comments

Nice offer! My guess is 82.

If I don't win and you're open to renting the space out for a fee, I'd love to come see it. Having a suitable space for my workshops has been an ongoing need.

Great real life example of brilliant marketing! There's a similar place in Mukilteo called Grouchy Chef -- gourmet food, most dishes under $10, prepared and served by a proud Japanese man with a word-of-mouth reputation that draws a crowd at his door from the time he opens at 11am. No substitutions. Cash only. No tipping. He has very entertaining hand-written signs like this one in the restroom: "No smoking. If you burn down my place, I'll see you in hell."

Drats. After saying this would normally be a good night for me, I had to reschedule a workshop when we all decided we'd rather see Martha Beck at Borders Books this Wed night (4th Ave, Seattle at 5:30pm). So I'm now booked for May 1st. Keep me in the loop for future coach gatherings!

Yep, I submitted mine early Tues morning and it was posted today, so roughly 48 hours. Very speedy considering that Dan/Lara had to read it, along with loads of other articles, events, etc. that they're reviewing. Hope to see your article soon, Alex!

I completely agree. It's never too late to start anything new, including a business. When I took the leap over five years ago, it helped to create a transition plan that went through the first full year of my business. There were some rough patches to be sure, but overall I stuck to realistic goals for that first year and gathered up the support and information I needed. I had to crawl before I could walk-- very much like rebirth... feeling that all was new and I was awkward at a lot of it.

I'm sure you were drawn to start your business for reasons that are very meaningful and worthwhile to you. And, it seems you've already taken the plunge, so there's no need to look back and question that decision. You're on the path. Enjoy it.

This is such a wonderful offer -- thank you! I have to say I'm pretty nervous about doing this, but it's worth taking the plunge.

Mosaic would be a good choice. It's in Wallingford, so not too hard to get to from the Eastside and pretty central for Seattle folks. I'd be fine with My Day Office as well, although it's not as convenient to access. Wed nights are best for me and Thursdays are ok too except for May 8th. Thanks!

What's the most important skill or offering you impart to your clients when it comes to this topic? What's your gem? Your life raft idea conjures up certain images, but I have the sense that your most helpful offering is more like an anchor. Surviving the rough patches in a small business is very much about anchoring yourself to what you know and trust, staying centered. That's where I go with it anyway, but what's important is you and the specific gem you offer. Maybe some images or words will come to mind that describe that key offering. The more you can narrow it down, the easier it should be to hit on the perfect phrase.

I'm in too. Eastside or Seattle, weekday nights preferable although could possibly do a Sat. breakfast.

Great, thanks! Looking forward to meeting you.

--Debbie

The heading for my profile isn't aligned properly. It's a little too high. Same for my logo. Doesn't seem to be a way for me to fix this on my end. Anyway to adjust this? Thanks!

Howard, I have a conflict that day and would need to leave at 1. Would it be disruptive for me to miss the second half and leave during the lunch break? I want to be respectful to the group. Your thoughts?

Great article -- wish I had this advice five years ago! I also agree with Molly's comment: facing your finances with the lights on is a must. I'd like to add another tip, if I may: Ask for help. When appropriate (and available), it can be much better to get financial support from close family members instead of building up credit card debt. Some of my clients have had great success with this and have family members who became "angel investors." Obviously, this requires healthy family relationships... and family members with money, but it can be an option for people if they can get over their fear of asking.

This is an amazing new feature -- thank you!! I plan to use it. I've been thinking for a while of taking videos of my workshop presentations and then posting a few minutes on my website. This will motivate me to get going on it. It's nice to see clips of people doing their thing or just talking about their business. It will help round out the profiles and I know I'll appreciate the extra information when I'm looking up services/businesses. It's certainly not a substitute for getting out there to events and meeting people in person, but a great supplement to our profiles. I really admire what you've done with biznik and how you keep raising the bar to offer more to the community.

I was expecting business to slow, thinking that people would hold off on making life transitions during rough economic times, but the opposite has been true. For some people (who happen to be my kind of clients), frustration about the economy, the war, global warming, etc. seems to heighten focus on their true priorities in life. They have a fire lit under them to get out of a dead end job or relationship and live a better life. While they may feel powerless to significantly impact national or global issues, they recognize the opportunity to change something they do have control over in their own lives. Interesting to think about. Thanks for the question, Frank.

Thanks for the clarification. Christian's examples with Domino's and Biznik were particularly helpful.