Indie Business Blog

Bail Your Own Self Out

The Economic Message of the Century: Bail Yourself Out

Yesterday, I posted an in depth analysis of how the Emergency (which really isn't an emergency) Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 is affecting "real" small businesses. After yesterday's failed vote on the Act, and after listening to President Bush speak a few minutes ago, the post is even more relevant today. Together, the Act, the vote and the President's morning message point inevitably to one conclusion: you can and should bail yourself out.

       

Neither you nor I can expect the federal government alone to protect and defend our economic interests. That's true now, just as it has always been. Each one of us must climb his or her own group of stairs, pause at the top and begin to fly under the power of our own economic potential. Here's why you are your own best bail out plan, and what you can do now to start soaring.

Bad Bailout!!

How the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 Affects "Real" Small Businesses

Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services released the text of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. I spent a few hours reading through it and I have some thoughts. In a nutshell, the Act allows the United States Secretary of the Treasury to establish a Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) pursuant to which it can purchase the "troubled assets" of certain financial institutions. It also creates a new regulatory body, the Office of Financial Stability, within the Treasury Department, the purpose of which is to implement TARP. You can view a section-by-section summary of the Act here. (PDF)

      

While I am glad to see that, under the Act, the actions of regulators would be subject to review by federal courts, and also that the Act includes some provisions to help home buyers and (on paper anyway) prevent the corporate elite who started all of these problems from enjoying windfall profits, I can't help but note that this is not really an emergency. An emergency is unforeseen, yet we've been watching this happen for years. And lawmakers have done nothing until now. Calling it am "emergency" does not excuse any of them, or the millionaires who are at the heart of this debacle, from the consequences they should (but will not likely) face. Regardless of whether we "must" act now, and in this way, I am very troubled by this piece of legislation from a policy perspective, particularly as it affects Indie Business owners. Here's why.

What Did You Steal Today?

Successful Indie Says "Steal" Your Way to the Top

I love traveling for many reasons, but lately, the main one is the interesting and friendly people I've sat next to on airplanes. Last month, I met Amri Johnson (Twitter: @amrijohnson), an author I hope to have on Indie Business Radio soon. Yesterday, on the flight from San Francisco after The Nova Studio's Business Boot Camp, I met E. Gary Smith. E. Gary, age 57, is a native Atlantian who now makes his home in the San Francisco bay area.

      

The first thing I noticed about E. Gary is that he was holding a book by Michael Gerber, a well known small business success guru. The first thing he noticed about me is that I was holding a book my Mark LeBlanc, a well known small business success guru. We struck up a conversation, and what do you know? E. Gary allowed me to snap a photo of him (sorry guys, he wouldn't go for the video), and he agreed to let me interview him about his journey as a successful Indie Business owner.

My Social Media System

How I Maintain My Social Network Without Losing My Shirt

Thank you for the great collection of comments, tips and insights you are sharing on yesterday's post about making connections on Twitter. One of the themes of the comments is that, if you're not careful, Twitter and other social media become colossal time suckers with little to no return. Indie Beauty Network member Anne-Marie wrote, "It can be a bit of a black hole if I follow all the cool links that show up on people's Tweets." And Indie Beauty Network member D'Anna Catterson said, "It can be quite addicting!"

      

I have found these things to be true. If you don't discipline yourself in any fun social situation, you'll find yourself hopelessly unproductive. Who hasn't experienced staying at the party or talking on the phone so long that some other important detail of life or business is not tended to? We've all done that, so we all appreciate the power of using a system to ensure that our social connections are maintained while our businesses continue to thrive.

Here are my Social Media System recommendations and a little about how I incorporate social media into my business model.

Would You Tweet With Me?

3 Types of People To Avoid On Twitter

You know, Twitter rocks, or at least I think so. But not everyone agrees. My interaction with thousands of people on Twitter has lead me to believe that it is a valuable tool for meeting new people, learning new things and expanding your circle of influence as an Indie Business owner. For example, Indie Beauty Network member Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap Company, who just started Tweeting a few months ago, says that Twitter accounts for 30% of visits to her website, and that she was booked to speak at a conference directly because of Twitter networking. You can't shake a stick at that!

       

Let's face it, social media like Twitter is time consuming. And it is sometimes difficult and frustrating to deal with multiple personalities. This is especially true if, like me and most Indie Business owners, you are also managing a home and want to maintain some level of privacy. But the reality is that, marketing is time consuming, business is business and if you're home-based, you have to figure out how to connect everything in a way that works for you and your family. And with 75% of Americans on the Internet, this boils down to resisting the urge to maintain so much privacy that your business goes down the tubes.

dM and IBN Member in Television News Segment

Earlier this month, I taped a segment for WUSA-9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC, on the topic of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. I wanted to share it with you because it's summarizes the heart of the issue. That is, if passed in its current form, it would put thousands of small and woman-owed businesses out of business, while doing nothing to protect consumers. The segment features me, news anchor Lesli Foster and Indie Beauty Network member Jamila White of j.blossom. Click here to open up a new browser window and watch the video. (I am not streaming it here because there's no way to supress the embed link that makes the video play automatically.)

This whole process is such a fantastic adventure for me. It is such a pleasure to be in a position to inspire, encourage and advocate on behalf of Indie Businesses across our nation.

If you have not signed our Petition in opposition to the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, please do so by leaving your comment in the comments section of this blog post. You don't have to write a lot. Just say as little as, "I oppose the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Name, city, state."

Related Posts

Stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008
Preparing For a Date With Congress
Sample Letters You Can Send to Congress and the Media
It's Not About You

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Indies in the City: San Francisco

I Love Indies in San Francisco!

We had a fantastic time last night at Indies in the City in Point Richmond, California, about 20 minutes outside of one of my favorite cities: San Francisco. I am here for the next 4 days to share my knowledge and experience at Lori Nova's Business Boot Camp. I am always excited to do that, but especially for this event because Lori's Nova Studio is such a lovely and intimate workshop. While I like sharing in any venue, I really love it when I can be up close and personal with other Indies. Here's a picture of everyone smiling in the midst of the chicha.

         

L to R: IBN member Donna Lang, The Aromatic Way; Rochel Roland, Kelly Chadwick of Pure Indulgence; dM, Ann Walls, IBN member Joan Morais of Joan Morais Natural Body Care Classes & Workshops; IBN member Lori Nova of The Nova Studio. Throughout the next four days, along with other experts in various fields of small business success, I'll be addressing Lori's group.

What Do You Think of My New Draft Blog Layout?

I'd Love Your Feedback on My New WordPress Blog Layout

Ihave been blogging since 2005. You can see the remnants of my first blog here. I keep thinking I should take that site down, or at least disable the blog, but I don't because it is such a useful teaching tool. It shows how awful a beginner blogger really is. In fact, shortly after I launched that blog, I interviewed Debbie Weil, author of the Corporate Blogging Book, on Indie Business Radio. On a whim, during the live show, I asked Debbie to log onto my blog and give me some real time feedback. I had not prepared her for the question and I could tell immediately that Debbie did not want to embarrass me on my own radio show. She was gracious of course, yet honest, and I am so thankful to her for telling me the truth without slamming me.

         

So I keep the blog up, and link to it from time to time to encourage other beginner bloggers that everyone has to start somewhere. Now, 3 years and 3 blogs later, I'm considering switching to a WordPress blogging platform. (I'll post an article about why I am considering this later.) I hired Matt Blancarte Unique Blog Designs to create something just for me. What you see in the graphic above is his first draft.

What do you think? I'll ask Debbie too. In fact, I'm working with her to set up a return date on Indie Business Radio. Debbie lives and breathes blogging and she's a fantastic resource. I highly recommend that you enjoy the show from a few years ago and buy her book at the link, and stay tuned for an announcement soon about Debbie's return to Indie Business Radio.

So, what do you think of the draft of my new blog layout?

Related Posts

Blogging: So Easy, Anyone Can Do It
Save Time, Blog Fast
Top 10 Reasons Why Your Business Blog is Dead
My Blog Mentors
The Whole Hog Business Blog

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Being Oprah Winfrey

Love Her or Hate Her, What You Can Learn From Her Journey

Once upon a time, as a small child growing up in the south, Oprah Winfrey had few financial resources. But that was then. Today, she is one of the world’s wealthiest people. This wealth extends far beyond her bank account, for Oprah seems decidedly rich not only in a financial sense but also in terms of her life. So many people love Oprah. So many people hate Oprah.

      

Whether you're on one side of the fence or another, or are straddling it, if you're Indie, you can learn a lot about business by studying Oprah's career choices. This post outlines the three main things Oprah has done to create a lasting empire -- things Indies can do to manage and sustain our own piece of the American dream.

The Fit Indie

Fitness Is Changing My Life and My Business

In late June, I started a healthy lifestyle program. I have to admit that it really wasn't much of a program. More of a more serious desire to be a Fit Indie. At the beginning, I took a sort of relaxed approach to things. I worked out when I could, changed my eating habits a little (but not nearly enough) and began to generally be more conscious about how I was treating my body. Then, in August, my neighbor, friend and sometime walking partner underwent gastric bypass surgery. The next day, she told me she felt like she had been run over by a truck. Sometimes I felt that way and I hadn't even had surgery. And that's not good.

      

Watching my neighbor go through the gastric thing kicked me into more of a high gear. I didn't want to ever have to go that route. Not that there's anything wrong with it -- I support my friend as she finds her own path to wellness. We have the same general goals, but I felt that surgery was not for me. So earlier this month, I stepped it up. I have lost 6 pounds so far this month.