Some weeks are more inspired than others, and this one certainly was filled with good ideas and productive conversations. Here’s some of what happened:
I had a great idea and decided I deserved to make money off of it.
I’ve been working with a web developer on a project when she showed me her pet website. I think she has a great product which would be perfect for one of my clients if she repackaged it and came up with a price. I told her about it over Gmail chat. She asked me to make the introduction.
The old, more passive Nicole would have just done so, wondering why my taking the time to help people out never paid off.
The new Nicole tried a new approach.
“Well, this may sound selfish but I am kind of wondering how I am going to make money off of this.” I typed in our chat window, tentatively. I waited.
She agreed and said I shouldn’t sound so apologetic, that of course she should give me a commission off of it. But she told me not to be so hesitant in asking for it next time. If I’m helping someone make a few thousand bucks, I should make some money off of it!
“What are you, a woman or something?” my potential business partner asked, chat-winking a me. Yeah, why as women do we hold back from asking what’s in it for us? I won’t, not anymore anyway.
I scored at SCORE.
My small business counselor at SCORE thought that since my small business aims to help other small businesses that I should come to the SCORE board meeting, which happened this week. I got there early enough to have some side conversations and was told I’d have about ten minutes to talk to the twenty or so counselors.
I wanted to spend most of my time showing examples of my work rather than using the time to give a long speech. They had all read my ‘elevator speech’ before my showing up so I spent a few minutes giving some applications of my work and used the rest of the time for questions.
The SCORE board members are all business counselors so having them understand what I do was pretty important to me. If they had a client who was considering promoting themselves online and didn’t know where to start, I wanted these counselors to be able to think of me as a competent professional.
I think it went well, and I left some of my cards for them so hopefully, I’ll get an opportunity through SCORE sometimes soon. Their board chair asked if I’d mind helping with their site even. Always a good sign.
At this meeting, I also learned that my friend is giving a talk as part of their workshop for nonprofits next week. Since she is talking about how to get money, I emailed her and asked her to mention using the internet to raise money, and a few ways a non-profit could do that. “You are quite the little promoter, aren’t you?” she said. She did say she’d mention it (and I hope indirectly mention me).
“You win again, little marketer. You win again.” she said. Two scores at SCORE. I love public speaking!
I worked the part time job.
I now always bring business cards with me to the inn. Why? Because I inevitably end up talking to someone and, when they find out I’m not in college, they wonder what the heck I do when I’m not working part time at a bed and breakfast. Then we end up talking about the internet for two hours.
Just this week I passed out three of my business cards, and recieved two business cards in return. Hey, a lead is a lead and if I can be positively associated with someone’s Maine vacation, all the better.
It’s all about taking every opportunity, even the little ones. Because sometimes the smallest ideas turn out to be the best.