Beware the Omnipotent Search Engine
Nothing on the Web is private. I am a member of an online politics discussion forum that spans several Yahoo! Groups. From the outset, some of the groups had message archives that were open to the public, and some were closed. Recently, it was debated internally whether to open some of those closed groups — [...]
Honesty, First.
A cardinal rule for business is to be honest about what you can and will deliver. It’s seductively simple to promise the world: Just buy my product or service, and your life will improve, the air will be cleaner, the birds will sing more sweetly. For example, Gillikin Consulting is in the business, to some [...]
Groundwork
The first rule of thumb when starting a new business is to ensure that the proper framework is in place. For people in the freelance writing world, this means building a brand identity, establishing a coherent Web site, and drafting marketing materials. It’s easy — and tempting — to short-circuit the process. Who needs brochures [...]
Marketing 101
During the first week in August, I will embark upon a grand adventure into the sorta-wilds of West Central Ireland, at the invitation of my church choir. Today, during a fundraiser for this trip — a five-hour women’s expo, featuring two dozen vendors — I volunteered to assist with logistics and vendor management. It occurred [...]