Chris's Biztalk posts

Finally a new approach to weight loss . . . The densifier 5000

Hey folks,

This has nothing to do with building your business, but I'm laid up at home recovering from back surgery and am bored. Check out http://haddadink.com/blog/?p=215 for a laugh.

I need a ride to bizjam . . .

Hey folks,

I'm speaking at Bizjam on Thursday, but being a carless American, I have no way of getting there.

Is anybody willing to give a poor, needy marketing weasel a ride from Cap Hill on thurs morning?

I promise to be . . . err . . .awake.

What do you want to get out of BizJam?

Hey Folks,

Bizjam is fast approaching . . . and from what I've heard it's going to be a heck of an event (and I'm not just saying that because the session I'm running with Beth Yockey Jones and Brandi Pierce is going to be absolutely KILLER . . . people will cry . . . and learn how to make their websites a heck of a lot more effective.)

So I know why I'm going to Bizjam.

But why are you going?

What are you looking forward to the most?

And what's the ONE THING you could learn at Bizjam, either during t he "Social Media" day (I'm still not sure what that term is supposed to mean . . . somebody explain it to me) or during the "Business Essentials" day that will mean you've gotten tremendous value out of the event.

Why Your Website Sucks . . . the workshop?

Hey folks,

So since posting my "Why Your website sucks" article last night I've gotten close to 500 views and a whopping number of comments.

Article here: http://biznik.com/learn/articles/marketing-sales/why-your-website-sucks

Which makes me think that the "suckiness" of most people's websites is a topic that's on a lot of people's minds.

Beth Yockey and I are considering doing a workshop where we take a small group of Bizniks and "desuckify" their sites live in the room in front of God and everybody.

Basically, we'll be walking folks through the exact process I use with my copywriting clients before I dive into their projects and will be giving them live feedback and advice they can use to amp up their website's pulling power literally overnight.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if there would be interest. My current idea is to limit the event to probably 25 people, but to only critique 10 or so websites. That way folks who are "shy" can still get something out of the workshop.

Now, this thing won't be cheap (at least not by biznik standards. By real world standards it's a steal.) But it will be staggeringly effective for the folks that show up.

TALK!

Obviously, there are only so many sites we'll be able to fit into a 2 or 3 hour session, but I think even if you don't pers

Multitasking makes you stupid

href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200711/multitasking"So Says THe Atlantic

CNN Does an Article on Office Nomads

Hey folks,

Check out http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/21/smbusiness/coworking.fsb/index.htm for a nice little article on Office Nomads (I can't believe he didn't use my quote about my desk being like Darth Vader.)

"It Couldn't Be More Personal" . . . Why There's No Such Thing As B2B Marketing

Hey Folks,

Just put up a post on my blog poking holes in the "B2B Myth" and explaining why there's no such thing as "B2B Marketing."

If you're as service pro trying to get hired by companies . . . or if you're trying to get your fingers in the pockets of those corporate fat cats, then you'll want to check it out.

Check It out

Later,

c

If/Then/Why . . . how to define what you've *really* got to sell (and who to sell it to) in 2 easy steps.

Hey folks,

Just posted a blog post guaranteed to cut through the "what the heck am I doing?" business fog and give you clarity on who you should be selling to, what you've uniquely got to offer and why you're so darned special.

Check it out at The HWW blog.

Put On Some Pants And Get To Work . . . Taking my own advice

Hey folks,

It took 45 grueling minutes of twisting a screwdriver and lugging boxes up stairs, but I'm officially all moved in at office nomads. And I have to say, after 4 years of working from home in my underwear with nothing but an Xbox and a goldfish to keep me company, it feels damned good to actually be "at work." (And I can't wait until later tonight so I can be "at home" instead of in that hellish work/home limbo I'm used to.)

I've already gotten a ton more done today than normal, have networked (and set up possible work) with folks in the office and have hassled Charlie (one of my office mates) for being late.

It's all the good stuff about working in an actual office but without the annoying, eagle-eyed boss who gets mad at you for you checking your email on company time.

From what I understand, Jacob and Susan are letting folks plop down and work for free for the rest of this week.

Come monday, they'll be making you tear your wallet out of your pocket and fork over 20 bucks. (Though the first day is always free.)

If you're looking to get some good focus time in and actually get some work done instead of watching reruns of "Guiding Light" you should get your butt down here.

Officenomads.com

Even my procrastination is more productive at Office Nomads

Hey Folks,

As I write this I'm sitting across from Jacob Sayles at Office Nomad's fantabulous new space. I've been an indie pro for 4 years now . . . and I swear I've gotten more done in the six hours I've been camped out here than I do in an average week stuck home alone.

If the walls are closing in a little too tight and you need some time with some fellow indie pros, check out OfficeNomads.com.

Your Fellow Bizniks Need Your Help . . .

Hi folks,

Chris Haddad here . . . roving word mercenary . . . former Biznik blogger . . . disturbingly good dancer . . . and I've got a quick request.

Beth Yockey Jones and I are currently working on a project designed to help solo pros and freelancers get their business out of "bust mode" and break the six figure mark . . . .

-Without hiring employees or build a big and annoying business -Without having to work like a dog (and a dog that works a lot at that.) -And without having to crawl back to employment land with your hat in your hand and a sheepish disappointed look on your face.

But to do it right, we need your help.

So please pop over to Survey Monkey and fill out our handy dandy questionnaire.

It's just a few questions and will just take a few minutes of your time . . . and your input will help us put together a project that could help a lot of people.

And when we get this thing ready for launch in a few months, we'll send you a super special free prize.

Here's the link, and thanks in advance for your help.

Click Here to take survey

PPC and Adwords specialists?

Hey folks,

I'm looking for a badass PPC specialist to do some work for my clients since:

A. It's not my area of expertise. B. I don't enjoy dealing with keywords and all that malarky.

If you are a Pay Per Click badass or know of a pay per click badass, shoot me a note.

Best, c

Wordmerc needs a ride to Bizjam

Hey folks,

I'm a carless Capitol Hill-ite and need a ride to Bizjam on Saturday morning.

Anybody going from the hill the big event and willing to give me a ride?

Will It Be Me? - My terribly embarrassing "Next Internet Millionaire" Audition Video

Joe Criso was kind enough to point out that videos for Joel Comm’s “Next Internet Millionaire” show are up. You can see mine (in which I resemble nothing so much as a bespectacled ogre) over at http://www.nextinternetmillionaire.com/show.php?id=137

Go check it out. Have a laugh. Unfortunately, it looks like they cut out the good part, which was this funny story I told about my old boss telling people I had a brain tumor instead of saying she laid me off. Lame.

Vote for me http://www.nextinternetmillionaire.com/show.php?id=137

Fire Sale!

Hey Folks,

I'm having a fire sale. Or, well, actually I'm having the polar opposite of a fire sale. I'm having a condo sale. In that I'm buying my first condo and need to get some more liquid cash coming in to cover closing costs.

So here's the deal:

If you need a sales page, web copy, a direct marketing letter, help with your branding, a brochure, consulting or anything else that has to do with selling stuff with words, pick up the phone and call 206-550-5558 now. The first 5 clients who take me up on this offer will receive an absolutely ridiculous 20% discount off their jobs--a discount potentially worth several thousands of dollars in savings.

Call now, 206-550-5558, and if you need to learn more about me, head on over to haddadink.com.

How do you charge--and why?

Hey guys,

Yesterday I posted a long, rambling rant titled "Why I don't charge hourly--and why neither should you" on the Biznik blog (http://biznik.com/blog/2007/04/09/why-i-dont-work-hourly-and-neither-should-you/)

And today I'd like to talk about it. It seems to me that one of the biggest, baddest and most annoying parts of running your own business is figuring out how much to charge.

So how do you charge for your business (not necessarily how much, but how do you structure you fees. Do you charge a flat fee? Do you charge hourly? Do you get paid up front? Do you bill?)?

And how is your current structure working for you? Are you getting paid what you think you're worth? OR do you feel like you're slaving away like a (gasp) employee?

Are your clients happy? Or are they watching the clock and counting every penny?

And if you could change one thing about the way you charge for your services, what would it be?

Giant Party Tuesday Night

Hey folks,

My good friend Josef is having his "I've been out as a gay man for 10 years" party on Tuesday night. Should be a kicker and it's for a good cause. More below:

----

JOSEF KREBS is throwing a GIANT PARTY!!!

And it's not just for me! It's a benefit for the Pride Foundation's scholarship fund.

Why? To celebrate the 10th ANNIVERSARY of my coming out! That's right! 10 GAY YEARS. TO THE DAY.

Catch performances by some of Seattle's brightest stars!

SARAH RUDINOFF, local genius, singer, and actress - she'll sing! JOSHUA ROMAN, 23-year old Principal Cellist of Seattle Symphony - he'll play! CHUCK LEGGETT, local stage legend - he'll read poetry! BRET FETZER, brilliant Seattle writer, and "arts maven" - he'll read! RACHEL HYNES, actress, and rapper extraordinary - she'll rap! RICK MILLER, singer/songwriter - he'll sing and play! BEN HAUSMANN, Principal Oboe of Seattle Symphony - he'll read a sonnet!

Yes, Yes, Yes! All of this, and more!

Rumor has it that BRANDON WHITEHEAD, in all of his brilliant wittiness, will verbally vivisect Josef Krebs before your mocking, howling laughter! This whole evening will be hosted by the charming, witty, and thoroughly handsome CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE, Arts Editor for the rag everyone loves to hate, The Stranger.

WHERE? CHAC, Lower Level - down the ramp at 1621 12th Avenue. WHEN? Tuesday, January 23, 9pm - performances start promptly at 10pm. HOW MUCH? $10 - all proceeds go to the Pride Foundation's Scholarship fund!

ANYTHING ELSE? CHAC's own Matthew Kwatinetz has made a terrific gesture! He'll give 25% of your liquor purchases to the Scholarship fund too, so drink hearty!

One more thing - FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE.

The "How to work with me" guide

So I just had one of those rare but horrifying bad client experiences. It happens. You try to give them your best and well, it's just not good enough. Or what the client wants and what you provide are like apples and starships. And while my cousin Matt was known for eating his starship toys, they really aren't that similar at all.

But the whole experience got me thinking. I'm considering putting together a 2 or 3 page "How to work me" guide. The point would be to get all the big questions answered in a friendly style before work even begins and to try to give my clients the tools they need to give useful feedback and to let me create the best possible copy that will both make them money and make them happy.

Anyway, it's just a germ of an idea, but I was wondering if any of you fine Bizniks had tried something similar.

c

Top Ten Marketing Mistakes - Live and in your ears

Hey folks,

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be recording and posting the content of "The Top Ten Marketing Mistakes Made By Small Businesses and How to Avoid Them" class as a series of podcasts.

For those of you who have taken the class, are there any particular questions you'd like to have answered?

How to get internet famous

Hey folks,

A while back I put up a Biznik blog post called "Dear Indie." It was short. It was fun. It featured a picture of dear abbey. And it answered a question posed by a Biznik and had a nice long comment thread on it too.

So here's what a I want, Biznik: Questions!

Got a burning indie business question you just desperately want answered but don't know where to turn? Ask! Indie will go off into the world, find th e answer (or find someone who knows the answer) and post it right there on the Biznik blog. You'll be internet famous! Or if you'd rather, you can be anonymously internet famous! It's all up to you. It's a win, win, win situation.

You can either post your questions here or shoot them over to me personally at chris AT haddadink dot com.

Later

c