The Power of People!

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Never underestimate the power of people.
That is the lesson for today.
As a small business owner, the buzz word is no longer change, it is N-E-T-W-O-R-K!
I recently took account of how my clients heard about JostWrite and the services I provide. Majority were either referred by someone who had used my services (paid or free) or someone who came across JostWrite somewhere in the social media world. It makes me smile.

 
It is a privilege to be working on projects, big and small, because someone opened up a Rolodex and connected me to other people. The three biggest projects I am currently working on are connections from old clients. One is a third degree connection meaning I was referred by the client's friend and the client also referred me to another client. It seems each referral gets bigger and bigger, from editing a piece of work for a class paper to writing web-contents to working on magazine articles. It is a whole truck load of doing good work, getting good feedback and watching doors open.

Last week, I worked with a friend on another entrepreneurial project. Lo and behold, my heavens sang when the woman who were working for in preparation for a huge trade-show in Chicago mentioned that she is CEO and owner of a communication and publishing company.  She was equally blown away when I quielty enthusiastically said yelled "I am a freelance writer." She is interested in working with me. The company is a few decades old, its the biggest in that industry with offices in New York and Minnesota. My jaws are still dropped.

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I do not have the funds for big time marketing, and I am still trying to wrap my head around the best social media platform to engage with for my craft, but I am learning that people speak volume for a small business owner and an entrepreneur.

Be good to them. Be nice to them. Tell them about what you do. Get engaged with people on social media. Get involved in groups of similar visions. Talk about your services. Get personal. Be approachable. Provide quality services both for free and for money. Go out of your way to help even with free services and watch how the strings connect. I cannot count how many free services I have given over the years to friends and families before I launched JostWrite and how many more pro bono work I still do. People remember. People talk. Be business smart and strategic about pro bono work.

As I work on launching a small website (which I agree is way beyond long over due), I never want to forget that websites are looked at by people. Regardless of aesthetics, content, logo design and colors, people want to know the you behind the products and services you offer. The way we treat people in the different spaces we occupy will determine if they come back to bite us in the butt or give us a soft warm kiss.



Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!