What To Do With Old Business Cards

Remember how cool it was the first time you got business cards? I was so excited that I took the old cards left by my predecessor and pasted my information on top of hers.

Ah, how times change...

Since I left my job, I discovered a stash of my old business cards that are now obsolete (don't worry, I have business cards with my freelance info, too). It seems a shame to waste perfectly good paper, so I came up with a couple of alternative uses for business cards:

Bookmarks: I have quite a collection of bookmarks, but somehow I can never find them. Business cards to the rescue!

To-do lists: they are perfect, pocket-sized option for scribbling a few notes (assuming I don't loose them afterwards).

Gift tags: the right size but probably the wrong sentiment. Doesn't exactly scream "Happy Father's Day," does it?

Are there any more creative ideas I've missed?

For those who prefer to actually use their business cards, Entrepreneur.com has an article on Smart Ways to Use Your Business Card.

Ladies Who Launch Boston Event

Last night I attended a panel about entrepreneurship presented by the Boston chapter of Ladies Who Launch. What a great group of successful, creative women! Even though I'm not peddling a product or planning to go public with my writing business, I still found that a lot of the advice resonated with me.

Here are some of the best sound bytes I picked up (I'm paraphrasing some of these for the sake of clarity):

"Let the naysayers push you forward." Fortunately, most of the people in my life are supportive. But occasionally I run up against someone who just doesn't get why I want to write. One of the women talked about a banker who refused to give her a small business loan to open a clothing boutique, and it forced her to rethink her business model. She said that after thinking about it and refining her idea, it actually ended up better than what she'd envisioned before (now she has a mobile boutique).

"You're your company 24/7." This is soo true! Rarely do I shut off my computer at 5:01 and call it a day. Every where I go, there are opportunities to find story ideas and connect with new people. You never know who you might meet at the gym, the grocery store, or a dinner party. If I'm not on my game, then I'm missing out on personal AND professional opportunities.

"Every opportunity is not necessarily a good opportunity." Women especially have a hard time saying no. I'm one of those women. But just because someone asks me to edit their newsletter or write for their website does not mean that it fits my vision for myself or that I have to do it. I should have that mantra taped to my computer screen!

"No is just the beginning." A veteran saleswoman-turned-entrepreneur mentioned this one. She said that if someone says no, then you have to keep in touch with them and keep thinking of ways to meet their needs until eventually you find a way to work together. I tend to just walk away after rejection (unless the editor says something encouraging that makes me think they might be open to more ideas), so I'll have to try this strategy in the future.

"Entrepreneurs give people what they want before they know they want it." I love this one! Not sure how it applies to writers, but it was in response to a (very smart) question about whether you should start a business based on a need or based on your own passion. One of the panelists pointed out that if you have the need, then other people have the need, too.

Any thoughts? What mantras or sayings about business inspire you?

Last Day in the Office

I've been anticipating my last day at work for awhile, but now that it's come and gone, it's kind of surreal (but not in a bad way). Like, for instance, when I realized that I didn’t have to reset my cell phone alarm for 7:20am or turn it to vibrate on Monday morning. I’ve been getting up earlier so I can get a jump on applying for writing gigs, but it’s nice to know that I don’t have to.

Today, in fact, I got up at 6am, because I was so excited about being full time freelance. I started emailing people (who probably think I am crazy for being on Gmail at 6am on a Saturday) and knocking things off my (rather lengthy) to-do list. Then I hit the gym, wrote an article, supervised a photo shoot for one of my other articles, and shopped for office supplies at Staple’s. That way I won’t have to feel guilty when I do my laundry or take a long lunch during the workday (competition is stiff for the dryer in the adjacent building – must schedule strategically).

You’re probably wondering how my last day at the office went. I won’t bore you with the details, but everyone seemed really, genuinely supportive. It helps that I’ve agreed to take them on as a client so we can tie up a few more projects. As I walked to the bar after work for my going away party, one of my coworkers mentioned that she’d invited a friend to join us.

“I hope that’s OK.”

“Of course,” I said. “Everyone is welcome.”

Her friend arrived and asked the obligatory question about what I’m doing next. “I’m a full time freelance writer now!” I announced proudly, unsure if this would mean anything to him.

“Really?” he answered. “I work for a PR agency, and we’re always looking for freelancers.”

I told him that I have a degree in public relations and shamelessly offered him my business card, which he accepted.

Like I said before, “everyone is welcome.”

Finding Sources Through Social Networking

Sources can make or break your article. If they are friendly and helpful and answer their phone or email when they say they will, then writing can be a pleasant experience. But if they offer to do an interview and then go MIA or if they ramble incoherently about topics that are outside the scope of your article, it can be downright painful.

I’m still mastering the art of the interview, but I have a few go-to places for sources (and I rarely rely on just one because I don't want to be stuck without a source). Being a child of the computer age, I do almost all of my source searches online at these sites:

MediaBistro has a bulletin board devoted to finding sources. I've used it successfully, but remember that it's a site geared towards the media so you generally get PR people, freelancers, etc. If you're looking for a variety of "real people sources," you might want to diversify. Click the box for allowing email so your sources can contact you personally and get a dialogue going away from the boards.

WritersWeekly also has a forum for those who need sources. Again, it's mostly writers who use the board, but I generally get a good response rate. If you're on a tight deadline, keep in mind that the new edition goes live every Wednesday. Absolute Write also has as section of their forums for research.

Facebook has a group called "If I can help a reporter out, I will..." and the moderator (Peter Shankman) sends out messages whenever someone needs an expert on estate law, a "real person" who's flown around the world, or any other variation. Peter would love to add more users to the group, too. I've also used facebook on my own. Posting notes about source needs hasn't worked too well for me, so now I do an advanced search through all my facebook friends to find people who live in different parts of the country, attend grad school, practice yoga, etc.

LinkedIn has a section for questions and answers. I haven't used it yet myself (I know shame on me for not practicing what I preach), but other people use it a lot and since LinkedIn has a cross-section from many different industries, I could see it working very successfully, although you might get many more responses than you could ever use, which is also a problem with ProfNet.

For more on finding sources and conducting interviews, check out these posts on Ask Allison and Writing White Papers.

Ready, Set... Network!

Today after work, despite the overwhelming urge to frolic in the sun, I headed to a MediaBistro event to mingle with some fellow freelancers and to meet a certain new editor. As I hovered near said editor, waiting for my opportunity to inject myself into the conversion, I chatted with a young woman nearby who had some excellent networking advice.

She handles sales for a TV program, so I was interested in how she works the room and what types of connections she makes. She whispered that her secret is to befriend the hosts and ask to see the guest list. "That way I know who's here and how long I want to spend looking for them," she explained. Way smarter than my strategy of talking up people in front of the table of free food!

Then she handed me another nugget of gold. I mentioned that my apartment is near her office, and she added "Mr. Editor is looking to move there." So, naturally, when I had my chance to wow him with my dazzling conversation skills and witty repartee, I already had a good conversation starter: offering insider info about the local restaurants and hang-outs instead of blabbering about my publishing creds. He immediately handed me his card, and we've already started exchanging emails...