You're having a baby! Congratulations. While this is such an exciting time, when you run your own solo PR business it can also be quite stressful. After all, in some countries, such as the U.S. you often aren't eligible for the same sort of paid parental leave...
Solo PR Staff
Best Practices for Setting Rates as a Solo PR Pro
Figuring out your rates is often the hardest part of being a business owner, especially when people are so often reluctant to talk transparently about numbers. When you’re a new solo PR pro, you might find yourself wondering: How the heck am I supposed to know what to...
The Importance of Business Development in a Tough Economy
For solo PR pros, business development is an important, ongoing process. Continually looking for ways to grow your business is the name of the game, especially during uncertain economic times. In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, hosts...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Pennie Rorex
After 40+ years in the public relations industry, Pennie Rorex, chief marketing consultant at Rorex Marketing Solutions, is preparing to close the book on this chapter of her life. Later this year, she’ll retire from her long PR and marketing career to focus on other...
Embrace — Don’t Fear — That AI is Here
Ready or not, AI is here. In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane encourage PR pros to lean into AI tools like ChatGPT instead of fearing them. Focus on how AI can help ease your workload It...
5 Tools to Help You Start Your Solo PR Business
So, you’ve decided to start your own solo PR business. Congratulations! That’s great. Striking out on your own can be overwhelming as you are faced with a myriad of decisions. You have likely collected volumes of information about starting and running a business, and...
Take a Lesson From Southwest and Prepare for Crises
In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane discuss the nightmare that was Southwest Airlines’ system failure over the holidays. They also dive into how solo PR pros can help their clients prepare for these...
5 Ways to Reinvigorate Your Solo Business
If you've been at this solo thing for a while, you may not feel that burst of inspiration you'd hope for heading into the new year. But think of this fresh start as a time to reinvent and reinvigorate your business. Here are five simple ways to breathe new life...
4 Solo PR Pros on How They Knew It Was The Right Time to Start Their Business
There's truly no better time to become a solo PR professional — and the data backs it up. If you're considering leaving a traditional agency or in-house communications gig to go out on your own, you probably have a lot on your mind. Is becoming a solo PR pro the...
Solo PR Pros, 2023 is Your Time to Shine — Here’s What the Data Says
Solo PR pros, here’s some good news as we head into 2023: It’s a great time to be doing what you do. A report from Axios highlights how “many startups, VCs and agencies are scouring for communication consultants, and the opportunities are ripe for those looking...
10 of Our Favorite Posts Published on the Solo PR Pro Blog in 2022
Hello 2023! As we kick off a new year, we took some time to reflect on all the content we published in 2022. Spoiler: It's a lot of great content, if we do say so ourselves! Top 10 blog posts published on Solo PR Pro in 2022 Here are 10 of our favorite blog posts...
2022 Solo PR Pro Premium Member Accomplishments
It's time to send the year off in style by celebrating the accomplishments of our talented Solo PR Pro Premium members from the last 12 months. 2022 Solo PR Pro Premium member accomplishments Several of our members chimed in to share what they are most proud of...
5 Solos Share Their No. 1 Business Goal for 2023
Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on to achieve your goals. In this series, we ask five Solo PR Pro Premium members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for...
6 Professional Pet Peeves That Rankle PR Pros
What is it about your work that gets under your skin? No matter the profession, we all encounter workplace pet peeves in our interactions with colleagues, clients, vendors, journalists — you name it! In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast,...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet J.W. Arnold, APR, Fellow PRSA
J.W. Arnold knows what makes for a good story. It’s an innate skill, but also comes from his background as a public affairs reporter for a regional chain of newspapers in western Missouri. Today, as principal of PR firm PRDC, J.W. can not only...
How To Evaluate a Client That Is New to PR
Picture this: You’ve set up a meeting with a prospective client, only to learn… they have never worked with a PR professional before. What do you do? Is this the right client for you? Clients that are brand new to the world of public relations can present...
How to navigate client planning for a new year
The new year is right around the corner, and, of course, you know what that means. It’s time to start thinking, if you haven’t already, about what’s in store for 2023. When it comes to planning for a new calendar year with your clients, every solo PR pro seems to...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Melissa Vela-Williamson, M.A., APR, CDP
The real question is: what can’t Melissa Vela-Williamson do? She’s a wife, mom, PR pro, thought leader and, most recently, author. As chief communication architect at her PR firm, MVW Communications, she’s a solo business owner, too. Strategic partner to...
Going Beyond Media Relations: Other Services Solo PR Pros Can Offer
A big misconception about public relations is that the only thing PR pros do is media relations. As we know, that couldn't be further from the truth. Here's how the Public Relations Society of America defines public relations: “Public relations is a strategic...
The Marketplace of You: Seeing Your Small Business as a Valuable Asset
When you think of the value of your solo PR business, what do you include? The results you get for your clients, the revenue you bring into the business and the salary you are able to pay yourself and your team are all likely to top the list. But do you ever...
34 Business Tools to Lighten The Load and Level Up Your Solo PR Game
Solo PR Pros are always on the hunt for great business tools. As a solo PR professional, you are an expert juggler — you keep all of your clients, projects, pitches, emails and processes flying through the air at top speed. Your work is often time-sensitive and highly...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Mary Deming Barber, APR, Fellow PRSA
For more than 40 years, Mary Deming Barber made her mark in the world of public relations. She recently retired as president and CEO of The Barber Group, a strategic communication and PR consultancy she founded in June 2000. Throughout her storied career, Mary served...
5 Solos Share How to Stay Motivated As a Business Owner When You’re in a Lull
Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on for motivation, inspiration and support. In this series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources...
Financial Strategies to Help Your Business Weather Economic Uncertainty
As solo business owners, it’s easy to get so focused on working in your business that you forget to take the time to work on your business — which includes making smart choices about finances. As the nation faces inflation, stock market swings and other economic...
The Future of Work Is Fluid: Rethinking Your Nonlinear Career Path
Much of today’s conversation about the future of work focuses on technology, especially the way that technology enables remote work. It’s a topic that has understandably risen to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. But to strategic consultant, podcast host and...
9 Representations of PR on the Big (and Little) Screen: The Good, the Cringe and the Downright Hilarious
In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Podcast, Michelle Kane and Karen Swim share some of the most popular representations of PR on TV and in the movies. Some are pretty accurate, and others are…not even close. As Michelle says, “We thought this...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Ebony Vaz
Ebony Vaz’s path to PR was a bit untraditional. “I’ve had quite an interesting background, but it’s funny how it all comes together with what I do now,” she explains. In college, Ebony studied industrial engineering — an area she was inspired to pursue after watching...
Back to School! 3 Solo PR Pros on Becoming an Adjunct Instructor
For many solo PR pros, the idea of becoming an adjunct instructor at a local college or university can be appealing. "Being an educator keeps me on my toes and forces me to know the latest trends, tips and techniques for working in communications," says Kristie...
Nomad, No Problem: How to Manage Your Business From Abroad
Jennifer Donovan always knew she wanted to live abroad. “I started traveling internationally in my teenage years,” she says. “I caught that wanderlust bug and realized I have a huge curiosity for other cultures, foods, languages and people.” After school, Jennifer...
3 Green Flags Solo PR Pros Should Seek Out in a Client
In solo PR and business owner circles, we talk a lot about red flags to keep an eye out for when prospecting, onboarding and working with new clients. You know what we're talking about when we say red flags — clients who pay late (or worse, don't pay at all), clients...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Ben Finzel
Born and raised in Washington D.C., Ben Finzel's interest in politics and current events began when he was just a kid. “Growing up in D.C., I think you either hate all of that because you’re surrounded by it, or you gravitate toward it,” he says. “For me, it was...
5 Solos PR Pros Share How They Structure Their Work Day
Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on. In this monthly series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for managing their solo...
How to Handle Tough Client Conversations
Awkward conversations are…well, awkward. No one wants to have them, but sometimes as a Solo PR Pro, they are inevitable when it comes to clients. In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, Karen Swim and Michelle Kane discuss how to...
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Jen Peterson
Jen Peterson didn’t start her career with the intention of running her own PR business, but after nearly 30 years in the industry, she’s definitely proven she’s in the right spot. No stranger to change, Jen grew up moving a lot. She lived up and down the East Coast,...
How to Better Manage Your Time (Instead of Letting It Manage You)
How do you manage your time? As solo PR pros, we have a lot to do — and not a lot of time to do it. If only there were more time in the day, the months, the years. Unfortunately, unless someone invents a way to expand time, we’re stuck with what we’ve got. But perhaps...
Why PR Awards Matter and How To Win Them: Best Practices From PR Pros
Award programs can be an important part of PR work. A few of our savvy solos offer tips to create award winning submissions for you and your clients.
Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Daria Steigman
Two of Daria Steigman’s passions met at a crossroads during her college years. She grew up as the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, which meant her childhood was spent in several different locations around the globe, including the Congo, Libya, France, Nigeria and Gabon....
5 Tips for Working with the Media in 2022
Journalism has changed a lot over the last few years, but you don't have to feel left behind. One thing that hasn't changed? Media relations remain an important part of the PR world. You can still provide valuable, unique and timely information to journalists....
Change is the New Normal: How to Keep Up With it All as a Solo PR Pro
Change is something you’re probably very familiar with as a small business owner. But the past few years have brought on a dizzying amount of pivoting, and it’s left most of us with a severe case of business whiplash. Luckily, Chip Griffin, founder of Small Agency...
5 Solos Share How to Break Into A Different Sector of Business
Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on. In this monthly series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for managing their solo...
Uncertain Times: 12 Resources for Solo PR Pros
The last few years haven't been easy — for anyone. We have all had tough times as we have confronted unimaginable challenges. With loss, strife and conflict, it's difficult these days not to feel a bit despondent by the state of the world. Maybe you've also felt...