR activities changed in recent years? How much time spent blding influence/courting influencers, etc
3. Are you looking to grow, or looking to stay solo? Why or why not?
4. (per @AmySept): How do you choose the right indies to partner with?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions in the comments below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!