This is an article for multi-talented and full of potential self-employed business owners who want to identify their first or next best business offering. Those just starting out will get clarity on what offering to start with, and more established businesses will learn which offerings to expand to. I help you analyze your offering ideas and prioritize your business offerings.
Read MoreEarnest aspiring business owners like yourself want to make wise decisions when it comes to launching their business. Marketplace websites can seem very attractive for those who worry about where customers will come from. Marketplaces attract just as much competition as customers. And do you really need competition? I say you don't! Allow me to illuminate what you need to know to launch a fruitful business.
Read MoreThis article is for those who are struggling to understand what market research means. As a small business, you need to avoid overwhelm and focus on the most relevant market data. Allow me to illuminate what works best for self-employed businesses. I'll show you how to understand your market well enough to properly steward your business. It's not just, What trends are you noticing? but also How are you noticing trends?
Read MoreA self-employed business is such a small operation, can it really change the world? Your business has more influence than you might imagine at first glance. Let me reveal how your micro-business might be the best tool you have in your fight for social change.
Read MoreSmall business owners miss many opportunities for "being the change they wish to see in the world." You could be doing more to make change happen. And these actions could be easy and from within your sphere of influence! In this article, I'll illuminate how to spot these opportunities as well as three key skills that will help you move from stuckness to action.
Read MoreThis is an article for self-employed small business owners who are struggling with indecision about joining a networking group and want to confidently make a decision. I help you by clarifying the factors you need to consider. This will help you to decide if you should or shouldn't join that networking group.
Read MoreThere are so many things to do when starting a business. Doing the right thing for your stage of the business' development can help conserve energy, bring greater success, and less stress. For those in the just getting started phase, here's what you should be focusing on.
Read MoreMany self-employed white business owners might feel like their business is too tiny to do anything substantial for Black History Month. In this article, I’ll lay out my two-pronged approach to celebrating Black History Month in February, and every day of every month!
Read MoreNetworking often seems to come naturally for extroverts. But being a people lover doesn’t mean that networking doesn’t still come with pitfalls! In this article, I tackle the overwhelm and impersonality that can often plague extroverts so that you’re cultivating high-quality connections and not just a high quantity of connections.
Read MoreIf you’re afraid of launching your self-employed business a plan can be an easy way to alleviate some of your fears. You don’t have to leap blindly, you can have a plan for each of the three phases most people go through when launching their self-employed business. You’ll also find that having a solid plan B is both motivating and comforting.
Read MoreAre people finding your blog on social media? Make it easier for people to find and share your blog on their favorite social networks. Let them do the work of promoting your blog for you!
Read MoreHow do you know if your business will succeed? Well, you don't really, but the fundamental balancing act of three key aspects of your business is a strong indicator. Read on to learn more about what makes a business work.
Read MoreChallenging yourself to do something new or different can be difficult. How can you enjoy this experience as much as possible and take care of yourself while you grow?
Read MoreSometimes outcomes are not directly linked to how hard we work. How do we stay motivated to keep working when the results seem completely unrelated?
Read MoreTechnically, if you operate a business, then you're an entrepreneur, however I don't think that was the actual question you were asking. This could be interpreted as an epic question of identity, however, for the purposes of this blog post, I'm going to interpret it as a question about if you have the right skills and qualities to become an entrepreneur.
Read MoreA lot of being an entrepreneur is a lot more circuitous than a well-laid and direct plan. Whether you're already running your business, or if you're just thinking about it, you can start cultivating the tools you'll need at any time. The sooner you get started, the sooner your business will be thriving and as an added bonus you'll likely be enjoying your business far more!
Read MoreWhen starting a business, it's generally necessary to have at least one phase where you tighten your belt. This isn't the most fun experience for most people, however there is a hidden opportunity here; an opportunity that has the potential to feel more like freedom than limitation.
Read MoreHow do you deal with change when it relates to your business? Sometimes change makes us afraid and we try to keep things the same since there is comfort in the expected. But this can create an energetic dam that is bound to fill up and lead to stressful and sudden change. So how do we deal with that?
Read MoreMaggie Karshner is a self-employment coach based in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. She specializes in coaching solo entrepreneurs and owner-operated small businesses in industries such as real estate, mental health therapy, massage therapy, yoga, doulas, and non-profit.
Maggie's coaching practice encompasses one on one coaching, group coaching, and asynchronous learning via the member area of the website.
As seen on King5's New Day NW and in The Seattle Times.
You're self-employment curious, but you're not even sure what your business is or does. It's not clear to you what your business does and what it means to know what it does. You want to have confidence in knowing the general form of your business. I'll help orient you to the basics of your business. This also addresses what's required of the Executive Summary and Company Description sections of a business plan.
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If you've never felt insecure when comparing yourself to others, this article isn't for you. For the rest of us normal people, we need to explore this and how it's impacting our current or future businesses. It's vital for self-employed businesses to understand their competitive advantages and disadvantages. But trying to understand this usually gets us stuck, demoralized, or frozen. Let me reframe competition and the dis/advantages of your business so that you can more easily succeed.