Indie Business Blog

Is the Four Hour Workweek Obsolete?

In My Life, There's No Such Thing As "Work"

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how much of my time is invested in Indie Business and Indie Beauty. Of course I've read most of Tim Ferris' book, The 4-Hour Workweek, and I am familiar with the things he suggests small business owners do to free up their time to do things they really enjoy. In fact, I have for years done many of the things his book suggests. I can appreciate wanting work "work" less, and I've been thinking about that quite a bit lately, especially now that we are starting to tape Indie Shopping.TV beginning Fridays at 10:15pm EST. Here's a photo of me on the set after last night's show.

       

The photo was taken around midnight. I'm tired, but do I look like I'm "working" to you? I think not. My Indie Business is so closely related to my life that there is almost no distinction between the two. As a Christian woman, my "work" is to serve God and His people as best I can using the talents, gifts and blessings He has given me. As a wife and mother, my "work" is to serve and partner with my husband, and to raise our children to be healthy and strong, and able to make vibrant contributions to society.

Do-it-yourself to Dollars

DIY Tips For Indies on a Mission

I am pleased and honored to be included on page 59 of the May 2008 issue of Working Mother Magazine, in their Entrepreneur Mom: Ask a Pro department. They included my tips for turning a pastime or hobby into a profitable career, like the 650+ members of the Indie Beauty Network have done!

                        

Click the article page to read all of the tips. What an honor to be included.

Post your best DIY to Dollars tips below!

Making A Difference Without Really Trying

Why It's Great To Be Indie!

As a small business owner, I sometimes get tired. Really tired. Not only do I run a growing business, but I also manage a home with a husband and two young children. It can be exhausting. I know you know what I mean, yes?

          

Even so, I am glad to be Indie, and I love that one of the most amazing things about the Indie Business community is the way we support and encourage one another.

Me? A"Consumer Expert?!!"

It seems that, since I've been posting so much about keeping more of the money you make, clipping coupons and destroying credit cards, at least one journalist has officially labeled me a "consumer expert."

          

Well, I am definitely a consumer. And I suppose I'm an expert at being a consumer since I've been one for so long. But I never fancied myself a "consumer expert."

Hmmm, I was named Home-Based Business "Advocate" of the Year by the Small Business Administration. So I'll take it, with a twist. "Donna Maria Coles Johnson, consumer advocate."

Has anyone in the press ever labeled you without first asking you if you'd like to be labeled that way? How did it make you feel? Did you do anything about it?

I Knew Me When ...

My Grand Plan ... Yeah, Right!

It's been nearly 13 years since I left the full-time practice of law to implement my grand plan to make a living manufacturing soap and other fragrant products at Maria Grace. I had no PR experience at the time, but instinctively, I knew that I needed to get the media to pick up on my little adventure.

          

This article was published in the Takoma Voice, the local paper, a few months after I opened. I was so excited to pose mixing soap, surrounded by my glass apothecary jars filled with my beloved herbs and flowers.

Happy Birthday To Me!

          

 

Wasabi Anyone?

Today, I'm feeling the love from Wasabi Publicity! Wasabi is a PR firm that is chock full of some of the most creative people I know, including my friend and colleague Michelle Tennant. That's why I was doubly excited when they asked l'il ole me to be a guest speaker at their November Wasabi Club gathering.

          

I had a great time sharing my advice and experiences about how Indie Business owners can cultivate relationships with the media that result in favorable publicity. We also talked about how email newsletters fit into that picture. My email newsletter, Indie Experience, has been published every week without fail since the first issue on January 16, 2000, and I was happy to share my experiences and road tested suggestions for launching and maintaining an email newsletter.

It's amazing to see how far my newsletter has come in the nearly 8 years I've been publishing it. While it looks different than it used to, and has garnered the support of several top notch sponsors through the years, it has the same focus it's always had: to inspire and encourage Indies to maximize their potential through small business ownership.

If you'd like to know how your business can employ some of the techniques I have used to make my email newsletter successful, you can download my remarks in MP3 format here.

Thanks for having me Wasabi. I feel the love, and I send it back to you!

Giving Credit Credit

Even I Have A Soft Spot For Credit, With Limits

Even though I love what I do, I work hard and long to make Indie Business Media, LLC and the Indie Beauty Network profitable. To do that, I associate with the banking and credit card industries from time to time. But as you can see from this post and this one, and this video clip, I'd rather save money than spend it.

          

Having said that, even though I don't rely unnecessarily on credit, I do partner with credit card companies when doing so makes my business cost effective and efficient. So I was excited when a writer at Credit Cards.com asked me to comment on how I use credit cards in my business. I was even more excited to learn that they were kind enough to include some of my comments in today's article about how small businesses use credit cards.

Great article, guys! Thanks for including me!

A few things I told them that didn't make the cut follow.

The Sick Indie

Indies Take Illness In Stride, Work Anyway And Love It!

Back when I had a "real" job, when I got sick, I called my boss and told her I was going to take the day off. My voice usually sounded awful and my boss commented that I needed my rest and that she was grateful that I was not coming into the office to infect everyone else. Then I'd ask a few colleagues to cover for me on some ongoing projects. And the best part was that even though I missed work, I still got paid.

          

Those days are gone. Now that I'm Indie, it doesn't matter how sick I am. If I don't work, I don't get paid. But now that I'm Indie, work is not work -- at least not the same kind of work. And that's even better than a pay check!

My daughter had strep two weeks ago. My son had a bad cold last week. Guess who has the flu this week? It's funny though, because when I got sick while working the "real" job, even though I felt awful, I was happy to have a break.

Today, even though I'm sick, I consider it a privilege and a great deal of fun to be Indie and to do what I love all day long. I've taken a few home remedies and will take it a little easier than usual today, but in the end, I'll be right here in my office serving the members of the Indie Beauty Network and other clients.

And the other thing I like is that I get to sound raspy and sultry like Demi Moore for a few days. I love when my voice sounds like that. So go ahead, humor me. Call me if you get a chance and let me know what you think. Seriously. (704) 291-7280.

Fall: The Season Of Me

It's Fall. Hibernate. Take Time For You.

Recently, it occurred to me that the Indie Business Blog is all about business. That's as it should be I suppose. However, for people who don't know me personally, it may look like I eat, live, sleep and breathe nothing but business. Guilty. Sort of. Well, except when I'm enjoying my new and money saving hobby of hanging around Real Coupon Queen. But I digress.

          

One of the great things about being Indie is that there is a fantastic overlapping connection between the part of me that works for a living and the part of me that lives for my work. Having said that, I do take time for myself exclusively, and fall is the Season of Me.