29.1.10

small business + small steps

Roundabout
photo via flickr

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed these days, like there's so much to do that I don't know where to begin. January is just motoring along and it's beginning to make me anxious about all things I want to do this year, namely, launch English Muffin into the stratosphere. Lately, I've been feeling like my thought process is one big roundabout with no clear place for me to safely enter and merge with the rest of the cars. For example, I want to re-design my website, but that doesn't make sense until I re-shoot my product photos, which shouldn't happen until I have created and printed my new designs, but I don't feel comfortable starting those until I've really developed a clear vision for English Muffin, that can't be done until I've researched for at least a few hundred hours about how to run a "real" business.

You can see how I might feel a bit overwhelmed. So today is all about researching for future research. I've found some really interesting blogs, videos and websites about how to run your own small business. Reading the thoughts of people who are professionals in this field has already raised a few flags in head - things I had thought were true, or never really questioned to begin with, that I know see differently. I'll be honest, I don't have a business brain, but I am determined to make it a least a little bit more business-y asap. Somewhere along the way business became an evil word for me, perhaps all those years as a contemporary dancer, hmmm.

Of course, I want to share all my discoveries with you. So here are some goodies from today's spoils. I hope you find them as helpful and business-y as I did. And if you have any of your own small business gems, I'd love to hear about them.

craftMBA.com
- my new obsession
1000 True Fans - what a concept!
Seth Godin - marketing guru
Design*Sponge Biz Ladies - I've read every one, some of them twice. Practical advice from the experts
BAKERY blog - they've even got an online course that I really want to take

Have a great weekend,
Bess

2 comments:

  1. hang in there bess! i know you're destined for great things - you're too talented not to be ;)

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  2. Ugh! I TOTALLY know what you mean. My sister has been trying to push me to do a jewelry party. She said she would host it and all I would have to do is make one of every item and bring them and people can take orders that way. But the idea of having to make all that jewelry after coming home from a long day of hell and cooking and attempting to work out...yeah doesn't appeal to me. I am soo not good at advertising. I have been using my blog as my means but even that doesn't really help. It is the type of thing that you need to do full time and go full force at. I don't have that luxury with all these bills to pay.

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